Research suggests that being active, eating better and losing weight are among the seven habits related to the decreased chance of people at genetic risk of developing dementia developing the disease.
Other factors that may play a role in reducing risk are not smoking, maintaining healthy blood pressure, controlling cholesterol and lowering blood sugar, according to a new study.
Researchers say the findings are good news for those at the highest genetic risk for dementia.
Adrienne Tin of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in America said: “These healthy habits in Life’s Simple 7 have been linked to a lower risk of dementia in general, but it is not certain if people at high genetic risk.
“The good news is that even for people who are at the highest genetic risk, they are likely to have a lower risk of dementia if they live the same healthier lifestyle.”
The seven cardiovascular and brain health factors are known as the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7.
The study looked at 8,823 people of European descent and 2,738 people of African descent who were followed for 30 years.
The researchers calculated the genetic risk scores at the start of the study.
The research found that the group with the highest genetic risk included those who had at least one copy of a genetic variant, a change in DNA, associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Of those of European descent, 27.9% had the gene, while of those of African descent, 40.4% had it.
At the end of the study, 1,603 people of European descent developed dementia and 631 people of African descent developed dementia.
For people with a European background, the researchers found that people with the highest scores on lifestyle factors had a lower risk of dementia, even among the group with the highest genetic risk of dementia.
For every one-point increase in lifestyle factor score, there was a 9% lower risk of developing dementia, according to the study.
The study found that in those of European descent, compared to the lowest score, the intermediate and high score categories were associated with a 30% and 43% lower risk of dementia, respectively.
Among those of African descent, the intermediate and upper categories were associated with a 6% and 17% lower risk of dementia, respectively.
Dr Rosa Sancho, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “The risk of dementia depends on many factors.
“Some, like our age and genetic makeup, can’t change, while others, like diet and exercise, can.
“This study supports the idea that what is good for the heart is also good for the brain, and that this is true even for people with a higher genetic risk of dementia, at least for participants of European ancestry.
“Although the researchers monitored participants for all forms of dementia, when they grouped people according to genetic risk, they focused only on genes that increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, only one of the causes of dementia.
“In addition, health scores were taken at the start of the study, but what we do not know is whether the healthy habits of the participants lasted for the duration of the study.”
He added that future research should include gender risks for all forms of dementia and, ideally, continuously monitor health habits.
The research is published in the journal Neurology.