The association between Mediterranean diet adherence and Parkinson's disease

✍ Scribed by Roy N. Alcalay; Yian Gu; Helen Mejia-Santana; Lucien Cote; Karen S. Marder; Nikolaos Scarmeas

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2012
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 735 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-3185
• DOI: 10.1002/mds.24918

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Background:

Recent studies have demonstrated an association between a Mediterranean‐type diet and Alzheimer's risk. We assessed the association between Mediterranean‐type diet adherence and Parkinson's disease (PD) status.

Methods:

Two hundred and fifty‐seven PD participants and 198 controls completed the Willett semiquantitative questionnaire that quantifies diet during the past year. Scores were calculated using a 9‐point scale; higher scores indicated greater adherence to the Mediterranean‐type diet. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between PD status and Mediterranean‐type diet, adjusting for caloric intake, age, sex, education, and ethnicity. Adjusted linear regression models were used to examine the association between Mediterranean‐type diet adherence and PD age at onset.

Results:

Higher Mediterranean‐type diet adherence was associated with reduced odds for PD after adjustment for all covariates (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.77–0.97; P = .010). Lower Mediterranean‐type diet score was associated with earlier PD age at onset (β = 1.09; P = .006).

Conclusions:

PD patients adhere less than controls to a Mediterranean‐type diet. Dietary behavior may be associated with age at onset. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society