Diet and Cognition

The function of a midlife DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet on late-life subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) is poorly understood. Song et al. (2023) used data on 5116 women from the New York University Women's Health Study (mean age in 1985–1991: 46 years). A 6-item survey evaluated SCCs between 2018 and 2020 (mean age: 79 years). Analysis of the results revealed that women in the highest quartile of DASH scores at baseline had lower odds of having two or more SCCs than those in the bottom quartile. The correlation remained when selection bias was taken into account. In women without a history of cancer, that inverse connection was more pronounced. Thus, the authors conclude that a higher fidelity to the DASH diet in mid-life is linked to lower odds of late-life SSCs in women