We demonstrate that several inflammatory diet proteins associated with cognitive impairment in WHIMS were also associated with dementia risk in two external cohorts, correlated with biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology (Aβ42/40) and/or neurodegeneration(NfL), and related to neurodegeneration-specific patterns of brain atrophy in a separate cohort. The gene discussed is NEFL; the disease is Brain atrophy.