Alzheimer’s Association International Conference declares the potential for a healthy lifestyle to decrease the risk of age-related dementia and cognitive decay. The two studies especially advise the factors of healthy lifestyle prevent Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The first study, led by experts from the University of Exeter, looked at nearly 200,000 adults enlisted in the UK Biobank. Using prior Alzheimer’s genetic investigations the researchers created polygenic risk scores for those subjects in the Biobank that were classified as having a genetic danger for developing dementia. Lifestyle was then classified by four factors: smoking status, frequency of physical activity, diet, and alcohol consumption.
Healthy Lifestyle Prevent Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Unsurprisingly, those with high genetic danger and a sick lifestyle were significantly more likely to receive dementia than those with low genetic risk and a healthy lifestyle. However, the researchers did observe that all cases of dementia could be prominently decreased by a healthy lifestyle, despite genetic risk factors. Healthy lifestyle behaviors were found to decrease dementia cases by 32 percent in the high genetic risk group.
“This is the first study to examine the amount to which you may offset your genetic risk of dementia by living a healthy lifestyle,” says Elżbieta Kuźma, joint lead author on the study. “Our conclusions are impressive as they show that we can take action to try to compensate for our genetic risk for dementia. Adhering to a healthy lifestyle was connected with a decreased risk of dementia, regardless of the genetic risk.”
Carol Routledge, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, proposes these findings are significant in changing the public judgment of dementia risk factors.
Routledge says only a third of adults think lifestyle factors can decrease a person’s risk of developing dementia, and while genes are related, our behaviors can significantly enhance our odds of living a healthy cognitive life well into our older years.
“Sadly, as genetics still plays an important role in controlling the risk of Alzheimer’s, there will always be people who address many or all of these lifestyle factors and still develop the disease,” says Routledge. “While we can’t alter the genes we inherit, this study shows that improving our lifestyle can still help to accumulate the odds in our favor.”
The researchers found that adopting at least four of those lifestyle factors reduced a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 60 percent, contrasted to those who did none, or just one, of those behaviors.
“This study highlights the significance of following various healthy lifestyle habits for reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia,” says Dhana.
While it isn’t a major newsflash to declare exercising, quitting smoking, and eating better can award beneficial health outcomes. The new study suggests reassuring recommendation despite one’s genetic proclivities. So, we can bypass or slow, cognitive decay in later life by making some simple lifestyle adjustments.
