Glycemic load and risk of Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
to explore the relation of glycemic load (GL) with Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk.


METHODS
Cohort study.


METHODS
Cohort of elderly subjects in New York City.


METHODS
939 persons 65 years and older without dementia followed for an average of 6.3 years.


METHODS
Glycemic index, carbohydrate and calorie intake were measured using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ). GL was calculated as the product of carbohydrate intake and glycemic index and adjusted for energy intake. AD was ascertained with standard research criteria.


RESULTS
Cox regression was used to relate GL quartiles to AD using time from SFFQ to AD as the time-to-event variable. There was no association between GL and AD after adjustment for age, gender, education, ethnic group, and presence of diabetes. There was no evidence of modification by age, gender, APOE-e4, and presence of diabetes. The only dietary variable associated with a higher risk of AD was total calories (HR of AD for a one-log unit increase =2.2; 95% CI: 1.4,3.5) after adjustment for age, gender, ethnic group, education, diabetes, and APOE-e4.


CONCLUSIONS
GL is not associated with a higher risk of AD in the elderly. Our data does not support the popular practice of low carbohydrate diets for the prevention of AD in the elderly.
Luchsinger
J A
JA
Taub University in Alzheimer's Disease and the aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. jal94@columbia.edu
Tang
M X
MX
Mayeux
R
R
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000145:classification; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D038321:Glycemic Index; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates