Reviewed by Diettian Mandy Enright, Ms, Rdn, East
Design elements: Getty Images. Eating design.
The main points
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A new study shows that exercise, diet and regular health care checks can reduce the risk of dementia.
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This includes physical exercises – also six times a week – and mental exercises to support you sharp.
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Following the Mind diet, the Mediterranean and Dash diet combination can also help with better brain health.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementia are significant public health challenges for many reasons. More people are influenced by dementia and the condition can cause a great emotional, social and financial burden. And as much as you or your loved one may want to reduce your risk of dementia, it may be difficult to find out where to start.
Decrease in the memory of older adults often has many causes, so effective treatments are perfectly solved by several targets at the same time. Although new drugs directed at amyloid (a group of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease) show the promise to slow down the disease in the early stages, they do not solve other common problems such as blood vessels in the brain, which can also contribute to memory. This emphasizes the need for better, more detailed treatment.
Non -drug attitudes, such as improving lifestyle factors, offer a safe, affordable and affordable way to reduce the risk of dementia. Innovative Finnish study (called Finnish geriatric intervention study to prevent cognitive impairment and disability, or finger) showed that combining certain healthy lifestyle changes improves memory and thinking in the elderly adults who are in danger of dementia.
To determine whether the positive results of the finger research in Finland could also be applied to a larger and more diverse group of people in the US with dementia, researchers have studied the effect of this method on brain health and thinking skills, and results have been published Jama; This study was called US study to protect brain health through lifestyle intervention to reduce risk, or US arrow.
How was this study done?
Researchers have recruited the subjects of this study using electronic health records and working with local community organizations to reach people directly. The goal was to include older adults (60 to 79 years old) who had no memory problems, but were at greater risk of developing dementia.
For qualifications, participants had to meet the specific criteria for lifestyle and risk factors. These factors have covered a low level of physical activity – meaning less than 60 minutes of moderate exercise per week – and do not follow a thought diet that is designed to maintain brain health. When it comes to risk factors, participants had to meet at least two of the following:
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A close family member (such as a father or brother) had memory problems.
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They were at risk for health such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high blood sugar.
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They have been identified as part of a racial or ethnic group, which are often not sufficiently represented by research such as Indians, Black, Middle East, Spanish or Latino.
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They were older (70 to 79 years old) or were men because men are often insufficiently represented in dementia prevention studies.
Both groups focused on improving brain health through physical activity, cognitive activity, healthy eating, social involvement and cardiac health. The difference between two groups was how the program was provided. The first group was a structured group, and participants of this group received additional support from trained professionals and cooperated closely with peers of 10 to 15 people to motivate and accountability. The participants participated in 38 team meetings in two years, and trained navigators and specialists took the meetings. They also attended:
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Exercise: 30-35 minutes of moderate and intense aerobic activity four times a week, as well as strength and flexibility exercises twice a week.
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Cognitive Exercise: A computer computed brain training program three times a week for 30 minutes, as well as regular involvement in another intellectual complex and social activity.
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Nutrition: Mind diet, which emphasizes dark leafy greens, berries, nuts, healthy grains, olive oil and fish and restricts sugar and unhealthy fat.
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Health monitoring: Regular checks (every 6 months) due to blood pressure, weight and laboratory results.
The second group was an independent group. This group was independent, but still had access to resources and support from teams and navigators of colleagues of Alzheimer’s Association. Participants received publicly accessible resources about changes in a healthy lifestyle such as exercise, diet and brain health tips. They attended only six colleagues’ team meetings in two years, and their health was tested once a year during clinic visits, following standard health guidelines.
This study evaluated brain health and thinking skills using a global cognitive score that combined three main areas: executive function that includes skills such as planning, problem solving and multifunctional; Episodic memory, which focuses on the memory of specific events or experiences; And the processing speed that measures how quickly the brain can handle information. To calculate the global score, participants at the beginning of the study and completed many brain tests every two months for two months.
What did the study find?
Both groups of the US arrows have shown the improvement of general brain function over time, measuring their global cognitive scores. By adjusting certain factors, the structured group improved a little faster than a self -contained group, and this difference was statistically significant.
By focusing on the different areas of cognition that the researchers measured, here’s what they found:
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Executive function: When planning a problem solving and multifunctional execution, the structured group improved more than a stand -alone group and the difference was statistically significant.
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Processing speed: When evaluating how long the brain took to process information, the structured group also showed a slightly greater improvement – but this difference was not statistically significant.
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Episodic memory: As for the memory of specific events, both groups have improved at about the same speed, without a significant difference between them.
The structured program seemed to have the greatest influence on the participants who began an investigation with a less cognitive function. However, the structured program at the beginning of the study operated in a similar way, regardless of the sex of the participants, the age or the health of the heart. In addition, the effect of the structured program was the same for people with or without the APOE ε4 gene, which linked to the greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
In conclusion, the structured program has given the most benefits to the executive function and was particularly useful for participants who started with lower cognitive abilities. Other factors such as age, gender and genetic risk did not seem to change how effective the program was.
This study has several restrictions to consider. First, the results may not be applied to everyone, as the survey was only in five places, involved participants with a higher risk of cognitive downturn and required a major two -year commitment. Second, the study was not designed to assess whether intervention could prevent cognitive disorder or dementia, so these results remained unknown.
It is also worth noting that the self -controlled group was not a real “without intervention” control group because they still received certain resources and support. In addition, the participants knew in which group they were, which may have influenced their behavior or results. In addition, it is unclear how long the advantages of the structured program will last for how easily it can be increased to larger populations or how significant improvements in the long -term perspective.
How does it apply to real life?
This study emphasizes the power of lifestyle changes when it comes to maintaining brain health and reducing the risk of decrease in memory. This indicates that regular exercise, brain healthy diet, mental stimulation and social involvement can actually change, especially for people with a higher risk of dementia.
A structured program providing additional recommendations and support was particularly effective in improving skills such as planning, problem solving and multifunctional. This observation shows that having a clear plan and access to professional support can help people keep healthy habits and see better results. However, an independent group that had more flexibility has shown improvements, proving that small, consistent changes in everyday life can still be beneficial to brain health.
This means that healthier habits, such as staying active, follow a diet of thoughts, engaged in mentally complex activities and remain socially related can be a practical and accessible way to protect brain health. Although the study focused on older adults with dementia, conclusions are a reminder that it is never too early or too late to start making positive changes.
Our expert is taking
A recent investigation has been published Jama Provides valuable evidence that lifestyle changes can play an important role in maintaining brain health and reducing the risk of cognition. First of all, these data emphasize the possibilities of regular exercise combination, brain healthy diet, mental stimulation and social involvement to improve cognitive health, especially those with a higher risk of dementia.
Both structured and independent programs have led to the overall function of the brain, as the structured program has shown slightly greater benefits, especially in areas such as planning, problem solving and multifunctional. Importantly, the study also showed that even small, independent changes can make a significant difference, so these strategies are accessible to different people.
Read the original article about Eatingwell