The role of dietary cholesterol in cognitive decline is unclear. Eggs are a rich source of nutrients and dietary cholesterol. This study examines the association of egg consumption with 4-year change in cognitive function in 890 older, community-dwelling adults. Participants were 357 men and 533 women aged □55y (means=70.1□8.4 and 71.5□8.8, respectively, p=0.016), from the Rancho Bernardo Cohort who attended a 1988-91 clinic visit. Egg intake was obtained with a food frequency questionnaire. Cognitive function was assessed with the Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE), Trails B and category fluency, and reassessed in 1992-96. In this sample, rates of egg consumption ranged from never (14.0% of men, 16.5% of women) to □5/week (7.0% of men, 3.8% of women; p=0.0013). Mean 1988-91 cognitive function scores for men vs. women were 27.5 vs. 27.7 on the MMSE (p=0.08), 105.9 vs. 121.6 on Trails B (p