J Alzheimers Dis. 2026 Sep 7:13872877261485588. doi: 10.1177/13872877261485588. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BackgroundOxidative stress is a key contributor to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The oxidative balance score (OBS), which reflects combined dietary and lifestyle exposure to pro-oxidant and antioxidant factors, serves as an integrated measure of oxidative stress burden.ObjectiveTo investigate the association between OBS and predicted late-life dementia risk using the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) score.MethodsWe analyzed data from 5088 participants aged 40-69 years without dementia at baseline from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Participants were categorized by OBS tertiles. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for developing a high risk of late-life dementia, defined by a CAIDE score ≥8. Longitudinal changes in CAIDE scores were assessed using linear mixed-effects models.ResultsDuring a mean follow-up of 12.8 years, 1468 participants (28.9%) progressed to CAIDE-predicted high risk for late-life dementia. Compared with the lowest OBS tertile (T1), participants in the highest tertile (T3) had a significantly lower risk for developing high-risk late-life dementia (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.65-0.84) and exhibited the lowest CAIDE scores (p < 0.001). Each one-point increase in the OBS was associated with a 3% reduction in CAIDE-predicted dementia risk.ConclusionsA higher OBS was significantly associated with a lower predicted risk of late-life dementia. These findings suggest that maintaining an antioxidant-rich diet and a healthy lifestyle during midlife may be effective strategies for dementia prevention.
PMID:42704086 | DOI:10.1177/13872877261485588