A new study argues that a healthy lifestyle could decrease the risk of developing several forms of dementia and the positive effects are visible even in the case of those who are already prone to developing them at some point.
Data interpretation infers that people who have a higher genetic risk and an assortment of poor health habits feature a considerably higher risk of developing dementia in comparison to those who have good health habits. The risk is up to three times higher, varying according to the lifestyle and genetic profile of the people observed during the study.
The positive effects of a balanced diet, regular exercise schedule, moderate alcohol consumption no smoking were quite visible even when the participants featured a high genetic risk.
Approximately 50 million people from all over the world afflicted by some form of dementia, with Alzheimer’s being one of the most common types. Previous studies suggested that there is a connection between the default genetic risk and lifestyle, but large-scale studies weren’t achievable at that point.
A study which was published a few years ago noted that a healthy lifestyle could hamper the appearance of heart disease, and it is thought that the same effect could be achieved in the case of dementia. The researchers employed the help of the UK Biobank, which offered the profiles of 200,000 at or above the age of 60, which were healthy.
Using a guideline, the researchers classified their genetic risk as low, medium, or high and lifestyle played a big role in the process. After eight years, almost 2% of those with high genetic risk and poor health habits developed a form of dementia. In the case of those who led a healthy lifestyle and had a low genetic risk, the rate reached 0.6%.
The results are quite interesting since, in the case of people with a high genetic risk but a healthy lifestyle, the rate stayed at 1%. The team is working on further research.
