One study found that adhering to seven healthy habits can almost halve the risk of dementia, even in people with a genetic predisposition to the disease.
Staying active, eating better, exercising, not smoking, and controlling your cholesterol and blood sugar reduce your risk of dementia by up to 43 percent.
Known as the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Simple 7,” these habits had previously been linked to a lower risk of dementia.
But now the study’s author, Adrienne Tin of the University of Mississippi, said the new study, which followed nearly 12,000 people for 30 years, showed that habits could also help prevent dementia for those with the highest genetic risk of dementia.
“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 by living with the same healthier lifestyle,” he said.
Seven habits are linked to a lower risk of dementia in people at genetic risk, a study suggests
Life’s Simple 7 from the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association has identified seven ways in which people can improve and maintain their cardiovascular health.
These are:
Stop smoking
Use nicotine replacement products or switch to steam
Eat better
Eat more fruits and vegetables and lean cuts of meat like fish and chicken
Get active
Do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week.
Also do at least two days of muscle strengthening a week.
Lose weight
Most adults should have a body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9.
Control cholesterol
Having too much of a fatty substance called cholesterol in the blood can block blood vessels. It can be reduced with a good diet and exercise.
Reduce blood sugar
Regular high blood sugar levels can damage your eyes, nerves, kidneys, and blood vessels over time. A good diet and exercise can help keep it under control.
Manage blood pressure
High blood pressure puts the heart, blood vessels and other organs under extra stress and can contribute to vascular dementia. It can be controlled with diet and exercise.
The study looked at 8,823 people of European descent and 2,738 people of African descent about the age of 54 at the start of the study and then followed for three decades.
The researchers calculated the genetic risk scores at the start of the study and then scored them on how much they adhered to the seven healthy habits.
They 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 of European descent, the researchers found that those with the highest scores on lifestyle factors had a lower risk of dementia, even among the group with the highest genetic risk.
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, people who had an intermediate and high score on lifestyle factors 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 our 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 in European ancestry.
However, he added that there were some limitations to the findings.
“Although 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 Alzheimer’s disease, which is just one of the causes. of dementia, “he said.
“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.”
Dr. Sancho 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.
The Alzheimer’s Society reports that there are over 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK today. It is expected to increase to 1.6 million by 2040.
In the United States, there are an estimated 5.5 million people with Alzheimer’s. A similar percentage increase is expected in the coming years.
Dementia itself is a general term used to describe a series of progressive neurological disorders (those that affect the brain) that affect memory, thinking, and behavior.
There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common, with another type of vascular dementia.
There is currently no cure for dementia, but there are drugs available that can slow its progression.