Cognitive decline refers back to the gradual lower in cognitive talents similar to reminiscence, consideration, and problem-solving. It’s a pure a part of ageing, nevertheless it will also be attributable to numerous medical situations, similar to Alzheimer’s illness and different types of dementia. It will also be attributable to sure life-style decisions, similar to a poor eating regimen, lack of bodily exercise, and social isolation.
Dementia is a debilitating situation that impacts an individual’s capability to recollect, suppose, and make choices, making it tough for them to carry out on a regular basis actions. It has grow to be one of many main causes of demise and incapacity among the many aged worldwide. In China, which has each the biggest aged inhabitants and one of many fastest-aging populations, dementia poses vital financial, well being, and social challenges.
Since dementia is irreversible and efficient therapies are restricted, stopping and detecting cognitive decline early on is essential. Research have proven that sure life-style components similar to bodily exercise, eating regimen, and sleep can have an effect on cognitive perform. Nonetheless, the impression of dietary sodium and potassium on cognitive perform stays poorly understood.
In a potential examine printed within the KeAi journal International Transitions, a bunch of researchers from China seemed on the impression of dietary sodium, potassium, sodium to potassium ratio, and salt on the cognitive perform of a bunch of aged folks in China. Individuals numbered 4,213 and had been aged at the least 50 years at baseline. Outcomes are based mostly on cognitive exams and individuals’ self-reporting.

Affiliation of common sodium, potassium, sodium/potassium, and salt consumption, and self-reported reminiscence. Mannequin 1 is adjusted for age, intercourse, location of residence, space of residence, instructional stage, working standing, marital standing, bodily exercise ranges, and smoking and ingesting habits. Mannequin 2 is adjusted for vitality, carbohydrate, protein, and fats consumption (moreover adjusted potassium consumption for the mannequin of sodium and sodium consumption for the mannequin of potassium) based mostly on Mannequin 1. Mannequin 3 is adjusted for BMI, sleep time, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ailments, and cognition check scores at baseline based mostly on Mannequin 2. Abbreviations: Q1-This autumn, quartile 1-quartile 4; OR, odds ratios; CI, confidence interval; and BMI, physique mass index. Orange squares denote vital affiliation (P < 0.05). Credit score: Xiaona Na
The analysis workforce discovered {that a} excessive consumption of sodium (> 5593.2 mg/day) and a excessive sodium-to-potassium ratio (> 3.8/day) elevated the chance of reminiscence impairment within the aged. Conversely, increased ranges of potassium consumption (> 1653.3 mg/day) had been related to a better cognitive rating; the common cognitive check rating (13.44 at baseline, complete rating was 27.00) elevated by ~1 level when 1000 mg/day of sodium was changed with an equal consumption of potassium.
As well as, the researchers constructed on earlier research by demonstrating that the results of dietary sodium, sodium to potassium ratio, and potassium on cognitive perform have the potential to be mediated by cardiovascular and cerebrovascular illness (CCVD), whereas the hyperlink between salt and cognitive perform may be mediated by sleep.
Though China has tried to limit salt and sodium in folks’s diets for over a decade, the inhabitants’s consumption stays alarmingly excessive, outstripping many different nations and the World Well being Group’s advice of a most of 1400 mg/day of sodium for folks aged 50—79 years and 5 g/day of salt. This excessive salt consumption is often accompanied by inadequate consumption of potassium (1499.0 mg/day on this examine vs. the Chinese language beneficial stage of 3600 mg/day).
The examine’s outcomes additionally verify earlier findings that dietary sodium to potassium ratio may present a greater measure of how these components impression cognitive perform, than separate sodium or potassium values.
Corresponding writer, Ai Zhao, provides: “Based mostly on our findings, it’s affordable to counsel that reducing sodium consumption, and correctly growing potassium consumption, is useful to cognitive perform. Given our outcomes and the dietary state of affairs of the Chinese language, will probably be essential for future research to deal with figuring out the optimum ratio of dietary sodium and potassium within the aged. As well as, the event of methods to enhance the sodium-to-potassium ratio in Chinese language diets must be a precedence.”
Reference: “Affiliation of dietary sodium, potassium, sodium/potassium, and salt with goal and subjective cognitive perform among the many aged in China: A potential cohort examine” by Xiaona Na, Menglu Xi, Yiguo Zhou, Jiaqi Yang, Jian Zhang, Yuandi Xi, Yucheng Yang, Haibing Yang and Ai Zhao, 3 November 2022, International Transitions.
DOI: 10.1016/j.glt.2022.10.002
The examine was funded by the Sanming Venture of Medication.