Dementia describes a group of disorders characterized by difficulties in thinking, remembering, and reasoning. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of cognitive decline.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 5 million people live with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the United States. As the population ages, experts expect this number to increase significantly.
Although scientists do not know the precise biological cause of Alzheimer’s disease, they know that some lifestyle factors increase a person’s risk of developing dementia.
These include smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, and physical inactivity. One study estimated that up to half of all Alzheimer’s disease cases worldwide may have links to certain lifestyle factors.
A new study, led by The Australian National University in Canberra, trialed a series of lifestyle interventions in people already experiencing cognitive decline. They wanted to see whether these changes could improve a person’s cognitive state and potentially reduce their risk of developing dementia.
They found that people who actively changed certain aspects of their lifestyle experienced significant improvements in their cognition. This suggests that making certain lifestyle changes could alter the course of cognitive decline and reduce a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published the study.
The interventions
The study included 119 people aged 65 or over who had either subjective cognitive decline (SCD), which is the self-reported experience of confusion or memory loss, or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is a clinically diagnosed form of cognitive decline.
Doctors consider both as early symptoms of dementia, although not everybody with SCD or MCI will develop dementia.
The study, which is part of the Body, Brain, Life for Cognitive Decline (BBL-CD) trial, aimed to determine whether diet and activity levels can reduce the risk of dementia in people with cognitive decline.
The researchers split the cohort roughly in two. Over 8 weeks, one group (the active control group) completed online modules on dementia risk, including information on a Mediterranean diet. A 2020 study has shown that the Mediterranean diet can slow cognitive impairment, exercise, and cognitive engagement.
The intervention group completed the same online training and participated in practical activities, including meeting with a dietitian and exercise physiologist and completing brain training exercises.
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