‘Dementia doesn’t have to be your destiny:’ Research highlights influence of lifestyle changes

Many people could greatly improve their chances of developing dementia by making four low-cost lifestyle changes, Western researchers have found.

In the first study of its kind, researchers from the Lawson Research Institute (Lawson) and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry found that about half of dementia cases in Canada may be influenced by 12 lifestyle factors.

Topping the list of “dirty dozen” throughout Canadians’ lives, and particularly notable from midlife onwards, are physical inactivityhearing loss, obesity and hypertension.

“While lifestyle changes are not a magic pill to prevent all dementias, they are an effective way to reduce overall risk,” said Surim Son, lead author of the study and a doctoral student. candidate at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and Lawson

“We’re talking about significant benefits for Canada’s health and health systems.”

The findings could also have profound implications for refocusing health policy priorities. The Public Health Agency of Canada is already emphasizing the study as part of its resources for national health policy advisors, she noted.

This study is the first to assess the lifestyles and habits of Canadians against 12 potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia, and the first in the world to include sleep disturbances on the list.

The son’s paper, published In The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Preventionis based on a study carried out in 2017 in the Lancet it shows 12 modifiable risk factors throughout life could contribute to 40% of dementia worldwide.

But the numbers in Canada are considerably higher because more of us are taking bigger lifestyle risks. For example, four in five older Canadian adults do not exercise regularly, one in three are obese or have hypertension, and one in five have hearing loss.

“If half of dementia cases in Canada are linked to modifiable lifestyle risk factors, this suggests that today, prevention may be the most effective form of treatment,” said Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso, co-author of the article and Schulich. professor in the departments of medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics. He is also director of the Brain & Gait Lab at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute.

“Dementia doesn’t have to be your destiny, even if it is part of your genetic history. Our results show that almost everyone can modify their risk factors and improve their cognitive resilience.”

Montero-Odasso’s advice is: “Get out for a walk and keep moving. Get a hearing evaluation. Keep your blood pressure under control. It’s inexpensive and easy to implement. It’s good for your child’s health. body, even beyond improving your brain health and reducing your dementia risk.”

The 12 potential modifiable factors (based on a study of 30,000 Canadians over the age of 45), weighted from the most important factor to the least:

• Physical inactivity
• Hearing loss
• Obesity
• Hypertension
• Traumatic brain injury
• Depression
• Less education early in life
• Sleep problems
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol
• Social isolation