www.washingtonpost.com Open in urlscan Pro
104.76.158.84  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Accessibility statementSkip to main content
Search Navigation
Democracy Dies in Darkness

Subscribe

Sign in



Advertisement


Close
The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
Well+Being
Food
Fitness
Mind
Body
Life



NEW STUDY FINDS 6 WAYS TO SLOW MEMORY DECLINE AND LOWER DEMENTIA RISK

By Annabelle Timsit
January 26, 2023 at 10:49 a.m. EST

(iStock)
Listen
6 min
Comment on this story
Comment
462
Gift Article
Share

A new study of more than 29,000 older adults has identified six habits — from
eating a variety of foods to regularly reading or playing cards — that are
linked with a lower risk of dementia and a slower rate of memory decline.


WpGet the full experience.Choose your planArrowRight


Eating a balanced diet, exercising the mind and body regularly, having regular
contact with others, and not drinking or smoking — these six “healthy lifestyle
factors” were associated with better cognitive outcomes in older adults, in a
large Chinese study conducted over a decade and published in the BMJ on
Wednesday.



While researchers have long known that there is a link between dementia and
factors such as social isolation and obesity, the size and scope of the new
study adds substantial evidence to a global body of research that suggests a
healthy lifestyle may help brains age better.

Advertisement

Story continues below advertisement



It also suggests that the effects of a healthy lifestyle are beneficial even for
people who are genetically more susceptible to memory decline — a “very
hope-giving” finding for the millions of individuals around the world who carry
the APOEε4 gene, a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, said Eef
Hogervorst, chair of biological psychology at Loughborough University, who was
not involved in the study.

Sign up for the Well+Being newsletter, your source of expert advice and simple
tips to help you live well every day

Memory naturally declines gradually as people age. Some older people may develop
dementia, an umbrella term that can include Alzheimer’s, and generally describes
a deterioration in cognitive function that goes beyond the normal effects of
aging. But for many, “memory loss can merely be senescent forgetfulness,” write
the authors of the BMJ study — like forgetting the name of that TV program you
used to love, or that pesky fact you wanted to look up.

Memory loss is no less damaging for being gradual, and age-related memory
decline can in some cases be an early symptom of dementia. But the good news,
the researchers say, is that it “can be reversed or become stable rather than
progress to a pathological state.”

How do you live to be 100? Good genes, getting outside and friends.

The BMJ study was conducted in China between 2009 and 2019. Researchers
conducted tests on over 29,000 people ages 60 and older and then tracked their
progress or decline over time — what’s known as a population-based cohort study.
Although more than 10,500 participants dropped out of the study over the next
decade — some participants died or stopped participating — the researchers still
used the data collected from those individuals in their analysis.

Advertisement

Story continues below advertisement



At the start of the study, researchers conducted baseline memory tests as well
as testing for the APOE gene. They also surveyed participants about their daily
habits. Participants were sorted into one of three groups — favorable, average
and unfavorable — based on their lifestyle.

The six modifiable lifestyle factors the researchers focused on included:

 * Physical exercise: Doing at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of
   vigorous activity per week.
 * Diet: Eating appropriate daily amounts of at least seven of 12 food items
   (fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, dairy products, salt, oil, eggs, cereals,
   legumes, nuts and tea).
 * Alcohol: Never drank or drank occasionally.
 * Smoking: Never having smoked or being a former smoker.
 * Cognitive activity: Exercising the brain at least twice a week (by reading
   and playing cards or mah-jongg, for example).
 * Social contact: Engaging with others at least twice a week (by attending
   community meetings or visiting friends or relatives, for example).

Over the course of the study, the researchers found that people in the favorable
group (four to six healthy factors) and average group (two to three) had a
slower rate of memory decline over time than people with unfavorable lifestyles
(zero to one healthy factor).

People living favorable lifestyles that included at least four healthy habits
were also less likely to progress to mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Story continues below advertisement



The results show that “more is better of these behaviors,” says Hogervorst — in
other words, the more healthy lifestyle factors you can combine, the better your
chances of preserving your memory and staving off dementia.

