The Association of Antioxidants and Cognition in the Nurses’ Health Study
Citation
Devore, E. E., J. H. Kang, M. J. Stampfer, and F. Grodstein. 2012. “The Association of Antioxidants and Cognition in the Nurses’ Health Study.” American Journal of Epidemiology 177 (1): 33–41. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kws202.Abstract
The authors examined long-term antioxidant intake in relation to cognitive decline among older women. Beginning in 1980, Nurses' Health Study (NHS) participants completed dietary assessments every 4 years; in 19952001, 16,010 participants aged epsilon 70 years completed initial cognitive assessments, which were repeated 3 times at 2-year intervals. Long-term antioxidant intake was averaged from 1980 through the time of initial cognitive interviews. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression was used to estimate mean differences in rates of cognitive decline across categories of vitamin E, vitamin C, and carotenoid intake; statistical tests were 2-sided. No associations were evident for vitamin E or total carotenoid intake and cognitive decline (e.g., after multivariable adjustment, P-trend 0.44 and P-trend 0.51, respectively, for a global composite score averaging all 6 cognitive tests), although higher lycopene intake and lower vitamin C intake were related to slower cognitive decline. In alternative analyses of overall cognitive status at older ages (averaging all 4 cognitive assessments), results for vitamins E and C were generally null, but higher carotenoid intake was related to better cognition. Overall, long-term vitamin E and C intakes were not consistently related to cognition, although greater consumption of carotenoids may have cognitive benefits in older adults.Terms of Use
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