Estimates vary, but experts suggest that more than 5.5 million Americans, most of them age 65 or older, may have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s (NIH fact sheet 6/17/2020), (www.nih.gov).
Combining more healthy lifestyle behaviors was associated with a substantially lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease in a study that included data from nearly 3,000 research participants. Those who adhered to four or all of the five specified healthy behaviors were found to have a 60% lower risk of Alzheimer’s.
The behaviors were:
physical activity
not smoking
light-to-moderate alcohol consumption
a high-quality diet
cognitive activities
Funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, this research was published in the June 17, 2020 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Richard J. Hodes the NIA Director states, “This observational study provides more evidence on how a combination of modifiable behaviors may mitigate Alzheimer’s disease risk.” (www.nia.nih.gov)
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults and currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
Recent estimates indicate that the disorder may rank it third, just behind heart disease and cancer, as the cause of death for older people.
Memory problems are typically one of the first signs of cognitive impairments related to Alzheimer’s disease. Some people with memory problems have a condition called mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In MCI, people have more memory problems than normal for their age, but their symptoms do not interfere with their everyday lives.
Doctors may diagnose Alzheimer’s by:
Asking questions about the persons overall health and medications
Noticing changes in personality or behavior
Administering tests of memory, problem solving, attention, and counting
Carrying out standard medical tests: blood and urine to rule out causes for changes
Performing brain scans – PT, CT, MRI
The NIA Director, Dr. Richard J. Hodes also states that the NIA observational study of 3,000 research participants provides more evidence on how a combination of modifiable behaviors may mitigate Alzheimer’s disease risk.”
The researchers scored each participant based on the five healthy lifestyle factors:
At least 150 minutes per week of moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activity – Physical activity is an important part of healthy aging
Not smoking – Established research has confirmed that even in people 60 and older who have been smoking for decades, quitting will improve health
Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption – Limiting the use of alcohol may help cognitive health
A high-quality, Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, which combines the Mediterranean diet with Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet – The MIND diet focuses on plant-based foods linked to dementia prevention
Engagement in late-life cognitive activities – Being intellectually engaged by keeping the mind active may benefit the brain
The SPRINT MIND trial, also suggests that intensive blood pressure control may slow age-related brain damage
The NIA is also funding more than 230 additional studies focusing on Alzheimer’s and dementia-related issues. These include cognitive training, sleep evaluations, and combination therapies.
Research by the National Institute on Aging suggests that a host of factors beyond genetics may play a role in the development and course of Alzheimer’s disease. There is a great deal of interest in the relationship between cognitive decline and vascular conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, as well as metabolic conditions such as diabetes as obesity.
The message seems to be: in addition to keeping regular medical appointments, stay physically active, socially engaged, and eat a heart-healthy diet on a regular basis – maybe we’ll all live to be a healthy 100 years old.