Making a “deposit” into a healthy brain can pay dividends down the road, just like investing in a retirement account. A new study published in 2024 reveals that a healthy lifestyle can offset cognitive decline, even in people with dementia.
“We're making progress when it comes to neurodegenerative diseases, but we're not cured yet. So anything we can do to add to what we have now is a huge bonus and a blessing.” Dr. Paul E. Schultza neurologist and professor of neurology at UTHealth Houston Neurosciences and the Rick McCord Professor, Umphrey Family Professor of Neurodegenerative Diseases at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
The power to change your lifestyle
Schulz says lifestyle modifications correlate with about a 50% reduction in Alzheimer's disease risk. This is a big deal because many of the lifestyle factors in dementia are the same as those in cardiovascular disease, he said.
“If we can get patients to exercise more, eat less, and eat better, we not only help their brains, but they are also less likely to get heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.” says Schultz. He said.
He said heart disease, cancer and stroke are the top three causes of death in the United States, with Alzheimer's disease typically ranking sixth.
“Lifestyle factors have a dramatic impact on four of the top six diseases that are the leading cause of death in the United States. It's just a matter of lifestyle,” Schulz said. “So controlling diet and these risk factors is important.”
Making necessary lifestyle changes is one strategy to influence the future prevalence of Alzheimer's disease. The number of Americans living with this disease is predicted to double to nearly 13 million by 2050.
Take action for brain health
What can you do today? The 2023 Brain Health Study demonstrates that actively focusing on six areas can reverse neurocognitive decline. These include:
- physical activity
- plant-based nutrition
- restorative sleep
- stress management
- Avoidance of hazardous substances
- social connections
The overall message emphasizes the importance of prevention.
“The more you exercise, the less likely you are to develop Alzheimer's disease and the more likely it is to progress slowly,” says Dr. Schultz. “Physical exercise appears to affect cognitive functions throughout the brain, whereas mental exercise is more specific and affects what you're exercising, such as concentration and memory.”
The latest physical activity guidelines recommend that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week and two days of strength-strengthening activity per week. This means that a week he walks briskly for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Schultz describes one patient who walks his dog for 20 minutes three times a day. This will greatly contribute to her physical activity goals.
“She ends up working out for an hour seven days a week,” Schultz said. “I told her that maybe that's why she's seeing me now instead of five or 10 years ago.”
150 to 300 minutes per week is recommended for substantial health benefits. As always, it's best to check with your doctor to find out if you have heart disease or other health risks.
It's never too late to change your lifestyle
One of the most important points is that it's never too late Start focusing on your brain health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The accumulation of daily actions can lead to both positive and negative results.
According to the 2020 report of the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention and Intervention, “it is never too early or too late in the life course of dementia prevention”.
Schultz agrees that it's never too late. And you don't have to start at 40 to make an impact. For example, one of his studies showed that people in their 60s saw a dramatic change in the development of dementia in just two years by taking certain cholesterol-lowering drugs that reduced their risk. it was done.
“The answer is yes, even if we start with groups that are already at high risk for brain diseases and neurodegenerative diseases,” Schultz says.
