31-07-2025
Three factors will stall dementia and the aging process, according to new U.S. study
By 2050, over 1.7 million Canadians are projected to be living with dementia. This represents an increase of 187 per cent compared to 2020, when approximately 597,300 Canadians were living with dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Society of Canada.
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Dementia describes the decline of mental ability, while Alzheimer's Disease is the medical term for the brain disease that commonly causes dementia.
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Researchers are now saying certain lifestyle changes can stave off mental decline. A new U.S. study sets out what Alzheimer's researchers are calling the strongest evidence yet regarding what is involved in slowing the aging process and improving cognition.
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It comes down to three key factors: a diet heavy on leafy greens, berries and grains, regular moderate exercise and ongoing social interaction. Regular cardiovascular monitoring is also a factor.
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Jessica Langbaum, senior director of research strategy at the Banner Alzheimer's Institute in Phoenix was not involved directly in the research but she presented the findings at an annual conference of experts in Toronto on Wednesday.
The Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) is the largest international meeting dedicated to advancing dementia science and clinical practice. This year's gathering brought together 8,000 scientists and clinicians from all over the world, with the goal of improving diagnosis, risk reduction and treatment.
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The study pulled together diet, exercise and socialization in one substantial, structured study of 2,100 people in their 60s and 70s at risk of developing dementia, showing that bad habits 'can really slow down memory and thinking' in adults at risk for cognitive impairment and dementia, Langbaum told the PBS New Hour in an interview on Wednesday evening.
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The subjects who participated in the study changed their habits, shifting from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one and improving their diet over a two-year period, resulting in cognitive function scores on par with people one or two years younger.
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That might not sound like much, but Langbaum says the results are significant evidence that change can occur without medication. 'And so, it's showing that we can change the trajectory of aging,' she said.
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There were two groups in the study. In one, lifestyle changes were structurally prescribed. In the other, the changes were self-directed. The results for the prescribed group were much better, but Langbaum says both groups showed improvement.
