Nine lifestyle changes may cut dementia risk: study

One third of dementia cases may be prevented if people make nine lifestyle changes that improve brain health such as continuing education in early life, reducing hearing loss in mid-life, and reducing smoking in later life, a study has found.
Researchers, including those from University College London (UCL) in the UK, studied the impact of nine health and lifestyle factors at various stages in life.
The changes included staying in education until over the age of 15-years-old, reducing high blood pressure, obesity and hearing loss in mid-life and reducing smoking, depression, physical inactivity, social isolation and diabetes in later life.

The team noted that removing these factors could prevent one in three cases of dementia (35 per cent).
They found that of the 35 per cent of all dementia cases that could potentially be prevented, the three most common risk factors that could be targeted were increasing education in early life, reducing hearing loss in mid-life and stopping smoking in later life.
"Not completing secondary education in early life may raise dementia risk by reducing cognitive reserve - a resilience to cognitive decline caused by the brain strengthening its networks and therefore continuing functioning in later life despite damage," researchers said.

Preserving hearing in mid-life may help people to experience a cognitively rich environment and build cognitive reserve, which may be lost if hearing is impaired, they said.

To help reduce dementia risk, researchers suggest public health interventions including building cognitive reserves by increasing the number of children who complete secondary education.
Engaging in mentally stimulating activities such as a combination of engaging in a hobby, going to the cinema, restaurants or sporting events, reading, doing volunteer work, playing games and having a busy social life should also be encouraged, researchers said.
In addition, protecting hearing and treating hearing loss in mid-life may be an important way to prevent dementia, but it is not yet clear if hearing aids counteract the cognitive damage caused by this, they said.

"Acting now will vastly improve life for people with dementia and their families, and in doing so, will transform the future of society," says Gill Livingston, Professor at UCL.
"Although dementia is diagnosed in later life, the brain changes usually begin to develop years before, with risk factors for developing the disease occurring throughout life, not just in old age," Livngston added.
The study was published in the journal The Lancet.