Healthy Habits and Type 2 Diabetes: Could Seven Practices Decrease Dementia Risk?
Dementia, a chronic condition known for its incapacitating effects, is a concern for many. Since it currently lacks a cure, people want to take steps to minimize their risk. Intriguingly, a study published in Neurology found that for people with diabetes, adopting certain healthy lifestyle habits can lead to a lower risk of developing dementia.
Dementia and its potential influencers
Dementia refers to a group of disorders infringing upon one's capacity to recall, think, and reason. As it typically worsens over time, it can have a severe impact on daily life and independence.
While factors like age and family history are beyond one's control, other factors can be modified to reduce dementia risk. Habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and obesity are known risks for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Diabetes, specifically type two diabetes, is also associated with an increased risk of dementia. People with diabetes can collaborate with their healthcare providers to better manage their condition and improve their overall health. ongoing research aims to detect how healthy lifestyle changes can affect conditions like diabetes and decrease dementia risk.
Type 2 Diabetes, Dementia, and Lifestyle Modifications
Researchers in this current study examined the effects of seven healthy lifestyle habits on dementia risk. These habits included:
- Not currently smoking
- Moderate alcohol consumption
- Regular physical activity
- Eating a healthy diet
- Sufficient sleep
- Less sedentary behavior
- Frequent social contact
Utilizing the UK Biobank, the research team collected data from participants aged 60 or older without dementia at the study's start. Data provided information on participants practicing healthy habits, with specific definitions for each category.
For instance, someone was considered regularly physically active if they engaged in at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week.
The study incorporated more than 160,000 participants, including over 12,000 with diabetes. After an average follow-up period of 12 years, researchers found that adhering to a healthy lifestyle was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia. This risk reduction was particularly pronounced among participants with diabetes.
Study author, Dr. Yingli Lu, Ph.D., from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China, commented to Medical News Today, "Our findings suggest that although patients with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing dementia compared to those without, adherence to an overall healthy lifestyle can greatly reduce this risk."
It's essential to consider that while this study shows a lower dementia risk for people with diabetes who practice healthy habits, caution should be exercised when interpreting these effects as conclusive. More analysis is needed to determine whether these lifestyle habits directly influence dementia risk or simply contribute to general health improvements.
Limitations and Future Research Opportunities
While this study indicates that adopting a healthy lifestyle can possibly decrease dementia risk, particularly for people with diabetes, it also has some limitations.
First, the data regarding lifestyle habits was self-reported, which increases the risk of errors in the data collection process. Additionally, the researchers did not account for changes in lifestyle habits during the study, or for lifestyle habits before participants developed diabetes.
The research team acknowledged that they had to exclude participants based on missing data, who were more likely to have lower education and socioeconomic status, which may have impacted the results. Furthermore, there could be unaccounted for unknown or unmeasured factors that influenced the results.
Lastly, the study included primarily Caucasian participants, so more diverse studies will be necessary in the future.
Nevertheless, this study contributes to a growing body of data about lifestyle choices and health. Dr. Lu explained to MNT, "Our data may have important implications for doctors and other medical professionals treating people with diabetes. By suggesting lifestyle changes, they may improve overall health and contribute to the prevention or delayed onset of dementia in people with diabetes. Future research is needed to determine how combined healthy lifestyle behaviors benefit cognitive outcomes in diabetes and the possible mechanisms behind this."
- The study highlights the association between dementia and type-2 diabetes, suggesting that adopting a healthy lifestyle can potentially lower the risk of developing dementia.
- Dementia, a chronic condition that affects recall, thinking, and reasoning, is known to worsen over time, impacting daily life and independence.
- Beyond age and family history, factors like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, and poor nutrition are known risks for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
- Intriguingly, adherence to a healthy lifestyle, as found in this study, was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia, particularly among participants with diabetes.
- Seven healthy lifestyle habits were examined in this study, including regular physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, a healthy diet, sufficient sleep, less sedentary behavior, and frequent social contact.
- The study's limitations include self-reported data, the lack of consideration for lifestyle changes during the study period, and potential unknown or unmeasured factors that could have influenced the results.
- While the study findings are not conclusive, it suggests that healthcare providers could potentially improve overall health and delay the onset of dementia in people with diabetes by suggesting lifestyle changes.
- More diverse studies are needed in the future to account for a broader population, as the current study primarily included Caucasian participants.
- In addition to dementia, healthy lifestyle modifications can have positive impacts on other chronic diseases and medical conditions, such as prediabetes, type-2 diabetes, mental health, and sleep.
- By promoting fitness and exercise, nutrition, and mental health therapies and treatments, one can not only minimize the risk of dementia but also contribute to overall health and wellness.
- As the science of dementia and its potential influencers continues to evolve, ongoing research will hopefully uncover more mechanisms through which healthy lifestyle modifications can reduce the risk of dementia, particularly for those with diabetes.
