DIETARY-FAT INTAKE AND THE RISK OF INCIDENT DEMENTIA IN THE ROTTERDAMSTUDY

A high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol and a low intake of pol yunsaturated fatty acids have been related to an increased risk of car diovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease has been associated with d ementia. We investigated the association between fat intake and incide nt dementia among participants, age 55 years or older, from the popula tion-based prospective Rotterdam Study. Food intake of 5,386 nondement ed participants was assessed at baseline with a semiquantitative food- frequency questionnaire. At baseline and after an average of 2.1 years of follow-up, we screened for dementia with a three-step protocol tha t included a clinical examination. The risk of dementia at follow-up ( RR [95% CI]) was assessed with logistic regression. After adjustment f or age, sex, education, and energy intake, high intakes of the followi ng nutrients were associated with an increased risk of dementia: total fat (RR = 2.4 [1.1-5.2]), saturated fat (RR = 1.9 [0.9-4.0]), and cho lesterol (RR = 1.7 [0.9-3.2]). Dementia with a vascular component was most strongly related to total fat and saturated fat. Fish consumption , an important source of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, was inversel y related to incident dementia (RR = 0.4 [0.2-0.9]), and in particular to Alzheimer's disease (RR = 0.3 [0.1-0.9]). This study suggests that a high saturated fat and cholesterol intake increases the risk of dem entia, whereas fish consumption may decrease this risk.