Healthy lifestyle can reduce the chance of dementia – even for those at high genetic risk
/For years, science has understood that seven healthy habits and lifestyle factors may help to keep older people physically and mentally healthier.
A new analysis finds that embracing the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 health factors may also protect people who are at the highest genetic risk of dementia.
The American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 includes: being active, eating better, losing weight, not smoking, maintaining a healthy blood pressure, controlling cholesterol, and reducing blood sugar. A community study reported in the journal Neurology found that these simple tips may offer potent protection for people genetically prone to dementia.
“These healthy habits in the Life’s Simple 7 have been linked to a lower risk of dementia overall,” study author Adrienne Tin, of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, told the American Academy of Neurology. “The good news is that even for people who are at the highest genetic risk, living by this same healthier lifestyle are likely to have a lower risk of dementia.”
The study looked at 8,823 people of European ancestry and 2,738 people of African ancestry who were followed for 30 years. Participants reported their levels in all seven health factors, with scores ranging from 0 (unhealthy) to 14 (most healthy). The average score was 8.3 for those of European ancestry and 6.6 for African ancestry.
Researchers calculated genetic risk scores at the start of the study using genome-wide statistics of Alzheimer’s disease. Participants were divided into groups based on genetic risk scores.
The group with the highest genetic risk included people who had at least one copy of the APOE gene variant associated with Alzheimer’s disease, APOE e4. About 27.9% of European ancestry, and 40.4% of African ancestry had the APOE e4 variant.
The group with the lowest risk had the APOE e2 variant, which has been associated with a decreased risk of dementia.
By the end of the study, 1,603 European ancestry participants and 631 African ancestry participants developed dementia.
Researchers found that study participants experienced a reduced risk of developing dementia by improving their Simple 7 lifestyle factor scores.
In the case of European ancestry participants, there was a 9% lower risk of developing dementia for each one-point increase in the lifestyle factor score. The intermediate and high categories were associated with 30% and 43% lower risk for dementia, respectively.
Among African ancestry participants, the intermediate and high categories were associated with 6% and 17% lower risk for dementia, respectively.
The findings add to the already significant evidence that people have control over their healthspans. If changes to our dietary and lifestyle habits can help us live longer, more active, and more alert lives, imagine the promise of a future where actual scientific breakthroughs can address age-related problems that shorten our lives and reduce their quality.
The mission of the Methuselah Foundation is to make 50 the new 90 by 2030. No single scientific breakthrough will provide the silver bullet to cure aging. However, it’s clear that we have the ability significantly influence the quality of life as we age. We just need to take more control.