Alteration of Dementia Risk: Maintain These 7 Habits, Especially for Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes
Dementia Risk Slashed for Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Individuals with type 2 diabetes may face an increased risk of dementia, though research continues to delve into the potential influence of lifestyle choices on dementia risk. A recent study published in Neurology suggests that for those with diabetes, incorporating certain healthy habits could significantly lower the likelihood of developing dementia.
Dementia: A Persistent Enigma
Dementia is a chronic condition that tends to worsen over time and affects an individual's ability to remember, think, and reason. If left untreated, dementia can severely impact one's daily life and independence. While some risk factors for dementia, such as age or family history, remain unalterable, others can be modified.
Smoking, obesity, and excessive alcohol use are all factors known to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Additionally, diabetes is another risk factor, particularly type 2 diabetes. Healthcare professionals are actively researching how positive lifestyle changes can improve conditions like diabetes and subsequently reduce dementia risk.
Healthy Lifestyle Habits and Dementia Risk
The current study observed how seven healthy lifestyle habits influenced dementia risk in both people with diabetes and those without diabetes. The examined habits included:
- quitting smoking
- moderate alcohol consumption
- regular physical activity
- maintaining a balanced diet
- obtaining enough sleep
- reducing sedentary behavior
- frequent social interaction
The researchers utilized data from the U.K. Biobank, including over 160,000 participants, age 60 and older without dementia at the study's outset. They excluded participants with type 1 diabetes to focus solely on the impact on those with type 2 diabetes.
The research team assigned each participant a healthy lifestyle score based on their adherence to the seven described behavior factors. For instance, someone was deemed as being physically active if they engaged in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise.
The study followed participants for an average of 12 years, and the results showed a correlation between healthy lifestyle choices and a reduced risk of developing dementia. This correlation was even more evident among participants with diabetes.
Study author Dr. Yingli Lu, Ph.D., of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China, stated to Medical News Today:
"Our findings underscore the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle for people with diabetes. Doing so may substantially reduce the likelihood of developing dementia—significantly more than for those without diabetes."
Non-study author and Alzheimer's researcher Jeroen Mahieu, Ph.D., echoed Dr. Lu's sentiments:
"The study's most critical finding is that adhering to a healthy lifestyle can remarkably decrease the risk of dementia in diabetes patients, vastly surpassing the effect seen in non-diabetes patients. However, we should exercise caution when interpreting these findings as causal due to the nature of the data and research design."
Caveats and Further Research
While the study indicates a correlation between healthy lifestyle choices and reduced dementia risk, primarily among those with diabetes, it also had some limitations.
Information on lifestyle behaviors was self-reported, which may have increased the likelihood of data collection errors. Additionally, lifestyle factor data was collected only at the study's outset and did not account for changes in behaviors over time, nor did it consider lifestyle factors before diabetes diagnosis.
The study excluded participants based on missing data, who tended to have lower education and socioeconomic status. This could have impacted the final results. Moreover, the misclassification of participants with diabetes or prediabetes as non-diabetic is a concern.
Adjustments were made for various confounding factors such as medication use, but there may still be unaccounted-for unknown or unmeasured factors. Lastly, the study predominantly consisted of Caucasian participants, implying the need for more diverse research in the future.
Nevertheless, the researchers believe their findings could have significant implications for healthcare professionals, encouraging lifestyle changes for their patients with diabetes to benefit overall health and possibly delay or prevent dementia. Further research is necessary to confirm the mechanisms behind such benefits.
- Dementia, a chronic condition affecting memory, thinking, and reasoning, is a persistent enigma that tends to worsen over time, impacting daily life and independence.
- While some dementia risk factors are unalterable, such as age or family history, others can be modified to reduce the risk.
- Smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol use, and diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, are factors known to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
- In a recent study published in Neurology, seven healthy lifestyle habits were examined for their influence on dementia risk in both people with diabetes and those without, including quitting smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, regular physical activity, maintaining a balanced diet, obtaining enough sleep, reducing sedentary behavior, and frequent social interaction.
- Study results showed a correlation between healthy lifestyle choices and a reduced risk of developing dementia, this correlation being more evident among participants with diabetes.
- The study's findings suggest that adopting a healthy lifestyle, particularly for people with diabetes, could substantially reduce the likelihood of developing dementia.
- However, to validate these findings and understand the mechanisms behind the benefits, further research is required, considering diverse populations and accounting for unaccounted-for factors.
- Encouraging those with chronic diseases like diabetes, such as through therapies and treatments, nutrition, fitness and exercise, mental health, and health and wellness, to adopt healthy lifestyle habits may be crucial in delaying or preventing dementia.
