Building research in diet and cognition (BRIDGE): Baseline characteristics of older obese African American adults in a randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of the Mediterranean diet with and without weight loss on cognitive functioning

• The MedDiet is correlated with slower cognitive decline in longitudinal studies. • Self-reported MedDiet adherence positively associated with select cognitive domains. • Women outperformed men across verbal tasks, including learning and memory. • Younger participants outperformed older participants on cognitive assessments. In the United States, >5.4 million people age 65 and older are affected by cognitive impairment and dementia, including...