Regular physical exercise such as jogging is one of the lifestyle choices - Halfpoint Images
Dementia Radically Reduces with Seven Simple Lifestyle Habits, Scientists Claim
By Sarah Knapton
Science Editor
Adopting seven simple lifestyle habits in middle age can radically reduce the risk of dementia in later life, a major long-term study has shown.
While some of a person’s propensity towards developing dementia is genetic, a significant amount of a person’s determination is ruled by factors within a person’s control, the research suggests.
Experts in the US found that being active, eating a better diet, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, keeping normal blood pressure, controlling cholesterol and having low blood sugar could all cut the chances of developing conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
And the benefits grow with every extra healthy lifestyle trait achieved.
Researchers followed 13,720 middle-aged women for 20 years and found that the more healthy lifestyle factors a woman had, the less likely she was to develop dementia.
Each on their own was found to lower risk by around six per cent, suggesting that adopting them all, could bring down the chances of dementia by 42 per cent.
“Since we now know that dementia can begin in the brain decades before diagnosis, it's important that we learn more about how your habits in middle age can affect your risk of dementia in old age,” said Dr Pamela Rist, an assistant professor from Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston, Massachusetts.
“The good news is that making healthy lifestyle choices in middle age may lead to a decreased risk of dementia later in life.”
There are currently 900,000 people living with dementia in Britain with the numbers set to grow. Symptoms include memory loss, confusion, problems with language and can eventually lead to death.
However, several population-wide studies suggest that the actual incidences of dementia are falling, which experts believe is being driven by changes in lifestyle, such as people quitting smoking and improvements in heart health, driven by statins.
In recent years, the American Heart Association has developed a list of lifestyle interventions - known as Life’s Simple 7 - that can help people cut their risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The new study showed that the same improvements for heart health also seem to stave off dementia.
The seven healthy traits are: never having smoked or quit more than 12 months ago and having a healthy BMI (18.5 - 25kg/m2).
Physical needed
Physical activity must be at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week vigorous exercise.
Diet must include at least 4.5 cups of fruit and vegetables per day, two servings of fish per week, three servings of whole grains per day, no more than one liter of sugar-sweetened drinks per week, and 1,500 mg of sodium per day - about two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt.
Total cholesterol must be less than 200 mg/dL, blood pressure less than 120 mmHg/80 mmHg and blood sugar - less than 100 mg/dL.
Experts found that during the study 1,771 women developed dementia around 13 per cent, or one in seven.
For each of the seven health factors, participants were given one point for each regular healthy lifestyle factor. The average score was 4.3 at the start of the study, falling to 4.2 after a decade.
After adjusting for factors such as age and education, researchers found that for every increase of one point in the score, a person's risk of dementia fell by six per cent. It means that if a person started out with a 1 in 7 risk, it would fall to 1 in 13 if they achieved all of the healthy lifestyle options.
Dr Rist said: “It can be empowering for people to know that by taking steps such as exercising for half an hour a day or keeping their blood pressure under control, can reduce their risk of dementia.”
Last week, experts from University College London (UCL) said that staying active throughout adulthood could help stave off dementia.
Their long-term study found that people who exercise as they age are more likely to have better brain health than those who take up an activity for shorter periods of time but then give it up.
However, even taking up exercise in your sixties is better than doing nothing at all for improving cognitive function, the research suggested.
The preliminary study was released on Monday and was presented in April at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting. – The Telegraph
