Conference Abstract - AAIC 2026
Authors - Somayeh Meysami, MD1,2; Cyrus A. Raji, MD, PhD3; Rodrigo Solis Pompa, MD4; Saqib Abdullah Basar, MD4; Ahmed Gouda, MSc4; Siavash Khallaghi, PhD4; Saurabh Garg, MSc4; David A. Merrill, MD, PhD1,2; Amar Patel, MD4; Alex Exuzides, PhD, MD4, Daniel J. Durand, MD4; Sam Hashemi, MSc4,
1 Pacific Brain Health Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute and Foundation, Santa Monica, CA, USA
2 Saint John's Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
3 Washington University in St Louis Mallinckrodt Institute, MO, USA
4 Prenuvo Inc
Background:
We sought to study dietary selection and body composition as measured with body MRI given that obesity and sarcopenia are known Alzheimer’s risk factors.
Methods:
Healthy individuals (n=3,984) from 3 sites (mean chronological age 50.63 ± 12.73 (age range: 18–92), 47.9% women; 52.1% men) were scanned on 1.5T MRI with a whole-body MRI and completed dietary questionnaires. Coronal T1 images were used to segment total muscle volume normalized to participant height, visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT, SAT). Regression models related dietary variables to these metrics.
Results:
After adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index and compared to those who consumed no processed meat, intake of fewer than 7 servings/week was associated with 9.8% higher VAT (95% CI 6.2%–13.6% higher; p = 5.2 × 10⁻⁸), 7-13 servings per week was associated with 11.3% higher VAT (95% CI 5.4%–17.5% higher; p = 0.00012). Consuming 14 or more servings per week (95% CI −11.1% to 19.9%; p = 0.68) was not statistically significant. Processed meat intake was not related to SAT or total muscle volume.
Higher fruit and vegetable intake is related to lower adipose tissue volumes and higher muscle volume with intake of three to 4 portions per day associated with 2% lower SAT (95% CI 0.5%–3.1% lower; p = 0.006), 8% lower VAT (95% CI 5%–11% lower; p = 6.2 × 10⁻⁷), and 3.8% higher total muscle volume (95% CI 2.6%–5.0% higher; p = 3.0 × 10⁻¹⁰). In comparison to consumers of fewer than 3 daily portions, intake of more than 4 portions per day had approximately 2.5% lower SAT (95% CI 0.7%–4.2% lower; p = 0.005), 19% lower VAT (95% CI 15%–22% lower; p < 0.001) and 4.9% higher total muscle volume (95% CI 3.2%–6.5% higher; p = 2.1 × 10⁻⁹).
Conclusions:
Higher weekly intake of processed meat was related to higher VAT and not increased SAT or muscle volume. Increased daily fruit and vegetable intake correlated to lower VAT, SAT and higher muscle volume. These findings have implications for designing dietary interventions to lower risk of Alzheimer’s.
