New research reveals that adhering to seven healthy lifestyle factors, known as the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7, could significantly lower the risk of developing dementia later in life.
The study, conducted over two decades, involved 13,720 female participants and will be presented at the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.
Life’s Simple 7
The seven key lifestyle factors identified for cardiovascular and brain health are:
- Being physically active
- Eating a healthy diet
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Not smoking
- Maintaining healthy blood pressure
- Controlling cholesterol levels
- Keeping blood sugar low
Study Findings
After a 20-year follow-up period, Medicare data was analyzed to identify those diagnosed with dementia. Of the participants, 1,771 (or 13%) developed dementia.
Each participant was scored between zero and seven based on these health factors, with zero indicating poor or intermediate health and seven indicating ideal health.
The average score was 4.3 at the study’s start and 4.2 a decade later. Researchers found that each one-point increase in the score led to a 6% decrease in the risk of developing dementia.
“This study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that what’s good for the heart is also good for the brain,” said Pamela Rist, ScD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
“The good news is that making these lifestyle choices in middle age can lower your risk for dementia in old age.”
One limitation of the study was the inability to examine how changes in certain factors, like quitting smoking, could affect the risk of dementia later in life.
Conclusion
The study provides promising evidence that maintaining a healthy lifestyle, especially from middle age onwards, could be a significant factor in preventing dementia.
It’s empowering data for individuals looking to take control of their long-term health and cognitive well-being.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about walking patterns may help identify specific types of dementia, and common high blood pressure drugs may help lower your dementia risk.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about this tooth disease linked to dementia, and results showing this MIND diet may protect your cognitive function, and prevent dementia.
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