- New research shows that the best way to promote long-term cognitive health is to live a healthy lifestyle.
- The study examined the brains of people up to the age of 90 postmortem and found that most cases of dementia are related to an unhealthy lifestyle.
- Only 12% of cases were linked to amyloid plaques, which have long been thought to be the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Experts explain that brain health is closely linked to heart health, as mild strokes often cause non-Alzheimer’s dementia.
A new study provides new evidence that living a healthy lifestyle may help maintain cognitive reserve and reduce the chance of developing dementia in the future.
The study performed brain autopsies on 586 people whose average age at death was 90.9 years, and found that lifestyle was more clearly associated with the likelihood of developing dementia than amyloid plaques or blood flow abnormalities in the brain. It turned out that it was.
For many years, beta-amyloid plaques, tau tangles, or other dementia-related brain lesions present in the postmortem brain have been associated with dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.
However, recent studies, including this new study, have found that the presence of these characteristics is also frequently seen in people without dementia.
Participants in this study were enrolled in the RUSH University Memory and Aging Project. Individuals self-reported their lifestyle habits. Participants were asked whether they smoked, whether they engaged in at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week, and whether they limited their alcohol intake.
The healthiest 40% of participants were considered low-risk or “healthy.” This corresponds to a Mediterranean MIND diet score of 7.5 or higher and a later life cognitive health score of 3.2 or higher.
The researchers estimated that only 12% of cognitive-related measurements were affected by amyloid plaques.
This research
The study’s lead author, Dr. Clodian Dana, of the Department of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Rush University, summarized the main findings: Today’s medical news:
“We know that lifestyle factors, particularly diet and physical activity, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, that cognitive activity directly contributes to ‘cognitive reserve,’ and that all together contribute to cognition. We can hypothesize that it is possible.”
Dr. Alison Reese, a physician, educator, and molecular biologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, explained what “cognitive reserve means.”
“Cognitive reserve is the fuel in your brain’s tank that accumulates as you use your brain productively to think, absorb ideas, and be active in your life and social networks,” she says. Told. “It keeps us sharp and focused, giving us resilience and the ability to use our minds flexibly to face new challenges and become lifelong learners.”
Dr. Rice added that a healthy lifestyle keeps the brain supplied with nutrients and oxygen, promoting an environment in which “the brain can thrive and function at its best.”
Dr. Clifford Segill, a neurologist at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., who was not involved in the study, also said that although the focus was on Alzheimer’s dementia, vascular dementia He said there is another type of dementia called dementia, or multiple infarction disease. Dementia is caused by small strokes, even if they are imperceptible.
“So people who have silent strokes end up with vascular dementia or multi-infarct dementia,” Dr. Segill said. Clinically, it has been observed that people move more slowly. ”
He said there is a direct correlation between the number of silent strokes a person has had and their cognitive ability.
“Many patients come to me with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and memory loss due to vascular dementia. [end up in this situation] Because their brains are unhealthy, their hearts are unhealthy,” Dr. Seguil said.
There is some debate about the value of autopsy studies in dementia.
“I think relying on these after-the-fact data is causing problems.” Dr. Segill said.
“I think this is a problem because a lot of the current theory is based on research data from post-mortem studies using amyloid.” [plaques]But even with these concerns, Dr. Segill still believed autopsies were generally worthwhile.
“Knowing the pathology of the human brain is absolutely critical to understanding the disease processes that affect cognitive function,” Dr. Rees said.
She expressed her gratitude to the research participants who had passed away, saying:[t]The microscopic images obtained from these participants gave us a historical record up to the 1990s and captured information that future generations will benefit from. ”
“Their generosity and desire to enroll cannot be overstated,” Dr. Reese said.
Dr. Dana emphasized that autopsy data is “very important” in Alzheimer’s disease research.
nevertheless “[a] “A healthy lifestyle was associated with reduced amyloid burden in the brain at autopsy,” Dr. Dana said, adding, “Most of the associations with near-death cognition are due to thorough investigation of Alzheimer’s disease pathology. “This study highlights the multifactorial nature and complexity of this disease.”
Dr. Rees said looking for simple answers underestimates the complex ways in which the body’s systems interact.
As an example, she cited X-rays of two people with similar degenerative changes in their joints that could indicate arthritis. However, while one is in severe pain, the other is pain-free and lives a fully functional life.
“We’ve known this for years in relation to amyloid,” Dr. Reese said. “Imaging tests of many older people show that they have amyloid in their brains, and they have sharper cognitive abilities. There are many factors that affect the human brain, but we are only beginning to understand them.”
Regarding vascular damage in the brain, Dr. Rees added that if deterioration occurs slowly, brain plasticity may compensate. “We are able to counter many adverse conditions with the many backup systems built into our miraculous nervous system,” she said.
“This study sends a positive message that pathology is not fate and that we have more control over our mental functioning than we think,” says Dr. Rees.
“Research shows that cognitive activity is important for brain health, especially when accompanied by a high-quality diet and regular exercise,” Dr. Dana said. Individuals should consult their doctor about preventive measures and tailor each lifestyle factor to their individual needs. ”
Dr. Reese added to that list: socializing with friends, both in person and online, not smoking, not drinking too much alcohol, controlling blood sugar levels if you have diabetes, getting enough sleep, and getting enough sunlight and vitamin D. .
Dr. Seguil specifically suggested that “people take college classes and online classes in subjects they have never taken before.” I think the structure and new classes that train the brain are cognitively protective. ”
“As I say, if you don’t use it, you lose it,” Dr. Segill said.
