title: Dietary habits moderate the association between heart failure and cognitive impairment.
abstract: Cognitive impairment is common in heart failure patients. Poor dietary habits are associated with reduced neurocognitive function in other medical populations, including diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. This study examined whether dietary habits help moderate the relationship between heart failure severity and cognitive function. A total of 152 persons with heart failure completed neuropsychological testing and a fitness assessment. Dietary habits were assessed using the Starting the Conversation-Diet questionnaire, a nutrition measure suggested for use in primary care settings. Moderation analyses showed that better dietary habits attenuated the adverse impact of heart failure severity on frontal functioning (b = 1.28, p < 0.05). Follow-up analyses revealed consumption of foods high in sodium was associated with reduced cognitive function (p < 0.05). This study suggests dietary habits can moderate the association between heart failure and performance on tests of attention and executive function. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm and clarify the mechanisms for our findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA. Malosco@kent.edu
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Alosco
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Spitznagel
authors.forename: Naftali
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Raz
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Lawrence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sweet
authors.forename: Lisa H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Colbert
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Josephson
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Dulmen
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosneck
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gunstad
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003863:Depression; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D012982:Sodium, Dietary