5 Simple Steps Linked With Lower Odds of Alzheimer’s

Here’s a to-do list of things that are linked to a substantially lower risk of dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease: Take a brisk daily walk, don’t smoke, eat a Mediterranean-style diet (that means rarely consuming red meat and nixing fast food) and do something challenging for your brain.

According to a study published in the June 2020 edition of the journal Neurology, following four or five of the healthy habits detailed in it (and below) may decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s dementia by as much as 60 percent, compared with those who follow none or only one of these behaviors. For those in the study, even practicing just two or three lowered their dementia risk by 37 percent.

The study was first presented at the 2019 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Although previous research has looked at the link between individual lifestyle behaviors — say, exercise — and a lower risk of dementia, few studies have examined the effect of combining multiple behaviors.

“The findings strengthen the association between healthy behaviors and lower risk,” Richard Hodes, M.D., director of the National Institute of Aging, said in a prepared statement. Hodes was not involved in the study, but his agency funded it.

In the study, researchers from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago looked at data from nearly 3,000 older adults in two long-running federally funded studies examining risk factors for Alzheimer’s dementia in a community of older Chicago residents.

The adults were scored on five lifestyle factors, all of which have important aging benefits.

1. At least 150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity
2. Not smoking
3. A Mediterranean-type diet — mostly green vegetables, fish or chicken, nuts, beans, olive oil and grains
4. Light to moderate alcohol consumption, defined as no more than one drink per day for women and two for men
5. Brain-challenging activities, such as reading, writing letters and playing games like chess and checkers

The majority of the participants engaged in two or three of these healthy behaviors.

“We chose only modifiable lifestyle factors that individuals have more control over,” lead author Klodian Dhana, M.D., assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine, wrote in an email. They did not look at healthy practices that can require medical treatment, like controlling blood pressure, which are not always under a person’s control.

Currently, more than 6 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s. By 2050 that number is expected to rise to nearly 13 million, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Exactly how healthy practices may protect against dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease is not entirely understood, the researchers wrote. About 600 of the study participants still developed the disease — including some who followed the good habits — so obviously, “lifestyle factors do not explain all the risks associated with dementia,” Dhana said. Factors such as depression, diabetes, hypertension, social isolation, hearing loss and obesity may also play a role, he noted. On the other hand, “we know from previous research that engagement in cognitively challenging activities, eating a healthy diet and exercising are important for brain health.”

What you need to know:

• Aim for a more brain-healthy diet. To measure how healthy a participant’s diet was, researchers asked how often they ate these 10 foods: green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, seafood and fish, poultry and olive oil. Those with unhealthy diets consumed a lot of these five less desirable foods: red meat, butter and stick margarine, cheese, pastries and other sweets, and fried/fast food.
• Know what counts as physical activity for older adults. Five moderate or vigorous physical activities considered healthy for older adults are walking briskly for exercise, gardening or yard work, calisthenics or general exercise, bicycle riding and swimming. For a healthy lifestyle, aim for at least 150 minutes a week of physical activity. You can split that up into 20 minutes or so daily or try longer chunks a few times a week. Mix things up so you don’t get bored. The National Institute of Aging also recommends building up your muscle strength to help with everyday activities, like carrying groceries and climbing stairs, by lifting light weights and using resistance bands.