Lowering Dementia Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Sufferers: Explored Are 7 Habits
Living Healthy with Type 2 Diabetes Could Lower Dementia Risk
Dementia, a term for various disorders affecting memory, thinking, and reasoning, can be a significant concern for many as it becomes more severe over time and impacts daily life. While some risk factors like age and family history are uncontrollable, research points to lifestyle changes that may help reduce dementia risk, especially for individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a primary risk factor for dementia. To manage this risk, doctors and patients can focus on incorporating healthy habits. Recently, a study published in Neurology investigated the impact of seven lifestyle factors on dementia risk, specifically for those with and without diabetes.
The study, drawing data from the U.K. Biobank, examined people aged 60 and older without dementia at the study's start. Among the participants, those with type 2 diabetes were included. The researchers assessed participants using a healthy lifestyle score, considering factors like smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet, sleep, sedentary behavior, and social interaction.
Through the study, they found that adopting healthier lifestyle habits could lower dementia risk, and this effect was more significant for people with diabetes. Researchers like Dr. Yingli Lu, Ph.D., of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China, emphasized that such lifestyle changes could help reduce dementia risk in people with diabetes more effectively than those without the condition.
While this study is promising, it also has limitations. Self-reported data on lifestyle habits may contain errors, and the researchers did not collect information on lifestyle factor changes or data for participants before they developed diabetes. Furthermore, participants with lower education and socioeconomic status were excluded due to missing data, potentially impacting the results.
Regardless, the findings highlight the importance of promoting healthy lifestyle choices to manage type 2 diabetes and reduce dementia risk. Other studies and recommendations support these points, indicating that exercise, a healthy diet, diabetes management, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood pressure, limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding smoking, good sleep, stress management, and staying mentally active can contribute to lowering dementia risk.
Looking ahead, further research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the mechanisms behind their implications for both diabetes and dementia prevention. As Dr. Lu suggests, healthcare professionals should consider recommending lifestyle changes to their patients, as these changes could not only improve overall health but also contribute to the prevention or delayed onset of dementia in individuals with diabetes.
- For individuals living with type 2 diabetes, adopting healthier lifestyle habits could significantly lower their dementia risk, as indicated by a study published in Neurology.
- The U.K. Biobank was the data source for the study, which considered participants aged 60 and older, both with and without diabetes.
- The researchers utilized a healthy lifestyle score, evaluating factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet, sleep, sedentary behavior, and social interaction.
- The findings suggest that lifestyle changes could reduce dementia risk more effectively for people with type 2 diabetes compared to those without the condition.
- However, the study has limitations, including self-reported data with potential errors and missing data on lifestyle factor changes or data for participants before they developed diabetes.
- Other studies and recommendations echo these findings, emphasizing the benefits of exercise, a healthy diet, diabetes management, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood pressure, limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding smoking, good sleep, stress management, and staying mentally active.
- As a naive approach, healthcare professionals might consider recommending these lifestyle changes to their patients as they could potentially contribute to the prevention or delayed onset of dementia in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
- In the context of science and health-and-wellness, further research remains crucial to confirm these findings and better understand the underlying mechanisms related to both diabetes and dementia prevention.
