2023-08-30 11:28:00
The fear of Alzheimer’s increases in many people as they get older. But the personal risk can largely be reduced. What factors are important.
Around 900 people in Germany are newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every day. Those affected lose important cognitive abilities such as memory, learning and judgment. Orientation, emotional abilities and language skills are also impaired.
Once the disease has broken out, it can at best be delayed with medication, but not stopped or cured. However, we can do a lot ourselves to avoid the dreaded dementia in old age. There are five key risk factors that anyone can eliminate.
Healthy lifestyle: Five measures that pay off
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, analyzed data from 2,449 people, all over the age of 65. They took part in the Chicago Health and Aging Project, a cohort study in the United States. The participants answered questionnaires about their diet and lifestyle. One point each was awarded for five healthy behaviors:
Diet high in whole grains and vegetables, low in fried foods and red meatMentally demanding activities in old ageAt least 150 minutes of physical activity per weekNo smokingLight to moderate alcohol consumption
The end point number (0 to 5) was examined for correlations with the occurrence of Alzheimer’s. The higher the value, the healthier the lifestyle of a study participant.
Longer life expectancy and longer mental fitness
The results clearly showed that a lifestyle with an unhealthy diet, a lack of mental and physical activity, as well as smoking and alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s and having a shorter life expectancy.
For women aged 65 who implemented four or all five of the above measures, the average life expectancy was 24.2 years. On the other hand, women of the same age who did not implement any or only one of the health-promoting measures lived an average of 3.1 years less. During this shortened lifetime, they suffered from dementia for an average of 4.1 years. In contrast, the healthy living participants had a dementia phase of only 2.6 years,
For men, the difference was even more striking: The healthy 65-year-olds had a life expectancy of 23.1 years – 5.7 years more than those with an unhealthy lifestyle. They suffered from dementia for an average of 1.4 years of their remaining lifetime (23.1 years), the unhealthy for 2.1 years of their remaining lifetime of 17.4 years.
Intellectual exchange and social contacts are also important
“The results show impressively that you can actively prevent Alzheimer’s dementia through a healthy lifestyle and gain in life, especially in ‘dementia-free’ life,” says Professor Hans Christoph Diener, spokesman for the German Society of Neurology (DGN ). The study also shows that the effect is greater the more of the five healthy lifestyle factors are implemented.
DGN Secretary General Professor Peter Berlit adds another aspect. “It is known – and there are also numerous studies on this – that high blood pressure can promote the development of dementia. If you look at the five lifestyle factors examined, you can see that four of the five are also preventive measures against high blood pressure.” The expert refers to a healthy, low-salt and low-fat diet, sufficient physical exercise, little alcohol and no smoking.
Both Diener and Berlit emphasize the importance of mental training and social interaction. If this were missing, the risk of dementia in the over 65-year-olds would increase significantly. Both doctors refer to a study from 2020. It is therefore extremely important to maintain social contacts, especially at the age when many people retire.
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