Diabetes Type 2: Adopting these seven practices could potentially reduce the risk of dementia for affected individuals.
Study reveals healthy lifestyle choices may lower dementia risk in diabetes patients
Dementia, a chronic condition characterized by memory loss, thinking difficulty, and disorientation, has no known cure. As age advances or family history comes into play, individuals face the risk of this condition. But a recent study published in Neurology highlighted that incorporating certain healthy lifestyle habits may aid in lowering the risk of dementia, especially for those with type 2 diabetes.
Dementia, its risk factors, and diabetes
Dementia is a collective term for a variety of disorders affecting memory, thinking, and reasoning. Over time, dementia symptoms tend to get worse, impacting an individual's ability to perform everyday tasks independently. While age and family history are uncontrollable risk factors, other factors can be modified to reduce the risk. For instance, smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, and type 2 diabetes are known risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Researchers for this current study zeroed in on examining seven healthy lifestyle habits to determine their impact on dementia risk. These habits encompassed not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, adequate sleep, less sedentary behavior, and frequent social contact.
The researchers relied on the UK Biobank for data collection, focusing on participants aged 60 or older without dementia at the study's onset. Researchers specifically excluded participants with type 1 diabetes and assigned each participant a healthy lifestyle score based on their adherence to these seven factors.
Healthy living and dementia risk reduction
This study, which involved more than 160,000 participants, including over 12,000 with diabetes, observed a lower dementia risk associated with healthy lifestyle habits. Interestingly, the risk reduction was more pronounced among the diabetes group.
Dr. Yingli Lu, Ph.D., one of the study's authors, told Medical News Today, "Our findings suggest that, although people with diabetes are more likely to develop dementia later in life than those without, adherence to a healthy lifestyle may substantially reduce this risk."
Jeroen Mahieu, Ph.D., an Alzheimer's researcher, noted the significance of these findings but stressed the importance of considering the study's limitations. "This study shows that healthy lifestyles substantially reduce the risk of dementia for diabetes patients, much more so than for those without diabetes," Mahieu stated, adding, "However, due to the nature of the data and research design, we must be cautious about interpreting these effects as causal."
While the study results indicate a potential connection between healthy lifestyle choices and a lower dementia risk, particularly for individuals with diabetes, the findings are not without limitations. Researchers noted that the self-reported lifestyle data raised concerns regarding data collection errors, while changes in lifestyle factors were not tracked over time. Additionally, participants excluded due to missing data might have had lower education and socioeconomic status, potentially impacting the results. Furthermore, the research team recognized the possibility of misclassifying participants with diabetes or prediabetes as having no diabetes.
Despite these limitations, the study adds to growing evidence suggesting that lifestyle choices impact our health. Dr. Lu explained to Medical News Today, "Our findings may have important implications for doctors and other medical professionals treating diabetes patients. They should consider recommending lifestyle changes, as these changes not only improve overall health but also contribute to the prevention or delayed onset of dementia in people with diabetes."
- The study highlights that healthy lifestyle choices may help lower the risk of dementia, particularly for those with type 2 diabetes.
- Dementia, a condition characterized by memory loss and disorientation, is a collective term for various disorders affecting memory, thinking, and reasoning.
- Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias include smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, and type 2 diabetes.
- The current study focuses on seven healthy lifestyle habits: not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, adequate sleep, less sedentary behavior, and frequent social contact.
- The study, which involved over 160,000 participants, found a lower dementia risk associated with healthy lifestyle habits, with a more significant reduction seen among the diabetes group.
- Dr. Yingli Lu, one of the study's authors, suggests that adherence to a healthy lifestyle may substantially reduce the risk of dementia, even for individuals with diabetes.
- Researchers noted potential limitations in the study, such as concerns over data collection errors, changes in lifestyle factors not being tracked over time, and possible misclassification of participants with diabetes or prediabetes.
- The study's findings add to growing evidence suggesting that lifestyle choices play a significant role in our health, implying that doctors should consider recommending lifestyle changes to diabetes patients to improve overall health and potentially delay or prevent dementia.
- Despite the study's limitations, the findings underscore the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, not only for general health and wellness but also in managing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and potentially reducing the risk of conditions like dementia.
