Ways to Significantly Reduce Dementia Risk

Paula Gallagher on
A healthy diet can help decrease the risk of developing dementia.

A recent study shows that certain lifestyle factors may be more important than age in determining dementia risk. Researchers found that people with no dementia risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes or hearing loss, have similar brain health as individuals 10 to 20 years younger. By managing diabetes, addressing hearing loss, and if you smoke, getting the support you need to quit, you can decrease the risk of developing dementia.

Here is another study that corroborates the importance of lifestyle choices and brain health. This study, published in JAMA a couple of years ago, found that a healthy lifestyle can cut the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia even if you have genes that raise your risk for these diseases. The study found that people with high genetic risk and poor health habits were about three times more likely to develop dementia versus those with low genetic risk and good habits.

5 Lifestyle Habits That Affect Risk of Dementia

The report, compiled by the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, assessed study participants’ lifestyles on these five lifestyle habits:

    1. Diet: did the participant consume a high-quality diet, defined as being mostly vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, seafood, poultry and olive oil, while avoiding red meats, butter, cheese, pastries, sweets and fried food?

    2. Exercise regimen: did the participant exercise at least 150 minutes per week?

    3. Smoking habits: did the participant smoke?

    4. Alcohol consumption: did the participant consume no more than one glass of wine per day?

    5. Engagement in cognitive stimulation activities: did the participant engage in mentally stimulating activities like reading the newspaper, visiting the library or playing games such as chess and checkers, at least two to three times per week?

      The researchers then scored each factor, assigning participants a ‘1’ if their behavior was healthy in that category and a ‘0’ if it was unhealthy. For example, if they smoked, the would get a "0," but if they ate a healthy diet they would get 1 point. When added up, the researchers found that those who at least scored 4 out of 5, meaning they pursued four or five healthy behaviors over the period studied – were 60% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s compared with participants who scored 0 or 1.

      Important Take-Aways

      The key message from these studies is that eating well, staying active, and exercising your brain can make a significant positive impact on your brain.

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