The association of seven dietary patterns and the risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

The incidence of dementia is steadily increasing, and the resulting socioeconomic burden is enormous, so it is necessary to establish scientific and systematic evidence for dementia prevention. This meta-analysis was performed to explore the association between dietary patterns and the risk of dementia. We searched the PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases up to October 2025 to identify prospective cohort studies investigating the association between dietary patterns and the risk of dementia. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the highest vs. the lowest category of dietary adherence were calculated using random-effects models. Twenty-one articles involving 590,029 subjects and 19,401 cases were included in the meta-analysis for seven dietary patterns. High adherence to the Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) was associated with a lower risk of dementia (HR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.73-0.85). The Mediterranean (MED) diet was not significantly associated with the risk of dementia (HR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.78-1.05). The healthy plant-based diet index (hPDI) was inversely associated with the risk of dementia (HR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.75-0.97). The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Healthy Eating Index (HEI), unhealthy plant-based diet index (uPDI), and Western dietary pattern (WDP) did not show a significant association with the risk of dementia. This meta-analysis indicated that high adherence to the MIND diet and hPDI was associated with a lower risk of dementia. Further prospective cohort studies are needed to suggest dietary recommendations for the prevention of dementia.