Advertisement


Notably, this held true even for people who carried the APOE gene associated
with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

“These results provide an optimistic outlook, as they suggest that although
genetic risk is not modifiable, a combination of more healthy lifestyle factors
are associated with a slower rate of memory decline, regardless of the genetic
risk,” wrote the study authors.

Can a hobby keep dementia at bay? Experts weigh in.

The study stands out because of its size and follow-up over time, and because it
was conducted in China, whereas “most publications are based on western high
income countries,” Carol Brayne, a professor of public health medicine at the
University of Cambridge who researches older people and dementia, said in an
email.

Story continues below advertisement



However, the study authors acknowledge several limitations, including that
people’s own reports of health behaviors may not be fully accurate, and that the
people who took part in the study were more likely to be leading healthy lives
to begin with.

Advertisement


Some of the study’s findings differ from the results of other large studies
conducted in the United States and in Europe, says Hogervorst. For instance, the
BMJ study found that the lifestyle factor with the greatest effect on reducing
memory decline was a balanced diet. Other studies have suggested that diet
matters less in old age than physical and mental exercise, says Hogervorst.

Still, its results align with the broad scientific consensus that there is a
link between how we live and our cognitive function as we age — and perhaps more
important, suggest that it may never be too late to improve your brain health.

Story continues below advertisement



“The overall message from the study is a positive one,” Snorri B. Rafnsson,
associate professor of aging and dementia at the University of West London, said
in an email. “Namely, that cognitive function, and especially memory function,
in later life maybe positively influenced by regularly and frequently engaging
in different health related activities.”

Can a daily crossword puzzle slow cognitive decline?


READ MORE FROM WELL+BEING

Well+Being shares news and advice for living well every day. Sign up for our
newsletter to get tips directly in your inbox.

Coronavirus vaccines can affect periods, a study showed, confirming what many
women had been saying.

Normal marital hatred is real, and here are some ways to respond to it.

Is coffee or tea better for you?

Even if you exercise, sitting all day can cause health problems.

There are many things beyond our control, and these 8 ways can help you feel
less anxious about them.


462 Comments
GiftOutline
Gift Article




Subscribe to comment and get the full experience. Choose your plan →


View more

Loading...
Advertisement


Advertisement

TOP STORIES
The Travel Enthusiast
Travel news, guides and tips for anyone looking to get away.
A tiny Spanish capital has renowned food and wine — without crowds


Amsterdam plans to ban weed from Red Light District streets


New Orleans gets trashed for Mardi Gras. Now the city wants to recycle.


Refresh
Try a different topic

Sign in or create a free account to save your preferences
Advertisement


Advertisement

Company
 * About The Post
 * Newsroom Policies & Standards
 * Diversity and Inclusion
 * Careers
 * Media & Community Relations
 * WP Creative Group
 * Accessibility Statement

Get The Post
 * 
 * Become a Subscriber
 * Gift Subscriptions
 * Mobile & Apps
 * Newsletters & Alerts
 * Washington Post Live
 * Reprints & Permissions
 * Post Store
 * Books & E-Books
 * Newspaper in Education
 * Print Archives (Subscribers Only)
 * Today’s Paper
 * Public Notices

Contact Us
 * Contact the Newsroom
 * Contact Customer Care
 * Contact the Opinions team
 * Advertise
 * Licensing & Syndication
 * Request a Correction
 * Send a News Tip
 * Report a Vulnerability

Terms of Use
 * Digital Products Terms of Sale
 * Print Products Terms of Sale
 * Terms of Service
 * Privacy Policy
 * Cookie Settings
 * Submissions & Discussion Policy
 * RSS Terms of Service
 * Ad Choices

washingtonpost.com © 1996-2023 The Washington Post
 * washingtonpost.com
 * © 1996-2023 The Washington Post
 * About The Post
 * Contact the Newsroom
 * Contact Customer Care
 * Request a Correction
 * Send a News Tip
 * Report a Vulnerability
 * Download the Washington Post App
 * Policies & Standards
 * Terms of Service
 * Privacy Policy
 * Cookie Settings
 * Print Products Terms of Sale
 * Digital Products Terms of Sale
 * Submissions & Discussion Policy
 * RSS Terms of Service
 * Ad Choices