title: Mediterranean diet and white matter hyperintensity volume in the Northern Manhattan Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between a Mediterranean-style diet (MeDi) and brain magnetic resonance imaging white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV).
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional analysis within a longitudinal population-based cohort study. A semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire was administered, and a score (range, 0-9) was calculated to reflect increasing similarity to the MeDi pattern.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Northern Manhattan Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1091 participants, of whom 966 had dietary information (mean age, 72 years; 59.3% women, 64.6% Hispanic, 15.6% white, and 17.5% black).
  
  
  METHODS
  The WMHV was measured by quantitative brain magnetic resonance imaging. Linear regression models were constructed to examine the association between the MeDi score and the log-transformed WMHV as a proportion of total cranial volume, controlling for sociodemographic and vascular risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the MeDi scale, 11.6% scored 0 to 2, 15.8% scored 3, 23.0% scored 4, 23.5% scored 5, and 26.1% scored 6 to 9. Each 1-point increase in MeDi score was associated with a lower log WMHV (β = -.04, P = .01). The only MeDi score component that was an independent predictor of WMHV was the ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fat (β = -.20, P = .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A MeDi was associated with a lower WMHV burden, a marker of small vessel damage in the brain. However, white matter hyperintensities are etiologically heterogenous and can include neurodegeneration. Replication by other population-based studies is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gardener
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scarmeas
authors.forename: Yian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boden-Albala
authors.forename: Mitchell S V
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Elkind
authors.forename: Ralph L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DeCarli
authors.forename: Clinton B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D059345:Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009519:New York City; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids