Habits Potentially Reducing Dementia Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Individuals
Study Suggests Healthy Lifestyle Habits Can Lower Dementia Risk in Type 2 Diabetes Patients
Type 2 diabetes patients may potentially reduce their risk of developing dementia by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, according to a recent study published in Neurology. The research indicates that specific habits such as regular physical activity, healthy diet, adequate sleep, less sedentary behavior, and frequent social contact may have a significant effect.
Dementia, a chronic condition affecting memory, thinking, and reasoning, does not currently have a cure. Given this, understanding how to lower the risk of developing dementia is vital for individuals looking to maintain their cognitive health.
Researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China oversaw the study, which considered the impact of seven healthy lifestyle habits on dementia risk. They also examined how these habits affected diabetes patients and non-diabetes individuals.
Participants with diabetes who adhered to an overall healthy lifestyle were found to decreased dementia risk, with this reduction more pronounced than for individuals without diabetes.
The seven healthy lifestyle habits assessed in the study comprised:
- abstaining from smoking
- moderate alcohol consumption
- regular physical activity
- a balanced diet
- sufficient sleep
- reduced sedentary behavior
- frequent social interaction
The researchers utilized data from the U.K. Biobank, examining participants aged 60 and older who did not have dementia at the start of the study. They excluded individuals with type 1 diabetes from data collection to focus on those with type 2 diabetes.
The researchers assigned participants a lifestyle score based on their adherence to the seven habits. Each category had a specific criteria for what qualified as healthy.
More than 160,000 participants, including over 12,000 with diabetes, were included in the study. The participants were followed for an average of 12 years. The researchers found that healthy lifestyle factors were associated with a lower risk of developing dementia.
While the study offers promising findings, it did have limitations. For instance, information about lifestyle behaviors was self-reported, potentially leading to errors. Additionally, the researchers collected lifestyle factor data only at baseline and did not collect data on changes in these factors.
In conclusion, the study suggests that practicing a healthy lifestyle may lower the risk of dementia, particularly for individuals with type 2 diabetes. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings and determine the most effective strategies for reducing dementia risk.
- Despite there being no cure for dementia or Alzheimer's, understanding how to lower the risk of developing these conditions is crucial, especially for individuals with chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes.
- People with type-2 diabetes who follow a healthy lifestyle, encompassing regular exercise, a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, reduced sedentary behavior, and frequent social interaction, can potentially lower their risk of dementia more significantly than those without diabetes.
- The impact of seven healthy lifestyle habits on dementia risk was investigated in a recent study published in Neurology, through data from the U.K. Biobank, which excluded participants with type-1 diabetes.
- These seven healthy lifestyle habits include abstaining from smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, regular exercise, a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, reduced sedentary behavior, and frequent social interaction.
- By assigning participants a lifestyle score based on adherence to these habits, researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine found that adherence to these factors was linked to a lower risk of developing dementia.
- As promising as the findings are, the study does have limitations, such as self-reported lifestyle behaviors and lack of data on changes in these factors over time.
- While the study highlights the importance of naive approaches like retargeting health and wellness practices, further medical-condition-specific research and therapies-and-treatments are necessary to confirm these findings and ascertain the most effective ways of reducing dementia risk.
- Paxlovid, fitness-and-exercise, mental-health, nutrition, and contextual considerations should also be taken into account when building personalized strategies to maintain cognitive health and lower the risk of dementia and other chronic diseases.
