Long-Term Intake of Red Meat in Relation to Dementia Risk and Cognitive Function in US Adults
Li Y, Li Y, Gu X, Liu Y, Dong D, Kang JH, Wang M, Eliassen H, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Wang D
Neurology · 22 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Cohort study (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Clinical events such as disease or death
- Intake measured by
- Food frequency questionnaire
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- National Institute on Aging
- Government
- National Institute of Nursing Research
- Government
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Government
- NIDDK NIH HHS
- Government
- NIA NIH HHS
- Government
- NINR NIH HHS
- Grants
- National Institute of Nursing Research (R01NR019992); National Institute on Aging (R01 AG077489); National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (K99 DK119412); National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R00 DK119412)
Based on 6 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2025-01-15 · Neurology · vol. 104 · issue 3 · p. e210286
- Publisher
- Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
- Cited
- 38 citations · more than 100% of similar papers · 19.3× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 34 works
- Access
- Open access (repository copy)
- Research areas
- Nuts composition and effects · Nutritional Studies and Diet · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Keywords
- Dementia, Term (time), Cognition, Medicine, Relation (database), Gerontology, Psychology, Psychiatry, Internal medicine, Disease, Computer science
- MeSH
- humans, dementia, diet, risk factors, cohort studies, prospective studies, cognition, adult, aged, middle aged, united states, female, male, red meat, cognitive dysfunction
11 authors
From US
- Y.S. LiHarvard University
- Yanping LiHarvard University
- Xiao GuHarvard University
- Yuxi LiuBroad Institute; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Harvard University
- Danyue DongBroad Institute; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Harvard University
- Jae Hee KangBrigham and Women's Hospital; Harvard University
Abstract
Background and objectives
Previous studies have shown inconsistent associations between red meat intake and cognitive health. Our objective was to examine the association between red meat intake and multiple cognitive outcomes.
Methods
In this prospective cohort study, we included participants free of dementia at baseline from 2 nationwide cohort studies in the United States: the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS). Diets were assessed using a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. We ascertained incident dementia cases from both NHS participants (1980-2023) and HPFS participants (1986-2023). Objective cognitive function was assessed using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (1995-2008) among a subset of NHS participants. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) was self-reported by NHS participants (2012, 2014) and HPFS participants (2012, 2016). Cox proportional hazards models, general linear regression, and Poisson regression models were applied to assess the associations between red meat intake and different cognitive outcomes.
Results
The dementia analysis included 133,771 participants (65.4% female) with a mean baseline age of 48.9 years, the objective cognitive function analysis included 17,458 female participants with a mean baseline age of 74.3 years, and SCD analysis included 43,966 participants (77.1% female) with a mean baseline age of 77.9 years. Participants with processed red meat intake ≥0.25 serving per day, compared with plinearity plinearity = 0.004). Higher processed red meat intake was associated with accelerated aging in global cognition (1.61 years per 1 serving per day increment [95% CI 0.20-3.03]) and in verbal memory (1.69 years per 1 serving per day increment [95% CI 0.13-3.25], both plinearity = 0.03). Unprocessed red meat intake of ≥1.00 serving per day, compared with plinearity = 0.04). Replacing 1 serving per day of nuts and legumes for processed red meat was associated with a 19% lower risk of dementia (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.75-0.86), 1.37 fewer years of cognitive aging (95% CI -2.49 to -0.25), and a 21% lower risk of SCD (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68-0.92).
Discussion
Higher intake of red meat, particularly processed red meat, was associated with a higher risk of developing dementia and worse cognition. Reducing red meat consumption could be included in dietary guidelines to promote cognitive health. Further research is needed to assess the generalizability of these findings to populations with diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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