Lowering Your Risk of Dementia with Type 2 Diabetes: A Fresh Look
Reducing the Risk of Dementia for Type 2 Diabetes Sufferers: Adopting These 7 Habits Might Help
Say goodbye to debilitating dementia, at least to some extent. A fresh study published in Neurology suggests that if you've got type 2 diabetes, adopting a bunch of healthy habits could reduce your risk of developing dementia. So, knee-deep in those lifestyle modifications if you want to keep your wits about you!
dealing with dementia and its risk factors
Dementia's a colossal pain in the butt, no doubts about that. Not only does it make basic tasks a struggle, but it's got no cure, either. While some dangers, like age and family history, you can't escape, there's plenty you can do to lower your risk. Smoking, boozing, and obesity are all bad news for your brain, particularly when it comes to Alzheimer's disease.
Then there's diabetes, a real poor sport for your cognitive health, especially the type 2 variety. But fret not, scientists are still hammering out the details of how healthy living habits could help.
Diabetes, dementia, and good habits
The researchers in this study took a gander at seven different healthy lifestyle habits and how they affected dementia risk, all while comparing people with diabetes to those without. The habits included:
- Quitting Smoking: No brainer, really.
- Moderate Drinking: Two glasses and call it a night, folks.
- Regular Exercise: Keep moving to keep your marbles.
- Healthy Eating: Fill up on veggies, fruits, lean protein, and whole grains.
- Adequate Sleep: Catch those Z's, minus the insomnia.
- Reduced Inactivity: Keep your body and mind in motion.
- Socialize: Don't be a hermit, hit up your friends and family.
They fired up the U.K. Biobank to collect data from 60+ participants without dementia at the study's start. Sneaky trick, they excluded anyone with type 1 diabetes, so they could zero in on type 2 diabetics.
They assigned each participant a healthy lifestyle score based on the seven habits. A healthy exerciser, for instance, hits at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity or 75 minutes a week of intense activity.
The study tallied over 160,000 participants, more than 12,000 of whom had diabetes. The researchers followed these participants for an average of 12 years and discovered that healthy living habits reduced the risk of developing dementia. But guess what? This risk reduction was even greater among participants with diabetes.
The takeaways
Study co-author Dr. Yingli Lu, Ph.D. of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China told Medical News Today that a healthy lifestyle "greatly reduces this risk" for people with diabetes. However, fellow researcher Jeroen Mahieu, Ph.D. noted that "due to the nature of the data and the research design," we should proceed with caution.
Regardless, this study adds to a growing heap of research pointing towards how our daily choices influence our health, particularly when it comes to diabetes and dementia. And according to Dr. Lu, "doctors should consider recommending lifestyle changes to their patients. Such changes may not only improve overall health but also contribute to the prevention or delayed onset of dementia in people with diabetes."
Further research is needed to understand the specific ways that combined healthy lifestyle behaviors benefit cognitive outcomes in diabetes, but remember, every little bit counts! So, keep a balanced diet, hit the gym, and catch some shut-eye. Your brain will thank you.
- Despite the severity of dementia, it may be possible to lessen its impact with a healthy lifestyle, as suggested by a recent Neurology study.
- Dementia is a significant problem that makes everyday tasks difficult and doesn't have a cure, but there are ways to reduce the risk.
- Unhealthy habits like smoking, excessive drinking, obesity, and a lack of exercise are detrimental to cognitive health, increasing the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
- Type 2 diabetes, in particular, is known to be harmful to cognitive health, but scientists are still uncovering how healthy living can help.
- The study looked at seven healthy lifestyle habits, including quitting smoking, moderate drinking, regular exercise, healthy eating, adequate sleep, reduced inactivity, and socializing.
- A healthy lifestyle score was given to each participant based on these habits, with those exercising at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity or 75 minutes a week of intense activity receiving a high score.
- The study followed participants without dementia for an average of 12 years and found that healthy living habits significantly reduced the risk of developing dementia, particularly for those with diabetes.
- Researchers believed that doctors should consider recommending lifestyle changes to their patients, as it could improve overall health and potentially delay the onset of dementia in people with diabetes. However, they stressed the need for further research to understand the specific benefits for cognitive outcomes.
