Consumption of dietary nuts in midlife and risk of cognitive impairment in late-life: the Singapore Chinese Health Study

Background evidence from prospective studies investigating the association between consumption of nuts in midlife and risk of cognitive impairment in late life is limited. Methods this study analysed data from 16,737 participants in a population-based cohort, the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Intake of nuts was assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire at baseline (1993–1998), when participants were 45–74 years old (mean age = 53.5 years). Cognitive function was tested using the Singapore modified Mini-Mental State Examination during the third follow-up visit (2014–2016), when participants were 61–96 years old (mean age = 73.2 years). Cognitive impairment was defined using education-specific cut-off points. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between intake and risk of cognitive impairment. Results cognitive impairment was identified in 2,397 (14.3%) participants. Compared with those who consumed