Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38776524›Full record

Observational studyNeurology2024

Associations Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Adverse Brain Health Outcomes.

Varun M Bhave, Carol R Oladele, Zsuzsanna Ament, Naruchorn Kijpaisalratana, Alana C Jones, Catharine A Couch, Amit Patki, Ana-Lucia Garcia Guarniz, Aleena Bennett, Michael Crowe and 2 more

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Neurology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Observational
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
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  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Neurobiophilia.Brain sciences · 2026
    Review
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Goals in Nutrition Science 2025-2030.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026
    Review
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Varun M BhaveFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.ORCID 0000-0003-4442-3454
Carol R OladeleFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Zsuzsanna AmentFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.ORCID 0000-0002-0316-4348
Naruchorn KijpaisalratanaFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.ORCID 0000-0003-3260-491X
Alana C JonesFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Catharine A CouchFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Amit PatkiFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Ana-Lucia Garcia GuarnizFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Aleena BennettFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Michael CroweFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Marguerite R IrvinFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.
W Taylor KimberlyFrom the Harvard Medical School (V.M.B., W.T.K.), Boston, MA; Equity Research and Innovation Center (C.R.O.), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Center for Genomic Medicine (Z.A., N.K., W.T.K.) and Department of Neurology (Z.A., N.K., A.-L.G.G., W.T.K.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Division of Neurology (N.K.), Department of Medicine and Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology (A.C.J., C.A.C., A.P., M.R.I.) and Biostatistics (A.B.), School of Public Health, and Department of Psychology (M.C.), University of Alabama at Birmingham.ORCID 0000-0002-2519-8530

Funding

Yale Clinical and Translational Science Award (U Component)UL1TR001863 · NCATS · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI John H. Krystal, LUCILA OHNO-MACHADO · 2016 to 2026
$102.9M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001863
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesUltra-processed foods (UPFs) are linked to cardiometabolic diseases and neurologic outcomes, such as cognitive decline and stroke. However, it is unclear whether food processing confers neurologic risk independent of dietary pattern information. We aimed to (1) investigate associations between UPFs and incident cognitive impairment and stroke and (2) compare these associations with other commonly recommended dietary patterns in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study. This prospective, observational cohort study enrolled Black and White adults in the United States from 2003 to 2007.

methodsThe NOVA system was used to categorize items from a baseline food frequency questionnaire according to the level of processing. Participants with incomplete or implausible self-reported dietary data were excluded. Consumption for each category (grams) was normalized to total grams consumed. Scores quantifying adherence to a Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet were also calculated. Incident cognitive impairment was defined using performance relative to a normative sample on memory and fluency assessments. Incident stroke was identified through adjudicated review of medical records.

resultsThe cognitive impairment cohort (n = 14,175) included participants without evidence of impairment at baseline who underwent follow-up testing. The stroke cohort (n = 20,243) included participants without a history of stroke. In multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, a 10% increase in relative intake of UPFs was associated with higher risk of cognitive impairment (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.16, 95% CI 1.09-1.24, DISCUSSION: Food processing may be important to brain health in older adults independent of known risk factors and adherence to recommended dietary patterns.

Indexed as

Fast FoodsStrokeAdultAgedBlack or African AmericanCognitive DysfunctionCohort StudiesDietary Approaches To Stop HypertensionDiet, MediterraneanFemaleFood HandlingFood, ProcessedHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle Aged

Identifiers

PMID38776524
PMCPMC11175629

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.