Dietary Fats and the Risk of Incident Alzheimer Disease

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Abstract
FEW STUDIES have investigated the effects of dietary fats on neurodegenerative diseases related to aging. Most animal studies have focused on dietary deficiencies in the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (C18:2 ω-6) and linolenic acid (C18:3 ω-3), and cognition during prenatal and postnatal development.1 A limited number of animal models were designed to test the association between dietary fat composition and cognitive performance in later adult years, and these studies found superior cognitive performance with diets that were higher in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and lower in saturated fat.2-4 Data from an epidemiologic study suggested that high intake of total fat, saturated fat, and dietary cholesterol may increase the risk of dementia.5 In the present study, we examined the association of Alzheimer disease with different types of fat, including saturated fat, trans-unsaturated fat, ω-6 polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and dietary cholesterol, in a biracial community study of older Chicago, Ill, residents.