In a study from the University of Glasgow, scientists found a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of dementia in those with type 2 diabetes.
They found that individuals with type 2 diabetes and an unhealthy lifestyle were much more likely to develop dementia than people without type 2 diabetes and a very healthy lifestyle.
However, a healthy lifestyle almost halved the likelihood of people with type 2 diabetes developing dementia.
An unhealthy lifestyle and type 2 diabetes are known to individually raise the risk of dementia. It hasn’t been clear, however, whether a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of dementia in those with type 2 diabetes.
In the study, the team tracked almost 450,000 participants of the U.K. Biobank study on the development of dementia.
The 445,364 participants had an average age of 55.6 years and were followed up for 9.1 years. All were free of dementia at the start of this period. 24,735 reported having type 2 diabetes at the start of the study.
The team found both type 2 diabetes and an unhealthy lifestyle were associated with a higher risk of dementia. Those with type 2 diabetes were 33% more likely to develop dementia than those without type 2 diabetes.
An unhealthy lifestyle was even more strongly associated with dementia. The participants with the least healthy lifestyles were 65% more likely to develop dementia than those with the healthiest lifestyle.
The team also revealed that a healthy lifestyle appears to reduce the risk of dementia in those with type 2 diabetes.
People with diabetes and the healthiest lifestyles were 45% less likely to develop dementia than those with diabetes and the unhealthiest lifestyles.
The researchers conclude that a healthy lifestyle can attenuate the effect of type 2 diabetes on the risk of dementia.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about Vitamin B9 deficiency linked to higher dementia risk, and flavonoid-rich foods could help prevent dementia.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that cranberries could help boost memory, and these antioxidants could help reduce dementia risk.
The study was conducted by Ms. Jirapitcha Boonpor et al and presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
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