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Ultraprocessed Foods and the Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Older US Adults: 2013–2020 Health and Retirement Study.

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Title: Ultraprocessed Foods and the Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Older US Adults: 2013–2020 Health and Retirement Study.
Authors: Lee, Heejin, McEvoy, Claire T., Steele, Euridice Martinez, Khandpur, Neha, Heeringa, Steven G., Ryan, Lindsay H., Langa, Kenneth M., Wolfson, Julia A., Leung, Cindy W.
Source: American Journal of Public Health. Jul2026, Vol. 116 Issue 7, p981-992. 12p.
Subjects: Dementia risk factors, Packaged foods, Risk assessment, Mild cognitive impairment, Health status indicators, Mediterranean diet, Retirement, Sex distribution, Medical care, Probability theory, Questionnaires, Treatment effectiveness, Meat, Descriptive statistics, Age distribution, Longitudinal method, Race, Odds ratio, Health behavior, Marital status, Dementia, Comparative studies, Confidence intervals, Data analysis software, Social isolation, Dementia patients, Cognition, Proportional hazards models, Physical activity, Mental depression, Disease risk factors, Old age
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: Objectives. To examine associations between ultraprocessed food (UPF) consumption and risks of dementia, cognitive impairment with no dementia (CIND), and a composite outcome of CIND or dementia in a nationally representative longitudinal study of older US adults. Methods. Participants were from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS 2013–2020; n = 5370). We assessed UPF intake via a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire from the 2013 HRS Health Care and Nutrition Study. We defined cognitive impairment outcomes based on the validated Langa-Weir classification from biennial cognitive assessments (2014–2020). We used weighted Cox regression to examine associations. Results. Compared with quintile 1, quintile 5 of UPF intake was associated with higher risks of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.003, 2.48; P for trend =.50), CIND (HR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.13, 1.88; P for trend =.03), and CIND or dementia (HR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.16, 1.87; P for trend =.02). Unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption was associated with lower risks of these outcomes. Conclusions. Increased UPF consumption is associated with higher risks of dementia, CIND, and CIND or dementia among US older adults. Public Health Implications. Our findings suggest a potential need to reduce UPF consumption for maintaining cognitive health among older adults. (Am J Public Health. 2026;116(7):981–992. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308505) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of American Journal of Public Health is the property of American Public Health Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Ultraprocessed Foods and the Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Older US Adults: 2013–2020 Health and Retirement Study.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22American+Journal+of+Public+Health%22">American Journal of Public Health</searchLink>. Jul2026, Vol. 116 Issue 7, p981-992. 12p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Dementia+risk+factors%22">Dementia risk factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Packaged+foods%22">Packaged foods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Risk+assessment%22">Risk assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mild+cognitive+impairment%22">Mild cognitive impairment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+status+indicators%22">Health status indicators</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mediterranean+diet%22">Mediterranean diet</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Retirement%22">Retirement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex+distribution%22">Sex distribution</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+care%22">Medical care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Probability+theory%22">Probability theory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Questionnaires%22">Questionnaires</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Treatment+effectiveness%22">Treatment effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Meat%22">Meat</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+distribution%22">Age distribution</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Longitudinal+method%22">Longitudinal method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Race%22">Race</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Odds+ratio%22">Odds ratio</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+behavior%22">Health behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Marital+status%22">Marital status</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Dementia%22">Dementia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+studies%22">Comparative studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Confidence+intervals%22">Confidence intervals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+isolation%22">Social isolation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Dementia+patients%22">Dementia patients</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognition%22">Cognition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Proportional+hazards+models%22">Proportional hazards models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physical+activity%22">Physical activity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+depression%22">Mental depression</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Disease+risk+factors%22">Disease risk factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Old+age%22">Old age</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+States%22">United States</searchLink>
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  Data: Objectives. To examine associations between ultraprocessed food (UPF) consumption and risks of dementia, cognitive impairment with no dementia (CIND), and a composite outcome of CIND or dementia in a nationally representative longitudinal study of older US adults. Methods. Participants were from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS 2013–2020; n = 5370). We assessed UPF intake via a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire from the 2013 HRS Health Care and Nutrition Study. We defined cognitive impairment outcomes based on the validated Langa-Weir classification from biennial cognitive assessments (2014–2020). We used weighted Cox regression to examine associations. Results. Compared with quintile 1, quintile 5 of UPF intake was associated with higher risks of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.003, 2.48; P for trend =.50), CIND (HR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.13, 1.88; P for trend =.03), and CIND or dementia (HR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.16, 1.87; P for trend =.02). Unprocessed or minimally processed food consumption was associated with lower risks of these outcomes. Conclusions. Increased UPF consumption is associated with higher risks of dementia, CIND, and CIND or dementia among US older adults. Public Health Implications. Our findings suggest a potential need to reduce UPF consumption for maintaining cognitive health among older adults. (Am J Public Health. 2026;116(7):981–992. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308505) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of American Journal of Public Health is the property of American Public Health Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.2105/AJPH.2026.308505
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 12
        StartPage: 981
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Dementia risk factors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Packaged foods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Risk assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mild cognitive impairment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health status indicators
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mediterranean diet
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Retirement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sex distribution
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Probability theory
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Questionnaires
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Treatment effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Meat
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Age distribution
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Longitudinal method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Race
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Odds ratio
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Marital status
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Dementia
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Comparative studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Confidence intervals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social isolation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Dementia patients
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cognition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Proportional hazards models
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Physical activity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental depression
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Disease risk factors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Old age
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United States
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Ultraprocessed Foods and the Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Older US Adults: 2013–2020 Health and Retirement Study.
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              Text: Jul2026
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