Healthy lifestyle behaviors reduced dementia risk despite family history of dementia

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-05/aha-hlb051421.php

 

News Release 20-May-2021
American Heart Association

 

Adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors can lower dementia risk among people who are at higher risk due to a family history of dementia, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference 2021. The meeting is virtual, May 20-21, and offers the latest science on population-based health and wellness and implications for lifestyle.

Familial dementia is a strong risk factor for dementia. Having a first-degree relative such as a parent or sibling with the disease can increase a person’s risk of dementia by nearly 75% compared to someone who does not have a first-degree relative with the condition.  Other common risk factors for dementia include age, sex, race, education, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes and depression.

“When dementia runs in a family both genetics and non-genetic factors, such as dietary patterns, physical activity and smoking status, affect an individual’s overall risk,” said study author Angelique Brellenthin, Ph.D., assistant professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. “This means there may be opportunities for reducing risk by addressing those non-genetic factors.”


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Participants were given one point for each of six healthy lifestyle behaviors they followed, including:

• Eating a healthy diet with more fruits and vegetables, and less processed meat and refined grains;
• Meeting physical activity guidelines of 150 or more minutes a week of moderate-to- vigorous physical activity;
• Sleeping 6 to 9 hours each day;
• Drinking alcohol in moderation;
• Not smoking; and
• Not having obesity, meaning they had a BMI (body mass index) of <30 kg/m.

Researchers then followed the study participants for about eight years to monitor who did and did not develop dementia. They found:

• During the follow-up, 1,698 (0.6%) participants developed dementia. Adults with a family history of dementia had about a 70% increased risk of dementia compared to those who did not have a family history of dementia.
• Following all six healthy lifestyle behaviors cut the risk of dementia by nearly half compared to following two or fewer healthy behaviors, 
• In general, following three of the healthy behaviors was associated with a 30% reduced risk of dementia compared to following two or fewer behaviors, even when investigators considered familial dementia and more common risk factors for dementia like age, sex, race, education, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes and depression.
• Participants with familial dementia who followed at least three healthy lifestyle behaviors had a 25% to 35% reduced risk of dementia compared to those with familial dementia who followed two or fewer healthy behaviors.

Researchers said these results suggest that starting with small changes, like engaging at least three or more healthy lifestyle behaviors, can significantly lower the risk of dementia even for those at higher risk due to a family history of dementia.

 

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