ICMR-NIN study links micronutrient deficiencies to higher dementia risk

Hyderabad: A study by ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition has linked poor micronutrient status with higher predicted dementia risk among Indian adults, pointing to the role of nutrition in preventing cognitive decline and promoting healthy ageing.Published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia, the study comes at a time when India’s older adult population is growing with increasing life expectancy. The demographic shift is also adding to the burden of age-related non-communicable diseases, including dementia. Low- and middle-income countries such as India account for nearly 60% of the global dementia burden.While genetic factors contribute to dementia, nearly 50% of cases can be linked to modifiable risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, depression and social isolation. Nutrition, particularly micronutrient adequacy, is increasingly being recognised as an important determinant of brain health.Study of 570 adults from rural & urban TelanganaThe community-based cross-sectional study included 570 middle-aged and older adults, aged 40 to 80 years, from rural and urban settings in Telangana. Researchers used a culturally adapted dementia risk assessment tool by modifying the widely used Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Ageing and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) score and assessed its relationship with micronutrient profiles.Cognitive performance was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tool, while blood vitamin concentrations were measured using advanced analytical techniques. Dietary intake and dietary diversity were also evaluated.The study found that nearly 40% of participants were classified as having a higher predicted risk of dementia. Individuals in the higher-risk group had poorer nutritional status. Deficiencies of vitamins D, B2, B6 and B12 were more prevalent among those with higher dementia risk scores.The higher-risk group also had lower dietary diversity, higher consumption of saturated fats and lower intake of unsaturated fats. Vitamin deficiencies were more common among rural participants than urban participants, highlighting rural-specific vulnerabilities that may contribute to increased dementia risk. The findings further suggest that diets rich in micronutrients, particularly fruits and vegetables, are associated with lower dementia risk factor burden.Nutrition seen as prevention routeDr G Bhanuprakash Reddy, scientist G, ICMR-NIN and lead investigator of the study, said, “As India’s ageing population continues to expand, the number of people living with dementia is expected to rise substantially by 2050. Our findings highlight that micronutrient status is closely linked with the burden of dementia risk factors among Indian adults. Although the cross-sectional design of this study restricts the ability to draw causal inferences, the study emphasises that nutrition, particularly micronutrient adequacy and dietary diversity, represent a modifiable factor that can be targeted through public health interventions.”Dr Bharati Kulkarni, director, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, said, “Given that effective disease-modifying therapies for dementia remain limited, prevention through early identification of risk factors and timely prevention becomes increasingly important. This study provides important evidence that nutritional factors, especially micronutrient status should be integrated into dementia prevention strategies in future.”The study was conducted in collaboration with investigators from Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health, US, and Karolinska Institute, Sweden.