Altering brain health and reducing the risk of dementia for individuals with type 2 diabetes: discover seven beneficial habits.
Dementia Risk Reduction for Type 2 Diabetics: A Fresh Perspective
Dealing with type 2 diabetes can increase the risk of dementia. But fear not, as researchers are constantley working to understand the link between lifestyle factors and dementia risk. A recent study in the renowned journal Neurology reveals that diabetics with certain healthy habits can lower their risk of dementia.
Understanding Dementia and Its Risk Factors
Dementia, a chronic condition, affects memory, thinking, and reasoning. It typically worsens with time, interfering with daily life and independence. Although age and family history are unchangeable factors, people can modify others for better health. Smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol use, and type 2 diabetes are all risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Type 2 Diabetes, Dementia, and Lifestyle Changes
Researchers studied seven healthy lifestyle habits to determine how they impacted dementia risk. The habits included non-smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, regular physical activity, eating healthy, decreased sedentary behavior, plenty of social interaction, and adequate sleep. Data for this study was collected from the U.K. Biobank, focusing on participants aged 60 years or older without dementia at the study onset.
Researchers calculated a healthy lifestyle score for each participant based on the aforementioned factors. For instance, a person was considered to have "regular physical activity" if they engaged in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week.
The study involved over 160,000 participants, with more than 12,000 diabetics. Researchers monitored the participants for an average of 12 years and found that these healthy lifestyle factors were associated with a reduced dementia risk. The reduction was even more pronounced among the diabetics.
Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Dementia Risk Reduction
Notably, a healthy weight, moderate alcohol consumption, quality sleep, regular exercise, and a balanced diet can all contribute to a reduced risk of dementia. For people with diabetes, managing blood sugar levels effectively is crucial for brain health and dementia prevention.
Emphasizing the importance of lifestyle changes in managing diabetes and lowering dementia risk, Dr. Yingli Lu, the study's author, remarked, "...adherence to an overall healthy lifestyle may greatly reduce this risk."
Researchers admit that their study had limitations, such as collecting lifestyle data only at baseline and the possibility of data errors due to self-reported information. Despite these limitations, the study adds to the growing body of evidence supporting healthy lifestyle choices for optimal brain health and dementia risk reduction.
In conclusion, adopting a healthy lifestyle, including maintaining a healthy weight, moderate alcohol consumption, ensuring good sleep, engaging in regular physical activity, consuming a balanced diet, and managing diabetes effectively, can significantly reduce the risk of dementia for people with type 2 diabetes.
- Dementia, a condition that affects memory, thinking, and reasoning, is a chronic disease that typically worsens over time and interferes with daily life and independence.
- While age and family history are unchangeable factors, people can modify other risk factors for better health, such as smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol use, and type 2 diabetes.
- A recent study in the journal Neurology suggests that diabetics with certain healthy habits can lower their risk of dementia.
- Researchers studied seven lifestyle habits, including non-smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, regular physical activity, a balanced diet, reduced sedentary behavior, plenty of social interaction, and adequate sleep, to understand their impact on dementia risk.
- For people with diabetes, managing blood sugar levels effectively and adhering to a healthy lifestyle, including a healthy weight, moderate alcohol consumption, quality sleep, regular exercise, and a balanced diet, can contribute significantly to dementia risk reduction.
- Dr. Yingli Lu, the study's author, emphasized the importance of lifestyle changes in managing diabetes and lowering dementia risk, stating, "adherence to an overall healthy lifestyle may greatly reduce this risk."
- Researchers admit that their study had limitations, such as collecting lifestyle data only at the beginning and the possibility of data errors due to self-reported information.
- Despite these limitations, the study adds to the growing body of evidence supporting healthy lifestyle choices for optimal brain health and dementia risk reduction, underscoring the importance of health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, mental-health, nutrition, therapies-and-treatments, and science in managing chronic diseases like type-2-diabetes and dementia.
