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Nutrition and exercise interventions could ameliorate age-related cognitive decline: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the effect of nutrition combined physical exercise interventions on age-related cognitive decline by a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

We searched 9 databases, including PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Science Direct, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Information, China Biological Medical Database (CBM) and Wanfang for studies published until the end of December 2019. The selected trials should meet the following criteria, study objects: healthy adults aged 65 and over with cognitive dysfunction or diagnosed as MCI, but not meet the diagnostic criteria for dementia as well as no restriction on follow-up time, race or gender. Study interventions: multiple interventions including nutrition and exercise. Exclusion criteria: (1) studies included elderly people with any type of dementia or patients with cognitive impairment induced by secondary causes, including drug, alcohol, severe organic brain diseases, mental disorders. (2) Republished literature. (3) Studies with significant differences in baseline data between groups. (4) The data in the study cannot be converted into the required data format. We reviewed and extracted information and assessed the risk of bias of recruited studies independently. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA v.15.1 software. The bias of publication was estimated by Egger test.

Results

A total of six RCTs representing 1039 participates were included in our meta-analysis. In terms of global cognitive function that has been assessed by neuropsychological test in different combinations, the result showed that the beneficial effect of nutrition combined exercise interventions was statistically significant [SMD = 0.23, 95% CI (0.1, 0.36), P = 0.0004]. There were no statistical differences from assays on MMSE scores, Memory, Executive Function, Attention, and Information Processing Speed across groups.

Conclusions

The current study shows that nutrition combined exercise interventions can improve global cognitive function in the aged with cognitive decline. Further researches emphasizing on longer follow-up time, experimental randomness, credibility and scale would better elucidate the effect of nutrition combined exercise interventions on cognitive function, particularly in older adults. (registration number: CRD42020159291, date of registration: 28/04/2020)

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Funding

This work was funded in part by the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province in 2016 (Code:1606RJZA035). The role of NLRP3 involved in the molecular immune mechanism of Alzheimer's disease [(18) 0381].

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Author notes

  1. Ting Liu and Na Li contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Translation and Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China

    Ting Liu, Na Li, Zongjie Hou & Jiying Tan

  2. Department of Geriatrics, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China

    Ting Liu

  3. Tianshui Changkon Hospital, Tianshui, 741000, Gansu, China

    Linsheng Liu & Lihong Gao

  4. Department of General Practice (Department of Geriatrics Ward 4), The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China

    Lin Wang

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  1. Ting Liu
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Contributions

TL and NL performed data acquisition and screening. LL and LG participated in data analysis. TL and JT were responsible for the concept and designed the study. TL, ZH and LW discussed rational and revised the manuscript. JT made final approval of the version to be published. All the authors discussed the results and made devotion to the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jiying Tan.

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Liu, T., Li, N., Hou, Z. et al. Nutrition and exercise interventions could ameliorate age-related cognitive decline: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Aging Clin Exp Res 33, 1799–1809 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-020-01730-w

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