Featured ArticleNutrient biomarker patterns and long-term risk of dementia in older adults

IntroductionSeveral nutrients may predict dementia risk. We characterized nutrient biomarker patterns, which integrate the complexity of nutrient exposure and biodisponibility associated with long-term risk of dementia in a large cohort of older persons, the Three-City study.MethodsWe included 666 nondemented participants with plasma measurements of 22 fat-soluble nutrients at baseline, who were followed up for 12 years for dementia.ResultsA “deleterious” pattern combining lower blood status in vitamin D, carotenoids, and polyunsaturated fats and higher saturated fats was strongly associated with a higher risk of dementia. Compared with individuals in the first quintile of the pattern score, participants in the highest quintile of score had an approximately fourfold increased risk of dementia (hazard ratio = 4.53 [95% confidence interval 1.99, 10.32], P for trend <.001) in multivariate models.DiscussionA blood pattern reflecting lower status in several nutrients among nondemented individuals appeared strongly associated with the long-term risk of dementia in this cohort.