[ad_1]
(Newser)
–
A healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, even if you have genes that increase your risk of contracting these distressing diseases, a large study found. Researchers reported Sunday that people with high genetic risk and poor health habits were about three times more likely to develop dementia compared to those with low genetic risk and good habits. Regardless of the genetic risk that a person had, a good diet, adequate exercise, alcohol limitation and not smoking reduced the risk of dementia, according to the AP. "I consider it to be good news," said John Haaga of the US National Institute on Aging, one of the many sponsors of the study. "No one can guarantee that you will escape this terrible disease," but you can tip the scales in your favor through healthy living, he said.
About 50 million people have dementia and Alzheimer's disease is the most common type. A study done a few years ago found that a healthy lifestyle could help overcome the genetic risk of heart disease. Researchers have now shown that it is the same for dementia. Elzbieta Kuzma and colleagues at the University of Exeter Medical School in England used the British biobank to study nearly 200,000 people aged 60 or older without any signs or symptoms of dementia in the beginning. Their genetic risk has been classified as high, medium or low based on dozens of mutations known to affect dementia. They were also grouped according to lifestyle factors. After about eight years of study, 1.8% of people at high genetic risk and poor lifestyle had developed dementia, compared to 0.6% of people with low genetic risk and having healthy habits.
(Read more stories about Alzheimer's disease.)
[ad_2]
Source link