The association between adherence to the MIND diet and stroke: a case–control study

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Although some components of MIND diet were associated with stroke, no information is available on the association between adherence to the MIND diet and odds of stroke. This study was conducted to investigate the association between adherence to the MIND diet and odds of stroke among Iranian adults.

Methods:

This case–control study was done on 193 hospitalized stroke cases and 195 hospital-based controls in Al-Zahra hospital, Isfahan, Iran. Dietary intakes of study participants were assessed using a validated 168-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The MIND diet score was computed based on participants’ dietary intakes obtained from FFQ. Stroke was confirmed by a trained neurologist using standard imaging methods.

Results

After controlling for age, sex, energy intake, physical activity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and heart disease, there was no significant association between adherence to the MIND diet and stroke (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.26, 1.12). However, after further adjustment for BMI, we found that those with the greatest adherence to the MIND diet were less likely to have stroke compared with those with the lowest adherence; such that greater adherence to the MIND diet was associated with a 59% reduced odds of stroke (OR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.18–0.94).

Conclusion

In conclusion, we found that adherence to the MIND diet was inversely associated with odds of stroke in a case–control study. Further studies are required to confirm these findings.

KEYWORDS:

• Case–control study
• stroke
• MIND diet
• chronic disease

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Asma Salari-Moghaddam

Asma Salari-Moghaddam has earned her Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and is doing research in the field of nutritional epidemiology.

Saeedeh Nouri-Majd

Saeedeh Nouri-Majd is a M.Sc. Candidate at the Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Her research interest is investigating the association between diet and chronic diseases.

Forough Shakeri

Forough Shakeri is a Postgraduate Student at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Ammar Hassanzadeh Keshteli

Ammar Hassanzadeh Keshteli is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

Sanaz Benisi-Kohansal

Sanaz Benisi-Kohansal is currently a Ph.D. Student at the Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Mohammad Saadatnia

Mohammad Saadatnia is a Professor of Neurology at the Department of Neurology, Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Ahmad Esmaillzadeh

Ahmad Esmaillzadeh is a Professor (full) at the Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. His research interest is to develop and validate dietary strategies that effectively protect against obesity-related chronic conditions; including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease, psychological disorders, and different types of cancer.