Dramatically reduce your risk of dementia with five behavioral changes

Dementia is a common disease, but we are not immune to it. Researchers have identified factors that influence risk.

The fear of developing dementia in old age is widespread. Currently, around 1.6 million people in Germany suffer from this disease. According to forecasts, the number could rise to 150 million by 2050. Alzheimer's Association Conference It has been reported. But there is no reason to give up, because there are ways to reduce the risk of dementia, for example by following a healthy diet. One study also showed that some behavioral changes can significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease.

Preventing Dementia: With Five Behavioral Changes, You Can Drastically Reduce Your Risk

In the eye British Medical Journal (BMJ) Published Studying The researchers examined the lifestyles of different people between 1993 and 2012. The study participants, a total of 2,449 people aged 65 or older from a Chicago neighborhood, underwent regular neurocognitive tests. During the study, 2,110 people were ruled out for Alzheimer's disease, but 339 people developed Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers developed a five-point system to rate participants’ lifestyles and risk factors. Each test subject can score one point for each category met, with five points being the optimal. The more points achieved, the healthier the person’s lifestyle. The five factors of the system are:

• Adherence to a “brain-healthy diet,” called the Mediterranean-DASH Dietary Intervention to Delay Neurodegeneration (MIND).
• A high level of cognitive activity, for example through reading, visiting museums, crosswords, puzzles, or card and board games.
• High level of physical activity, defined as more than 140 minutes of exercise per week.
• Don't smoke.
• Low alcohol consumption, defined as up to 15 grams per day in women and up to 30 grams per day in men.

Preventing dementia and prolonging life: Lifestyle plays a crucial role

The researchers re-evaluated the number of points a group of people had achieved every decade, for each age group, gender, and those with or without pre-existing dementia. The points gained affected the life expectancy of the people tested. For example, 65-year-old women who scored four or five points had an extra 24.2 years of life expectancy.

In contrast, women of the same age who scored zero or only one point had a life expectancy reduced by 3.1 years. Lifestyle also had an effect on the development and duration of dementia: the ten percent of women with a healthy lifestyle lived with dementia for an average of 2.6 years in life expectancy, while women with an unhealthy lifestyle lived with dementia for 4.1 years despite their shorter life span.