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Nutrition intake modifies the association between pulmonary function and cognitive performance among elderly Americans from NHANES 2011–2012

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Key summary points

AbstractSection Aim

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the association between pulmonary function (PF) and cognitive function can be modified by energy and protein intakes in elderly Americans.

AbstractSection Findings

Higher PF was independently associated with the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) score. The positive association between PF and the DSST score was stronger in individuals with lower energy and protein intakes.

AbstractSection Message

Our findings underscore the importance of maintaining PF in preventing cognitive decline among older adults, particularly those with lower energy and protein intakes.

Abstract

Purpose

Nutrition intake is one of the modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline. Whether energy and protein intakes alter the association between pulmonary function (PF) and cognition has not been studied.

Methods

We made use of information from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2012. PF measures, including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF), were calculated, whereas cognitive function was assessed through four tests: the Immediate Recall test (IRT), the Delayed Recall test (DRT), the Animal Fluency test (AFT) and the Digit Symbol Substitution test (DSST). Energy and protein intakes were measured using the 24-h dietary recall method. Weighted generalized linear regression was performed upon adjustment for covariates. Further interaction analyses were conducted to investigate the effect of energy and protein intakes on the association between PF and cognition.

Results

We finally included 803 participants aged ≥ 60 years (54.4% female, weighted value). After adjusting for covariates, multiple measures (including FEV1, FVC, PEF, and composite PF) were all positively associated with better global cognition and the DSST score (P < 0.05). A stronger positive association between the DSST score and FEV1 (P for interaction = 0.001), FVC (P for interaction = 0.004), PEF (P for interaction = 0.003), and composite PF (P for interaction = 0.001) in lower energy intake. Similar results were observed in lower protein intake (all P for interaction < 0.05).

Conclusion

Higher PF was independently associated with improved specific components of cognitive function (i.e., the DSST score). The positive association between PF and the DSST score was stronger in individuals with lower energy and protein intakes.

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Data availability

The NHANES database offers free access to the information utilized in this investigation.

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Author notes

  1. Yan-Ping Wu and Chang-Jun Li have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, People’s Republic of China

    Yan-Ping Wu, Chang-Jun Li, Wu-Ping Xu & Ping Jing

  2. Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430030, People’s Republic of China

    Xian-Xin Xia

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Contributions

Y-PW: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, software, writing original draft; C-JL: reviewing and editing, data curation, software, visualization; X-XX: software, validation; W-PX: supervision; ping jing: reviewing and editing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ping Jing.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical approval

Approval was granted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Research Ethics Review Board.

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NHANES participants provided informed consent before participation in the NHANES study.

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Wu, YP., Li, CJ., Xia, XX. et al. Nutrition intake modifies the association between pulmonary function and cognitive performance among elderly Americans from NHANES 2011–2012. Eur Geriatr Med 15, 553–559 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-023-00921-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-023-00921-8

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