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Background: Tree nuts and peanuts (henceforth, nuts) are nutrient-dense foods rich in neuroprotective components; thus, their consumption could benefit cognitive health. However, evidence to date is limited and inconsistent regarding the potential benefits of nuts for cognitive function., Objective: To prospectively evaluate the association between nut consumption and 2-y changes in cognitive performance in older adults at cognitive decline risk., Methods: A total of 6,630 participants aged 55 to 75 y (mean age 65.0±4.9 y, 48.4% women) with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome completed a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests at baseline and a 2-y follow-up. Composite cognitive scores were used to assess global, general, attention, and executive function domains. Nut consumption was categorized as <1, ≥1 to <3, ≥3 to <7, and ≥7 servings/wk (1 serving=30 g). Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were fitted to assess associations between baseline nut consumption and 2-y cognitive changes., Results: Nut consumption was positively associated with 2-y changes in general cognitive function (P-trend <0.001). Compared with participants consuming <1 serving/wk of nuts, those categorized as consuming ≥3 to <7 and ≥7 servings/wk showed more favorable changes in general cognitive performance (β z-score [95% CI] = 0.06 [0.00,0.12] and 0.13 [0.06,0.20], respectively). No significant changes were observed in the multivariable-adjusted models for other cognitive domains assessed., Conclusion: Frequent nut consumption was associated with a smaller decline in general cognitive performance over 2 y in older adults at risk of cognitive decline. Randomized clinical trials to verify our findings are warranted., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: It has been proposed that physical activity (PA) could prevent cognitive decline., Objective: To evaluate the association between changes in PA and changes in cognitive function in a cohort of adults with metabolic syndrome., Methods: Longitudinal observational study including 5,500 adults (mean age 65 years, SD = 5; women = 49.3% ) with metabolic syndrome. Participants underwent physical activity measurements and cognitive evaluation at baseline and at two-years of follow-up. PA was quantified using the Minnesota questionnaire-shortened version. Cognitive function was evaluated using a battery of tests: Mini-Mental Test Examination, Clock Drawing Test, Trail Making Test A and B, Verbal Fluency Test, and Digit Span. The primary outcome was two-year change in cognition, measured through the Global Composite Score (GCS) of all neuropsychological tests. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were fitted with baseline PA and their changes as the main exposures and changes in cognitive function as the outcome., Results: No significant association was found between PA levels (or their changes) in the GCS of cognitive function. A greater increase in PA levels was associated with a more favorable two-year change in the Trail Making Test A (Q4 versus Q1: b = - 2.24s, 95% CI -4.36 to -0.12s; p-trend = 0.020). No significant association was found for other neuropsychological test., Conclusion: Our results do not support an association between increases in PA and the evolution of the global cognitive function at two-year in an intervention trial which included PA promotion in one of its two randomized arms, but they suggested a possible beneficial effect of PA on attentional function in older adults.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes has been linked to greater cognitive decline, but other glycemic parameters such as prediabetes, diabetes control and treatment, and HOMA-IR and HbA 1c diabetes-related biomarkers have shown inconsistent results. Furthermore, there is limited research assessing these relationships in short-term studies. Thus, we aimed to examine 2-year associations between baseline diabetes/glycemic status and changes in cognitive function in older participants at high risk of cardiovascular disease., Methods: We conducted a 2-year prospective cohort study (n=6,874) within the framework of the PREDIMED-Plus study. The participants (with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome; mean age 64.9 years; 48.5% women) completed a battery of 8 cognitive tests, and a global cognitive function Z-score (GCF) was estimated. At baseline, participants were categorized by diabetes status (no-diabetes, prediabetes, and <5 or ≥5-year diabetes duration), and also by diabetes control. Furthermore, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ) levels were measured, and antidiabetic medications were recorded. Linear and logistic regression models, adjusted by potential confounders, were fitted to assess associations between glycemic status and changes in cognitive function., Results: Prediabetes status was unrelated to cognitive decline. However, compared to participants without diabetes, those with ≥5-year diabetes duration had greater reductions in GCF (β=-0.11 (95%CI -0.16;-0.06)], as well as in processing speed and executive function measurements. Inverse associations were observed between baseline HOMA-IR and changes in GCF [β=-0.0094 (95%CI -0.0164;-0.0023)], but also between HbA 1c levels and changes in GCF [β=-0.0085 (95%CI -0.0115, -0.0055)], the Mini-Mental State Examination, and other executive function tests. Poor diabetes control was inversely associated with phonologic fluency. The use of insulin treatment was inversely related to cognitive function as measured by the GCF [β=-0.31 (95%CI -0.44, -0.18)], and other cognitive tests., Conclusions: Insulin resistance, diabetes status, longer diabetes duration, poor glycemic control, and insulin treatment were associated with worsening cognitive function changes in the short term in a population at high cardiovascular risk., Clinical Trial Registration: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN89898870, identifier ISRCTN: 89898870., Competing Interests: JS-S serves on the board of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council and receives grant support through this institution. He also served on the Executive Committee of the Instituto Danone, Spain, and on the Scientific Committee of the Danone International Institute. He has received research support from the Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero, Spain, and Borges S.A., Spain. He receives consulting fees or travel expenses from Eroski Foundation, the Instituto Danone, Spain, Mundipharma and Abbot Laboratories. ER reports grants, personal fees, non-financial support and others from California Walnut Commission and Alexion, personal fees, non-financial support and others from Ferrer International and Danone, and personal fees from Amarin, outside the submitted work. FF-A reports consultation fees from Novo Nordisk and editor-in-Chief honoraria from Wiley. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Gómez-Martínez, Babio, Júlvez, Becerra-Tomás, Martínez-González, Corella, Castañer, Romaguera, Vioque, Alonso-Gómez, Wärnberg, Martínez, Serra-Majem, Estruch, Tinahones, Lapetra, Pintó, Tur, López-Miranda, Bueno-Cavanillas, Gaforio, Matía-Martín, Daimiel, Martín-Sánchez, Vidal, Vázquez, Ros, Dalsgaard, Sayón-Orea, Sorlí, de la Torre, Abete, Tojal-Sierra, Barón-López, Fernández-Brufal, Konieczna, García-Ríos, Sacanella, Bernal-López, Santos-Lozano, Razquin, Alvarez-Sala, Goday, Zulet, Vaquero-Luna, Diez-Espino, Cuenca-Royo, Fernández-Aranda, Bulló and Salas-Salvadó.)