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A new study from the University of Exeter suggests that following a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of dementia in people. This is true even for people identified as having a genetic risk for the disorder. ( pixabay )
Keeping a healthy lifestyle is not only beneficial for the body, but also to combat the effects of dementia, according to a new study.
Researchers at Exeter University have studied the benefits of a healthy lifestyle for people identified as having a genetic risk of dementia.
Impact of a healthy lifestyle on the risk of dementia
The team discovered that people who exercise regularly, have a balanced diet, do not smoke and do not drink too much alcohol run a risk of developing dementia by 32% lower than those who do not lead a healthy lifestyle.
At the same time, people at high genetic risk and having an unhealthy lifestyle were nearly three times more likely to develop a brain disorder than those at low risk and living well.
Elbieta Kuźma, a researcher at Exeter Medical School and one of the authors of the study, said that this article was the first study to examine how a healthy lifestyle could help offset the genetic risk of dementia.
"Our results are exciting as they show that we can act to try to compensate for our genetic risk of dementia," Kuma said.
"To stick to a healthy lifestyle was badociated with a reduced risk of dementia, regardless of the genetic risk."
Genetic Risk Analysis
For the study, Kuźma and his colleagues examined the medical data of more than 190,000 people aged 60 and over of European descent. These people are part of a long-term study called UK Biobank.
Researchers identified more than 1,700 cases of dementia among participants during an eight-year follow-up period. They then placed the patients in three groups: high, medium and low risk of dementia.
To determine the genetic risk of participants, the team reviewed previously published data to identify all potential risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. These genetic risk factors were organized according to their link with the development of Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers also looked at patients with regard to their lifestyle. They examined the diet, physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption patterns reported by individuals to determine whether they fell into the favorable, intermediate and unfavorable categories.
The team looked at factors such as regular physical activity, healthy eating, not smoking, and moderate alcohol consumption as healthy behaviors.
The results showed that a healthy lifestyle could help reduce the risk of dementia in all genetic risk groups.
The co-author of the study, Dr. David Llewellyn, said the results of this research helped to undermine the fatalistic view that some people might have about dementia. There are those who believe that they will develop brain disorder, no matter what it is because it is in their genetics.
However, Llewellyn pointed out that the new study presents the possibility that people can still significantly reduce their risk of dementia if they lead a healthy lifestyle.
According to the World Health Organization, dementia remains one of the world's most serious health problems. An estimated 50 million people worldwide have the disease. About 60 to 70% of these cases are related to Alzheimer's disease.
In the United States, about 5.8 million people of all ages have dementia in 2019.
Alzheimer's disease is now the sixth leading cause of death among Americans.
The results of the Exeter University study were presented at this year's International Conference of the Alzheimer's Association in Los Angeles, California. They are also presented in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Ⓒ 2018 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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