A healthy lifestyle, especially a healthy diet, is associated with slower memory decline, finds a decade-long study of older adults in China published in The BMJ. Even for carriers of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene — the strongest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias — a healthy lifestyle was found to slow memory loss. Memory declines steadily as age progresses, but evidence from existing studies is insufficient to assess the effect of healthy lifestyles on memory in later life. And given the many possible causes of memory decline, optimal effect may require a combination of healthy behaviors. To find out more, researchers analyzed data from 29,000 adults at least 60 years old (average age 72; 49 percent women) with normal cognitive function who were part of the China Cognition and Aging Study.
At the start of the study in 2009, memory function was measured using the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) and participants were tested for the APOE gene (20 percent were found to be carriers). This was followed by follow-up evaluations over the next 10 years in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2019. A healthy lifestyle score was calculated with a combination of six factors: healthy diet, regular exercise, active social interactions (such as seeing friends and family), cognitive activity (such as writing, reading, playing mahjong), non-smoking and Never drink alcohol.
Based on their score, from 0 to 6, participants were placed into favorable (4 to 6 healthy factors), average (2 to 3 healthy factors), or unfavorable (0 to 1 healthy factors) lifestyle groups and APOE carriers and non-carriers. went. carrier group. After accounting for a range of other health, economic and social factors, the researchers found that each healthy behavior was associated with a slower-than-average decline in memory over 10 years. A healthy diet had the strongest effect on slowing memory decline, followed by cognitive activity and then physical exercise.
Compared to the unfavorable lifestyle group, memory decline in the favorable lifestyle group was 0.28 points slower over 10 years, and memory decline was 0.16 points slower in the average lifestyle group, based on AVLT standardized scores (Z scores). Participants with the APOE gene with favorable and average lifestyles also experienced a slower rate of memory decline than those with unfavorable lifestyles (0.027 and 0.014 points per year slower, respectively). What’s more, people with a favorable or average lifestyle were about 90 percent and about 30 percent less likely to have dementia or mild cognitive impairment than those with an unfavorable lifestyle, and the APOE group had similar results. This is an observational study, so cannot establish causation and the researchers acknowledge some limitations, such as the potential for measurement errors due to self-reporting of lifestyle factors, and the potential for selection bias, as some participants did not return to follow-up. Did not come back for – up evaluation.
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But this was a large study with a long follow-up period, allowing evaluation of individual lifestyle factors on memory function over time. And the findings remained significant after further analysis, suggesting that they are robust. As such, the researchers say that their results provide strong evidence that following a healthy lifestyle in conjunction with positive behaviors is associated with a slower rate of memory decline even for people with dementia. Those who are genetically susceptible to memory loss. They suggest that further research could focus on the effects of a healthy lifestyle on memory decline across life, acknowledging that memory problems can affect young people as well, which is not the case in this study. . They concluded, “These results may provide important information for public health initiatives to protect older adults from memory decline.” In an associated editorial, the researchers say, “Given the absence of effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, prevention is critical.” ,
However, they point out that these results do not help determine which of the six health behaviors included in the score (or specific combinations) are the best targets for dementia prevention, or when to focus on preventing dementia over the course of life. efforts have to be focused. They say further insight is also needed to determine whether the difference in memory decline seen in this study is clinically meaningful. They suggest a similar approach that has led to substantial reductions in cardiovascular disease should be taken alongside dementia prevention, “identifying not only the factors that matter most but the extent to which they matter, and the age when intervention is likely to be most effective”