Air Pollution, MIND Diet, Risk of Neurodegenerative Diseases in Different Aging Status

The effects of the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet on the risk of neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) associated with air pollution were unclear. We conducted a 11-year cohort study in a population with short/long telomere length (RTL) in the UK Biobank (<i>N</i> = 115 467). Time-varying cox proportional hazard regression models were established. Exposures were PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, NO_X and their principal component (PC1). The combined effect and modification effect of the MIND diet score and each pollutant on the NDD risk were evaluated. A total of 1201 participants developed NDD. All pollutants were associated with NDD risk in two RTL subgroups. The risk of NDD associated with air pollution was lower in participants with higher MIND scores, especially in the short RTL subgroup (<i>P</i> _interaction = 0.083, 0.052, 0.013, 0.007 and 0.017, respectively). The MIND diet may reduce NDD risk caused by air pollution, especially in populations with more severe aging status.