Hardman Roy J, Meyer Denny, Kennedy Greg, Macpherson Helen, Scholey Andrew B, Pipingas Andrew
Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.
Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Curr Dev Nutr. 2020 Apr 18;4(5):nzaa077. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzaa077. eCollection 2020 May.
Cognitive decline and Alzheimer disease are more prevalent in our aging population. Modifiable risk factors, such as diet and sedentary lifestyle, have been proposed as key to potentially ameliorating cognitive decline. Both exercise and Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) have been linked to reduced levels of cardiovascular disease and other comorbidities. Higher levels of exercise and MedDiet adherence may prove to be cognitively protective, both individually and synergistically.
The aim was to investigate the effect of a 6-mo program of MedDiet, exercise, and a combination of both, on cognition, mood, and general health in older persons living independently in aged-care communities.
The Lifestyle Intervention in Independent Living Aged Care (LIILAC) Study (ACTRN12614001133628) involved 102 participants, aged 60-90 y, who were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 intervention groups. Change in overall memory performance was assessed as the primary outcome. Additionally, changes in cognitive task performance, as well as mood, wellness, cardiovascular function, and blood biomarkers, were investigated.
While there was no significant change in overall memory performance, there was a significant improvement in spatial working memory performance in the combined exercise and diet group, relative to controls. This combined intervention group also showed an overall improvement in their emotional state, as assessed by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, as did the exercise-only group.
This research indicates that diet and exercise programs have the potential to improve aspects of cognition and mood in an aging population. However, given the lower than optimal sample size and lack of resources to reinforce the interventions during the trial, further larger randomized controlled trials are required to substantiate whether the introduction of diet and exercise programs into independent-living facilities is a viable method to preserve cognitive health in older people. This trial was registered at www.ANZCTR.org.au ACTRN 12614001133628 (LIILAC Study).
认知功能衰退和阿尔茨海默病在老龄化人口中更为普遍。饮食和久坐不动的生活方式等可改变的风险因素被认为是潜在改善认知功能衰退的关键。运动和地中海饮食（MedDiet）都与心血管疾病及其他合并症水平的降低有关。较高水平的运动和对地中海饮食的坚持可能在个体及协同作用方面都具有认知保护作用。
旨在研究地中海饮食、运动以及两者结合的6个月项目对独立生活在老年护理社区中的老年人的认知、情绪和总体健康的影响。
独立生活老年护理中的生活方式干预（LIILAC）研究（澳大利亚新西兰临床试验注册中心编号：ACTRN12614001133628）纳入了102名年龄在60 - 90岁的参与者，他们被随机分配到4个干预组中的1组。总体记忆表现的变化被评估为主要结局。此外，还研究了认知任务表现、情绪、健康状况、心血管功能和血液生物标志物的变化。
虽然总体记忆表现没有显著变化，但与对照组相比，运动与饮食结合组的空间工作记忆表现有显著改善。根据抑郁焦虑压力量表评估，这个联合干预组以及仅运动组的情绪状态也都有整体改善。
这项研究表明，饮食和运动项目有可能改善老年人群的认知和情绪方面。然而，鉴于样本量低于最佳水平且在试验期间缺乏强化干预的资源，需要进一步开展更大规模的随机对照试验，以证实将饮食和运动项目引入独立生活设施是否是维持老年人认知健康的可行方法。该试验已在www.ANZCTR.org.au注册，编号为ACTRN 12614001133628（LIILAC研究）。
