Late Dinners and Skipped Breakfasts Tied to More Dementia
Graded Preliminary — this analysis of insurance records covers 283,166 people, but it only observes and relies on self-reported meal times.
- Design
- Retrospective cohort study
- Participants
- 283,166
- Duration
- —
- Funding
- The authors declare no competing interests.
Older adults in Japan who often ate late at night or skipped breakfast were somewhat more likely to develop dementia.
Older adults in Japan who often ate dinner shortly before bed were somewhat more likely to develop dementia. Their risk was 17 percent higher. Those who often skipped breakfast had a 13 percent higher risk. The people studied were about 73 years old on average.
The researchers analysed records from 283,166 people. At a routine health checkup, participants reported how often they ate dinner within two hours of going to bed. They also reported how often they skipped breakfast. Three or more times a week counted as a habit. Insurance and long-term care records then showed who was diagnosed with dementia: 18,056 people. The analysis accounted for age, lifestyle and existing illnesses.
The authors say meal timing could matter for dementia prevention. But they stress that the data cannot show cause and effect. Whether eating earlier would actually lower the risk was not tested, because eating habits were only asked about, never changed.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The authors declare no competing interests.
Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.