Machine learning-assisted optimization of dietary intervention against dementia risk

Si-Jia Chen, Hui Chen, Jia You, Shi-Dong Chen, Yan Fu, Wei Zhang, Liyan Huang, Jian-Feng Feng, Xiang Gao, Wei Cheng, Changzheng Yuan () and Jin-Tai Yu ()
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Si-Jia Chen: Fudan University, Department of Neurology and National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College
Hui Chen: Zhejiang University School of Medicine, School of Public Health, the Second Affiliated Hospital
Jia You: Fudan University, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence
Shi-Dong Chen: Fudan University, Department of Neurology and National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College
Yan Fu: Qingdao University, Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital
Wei Zhang: Fudan University, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence
Liyan Huang: Zhejiang University School of Medicine, School of Public Health, the Second Affiliated Hospital
Jian-Feng Feng: Fudan University, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence
Xiang Gao: Fudan University, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Institute of Nutrition
Wei Cheng: Fudan University, Department of Neurology and National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College
Changzheng Yuan: Zhejiang University School of Medicine, School of Public Health, the Second Affiliated Hospital
Jin-Tai Yu: Fudan University, Department of Neurology and National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College

Nature Human Behaviour, 2025, vol. 9, issue 11, 2313-2326

Abstract: Abstract A healthy diet has been associated with a reduced risk of dementia. Here we devised a Machine learning-assisted Optimizing Dietary intERvention against demeNtia risk (MODERN) diet based on data from 185,012 UK Biobank participants, 1,987 of whom developed all-cause dementia over 10 years. We first identified 25 food groups associated with dementia in a food-wide association analysis. Second, we ranked their importance using machine learning and prioritized eight groups (for example, green leafy vegetables, berries and citrus fruits). Finally, we established and externally validated a MODERN score (0–7), which showed stronger associations with lower risk of dementia-related outcomes (hazard ratio comparing highest versus lowest tertiles: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.43–0.93) than the a priori-defined MIND diet (0.75, 0.61–0.92). Across 63 health-related outcomes, the MODERN diet showed particularly significant associations with mental/behavioural disorders. Multimodal neuroimaging, metabolomics, inflammation and proteomics analyses revealed potential pathways and further support the potential of MODERN diet for dementia prevention.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02255-w

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