Diabetes Type 2 and Dementia: Discover Seven Daily Practices that Could Potentially Reduce Risk
Diabetes and Dementia: A Closer Look at Lifestyle Factors
Diabetes, particularly type 2, is known to increase the risk of dementia. Yet, new research sheds light on how certain lifestyle choices can help lower this risk. According to a study published in Neurology, people with type 2 diabetes are less likely to develop dementia if they adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Understanding Dementia
Dementia is a blanket term for a variety of cognitive disorders that affect memory, thinking, and reasoning. As it progresses, it interferes with everyday activities and independence. Dementia is most commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Age and family history are unchangeable factors contributing to dementia risk. However, smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, and diabetes can be modified to reduce the risk.
Lowering Dementia Risk with Lifestyle Choices
The recent study investigated the impact of seven healthy lifestyle factors on dementia risk, focusing on both individuals with and without diabetes. These factors included:
- Abstaining from smoking
- Moderate alcohol consumption
- Regular physical activity
- Following a healthy diet
- Adequate sleep
- Reducing sedentary behavior
- Frequent social contact
Data for this research was collected from the U.K. Biobank, including participants aged 60 and older, who did not have dementia at the study's inception.
The research team awarded participants a healthy lifestyle score based on their adherence to the above behaviors. For instance, participants earned a score for regular physical activity if they engaged in at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week.
The Impact of Lifestyle on Dementia Risk in Individuals with Diabetes
The study included over 160,000 participants, with more than 12,000 having diabetes. The researchers monitored the participants for an average of 12 years and found that healthy lifestyle factors reduced the risk of developing dementia. This decrease was more significant for those with diabetes.
Dr. Yingli Lu, Ph.D., one of the study authors, highlighted that, "Our findings suggest that, although patients with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing dementia later compared with those without, adherence to an overall healthy lifestyle may greatly reduce this risk."
Further Considerations
While the study indicates that incorporating healthy lifestyle habits can decrease the risk of developing dementia, it had limitations, such as potential data collection errors and unaccounted for confounding factors. The study also primarily focused on Caucasian participants, emphasizing the need for future, more diverse research.
Nevertheless, the study contributes to the growing body of evidence pointing to the importance of lifestyle choices in maintaining health and reducing the risk of dementia, particularly for those with type 2 diabetes. More research is needed to understand the potential benefits of combining multiple healthy lifestyle behaviors and the underlying mechanisms behind these benefits.
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[3]: Diabetes Care. (2018). The relationship between obesity and dementia in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 41(4), 648. doi:10.2337/dc17-1932
[4]: The Lancet Neurology. (2015). The potential relationships between diabetes, obesity, glycemic control, insulin resistance, and Alzheimer's disease. The Lancet Neurology, 14(4), 373-374. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(14)70285-6
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- The study's findings contextualize the impact of certain lifestyle choices on dementia, including the importance of healthy diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and moderate alcohol consumption.
- People living with type-2 diabetes and Alzheimer's, chronic-diseases like obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking, have a higher risk of developing dementia.
- Embracing a healthy lifestyle, even with medical-conditions such as type-2 diabetes, can help in retargeting this risk, as suggested by the scientific research.
- Personas who adopt this health-and-wellness approach, characterized by a NAIVE understanding of the positive impact on mental-health, therapies-and-treatments, and fitness-and-exercise, may experience lower dementia risk.
- Engaging in regular social contact is also a key lifestyle factor to consider for reducing dementia risk, especially when managing health alongside chronic-diseases like type-2 diabetes.
- Nutrition plays a critical role in maintaining brain health, with common healthy diets emphasizing fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.
- The science community is actively researching the connection between lifestyle factors, mental-health, and the development of dementia, providing valuable insights towards potential prevention strategies.
- In the battle against dementia, understanding the contextual link between lifestyle choices and dementia risk is essential, as it offers hope towards a more proactive approach to managing chronic-diseases and overall health and wellness.
