Intake of high saturated fat foods predicts cognitive change in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) (4847)

Objective: To measure dietary intake of high saturated fat foods (HSFF) in association with cognition in women living with HIV infection (WLWH) and at-risk women without HIV (HIV-).

Background: Dietary intake of HSFF is associated with cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), but the association between HSFF and cognitive function has not been assessed among WLWH. Since WLWH often experience food insecurity, information from dietary screeners are often useful and available.

Design/Methods: WLWH and HIV-enrolled in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) participated in an 18-item Dietary Screener (DS), adapted from a National Cancer Institute survey. Intake frequency of 6 HSFF groups: processed meats, red meats, whole milk, butter and spreads, baked sweets, and fried potatoes, were measured as times per day, week, month or year. Tertiles of intake frequencies were: ≤1.3, >1.3–2.4, and >2.4 times/day. WIHS participants complete biennial Neuropsychological (NP) tests of attention/working memory, executive function, processing speed, memory, learning, fluency, and motor speed. Detrimental cognition post-FISDS occurred if demographically-adjusted T-scores (Mean=50, SD=10) were ≤40 at ≥1 visits. Healthy cognition post-FISDS were T-scores >40. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated intake tertiles of HSFF in association with detrimental versus healthy cognition, stratified by HIV-serostatus.

Results: 729 WLWH and 346 HIV-women completed the DS and had ≥2 follow-up NP tests. WLWH and HIV-consuming HSFF in the highest vs lowest tertile experienced subsequent detrimental motor function and WLWH only experienced subsequent detrimental executive function (OR=1.79, 95%CI 1.18–2.71, P<0.01). Among HIV-, consuming HSFF in the highest vs lowest tertile was associated with lower odds of subsequent detrimental attention/working memory (OR=0.45, 95%CI 0.24–0.85, P=0.01).

Conclusions: Intake frequency of HSFF may predict future cognition, cognitive change and ADRD among WLWH and HIV-. Further studies are needed using more rigorous dietary assessment methods.

Disclosure: Dr. Warrior has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gustafson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Weber has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tien has nothing to disclose. Dr. French has nothing to disclose. Dr. Spence has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sharma has nothing to disclose. Dr. Weiser has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rubin has nothing to disclose.