Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common health problems; 7.2 million Americans suffer from it.
This number is expected to almost double to 13.8 million by 2060, and this increase is not just due to an aging population; it also points to a growing public health crisis. Although age is the biggest risk factor for memory loss, loss of brain function is an avoidable part of aging.
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine believe there is a powerful and often overlooked way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline: lifestyle changes.
In a recent commentary published in The American Journal of Medicinethey call on physicians, public health leaders and policymakers to work together to promote lifestyle-based prevention strategies.
Dr. Charles H. Hennekens, a leading expert and one of the authors, pointed out that while deaths from heart disease have declined since 2000, deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have increased by more than 140%.
He said that up to 45% of the risk of dementia could be related to things we can change, such as the way we live and the environments we are in.
The researchers say unhealthy habits – such as not exercising enough, eating poorly, being overweight, drinking too much alcohol or feeling lonely or depressed – can increase the risk of cognitive decline.
Medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and depression are also linked to brain health.
The good news is that the same healthy lifestyle changes that protect the heart can also help protect the brain.
They highlight recent results from the POINTER study, the first major US study to test whether major lifestyle changes can improve brain health. The results were similar to a Finnish study called FINGER, which also found that older adults who followed a healthy lifestyle plan saw benefits in brain function.
