Living a healthy lifestyle can protect the brain against cognitive decline, even in individuals who already have signs of Alzheimer’s or other brain pathologies, according to a recent study. The research, which involved autopsies and long-term data analysis, found that certain lifestyle habits can provide cognitive benefits and resilience against dementia-related pathologies.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging in Chicago, examined the brains of 586 individuals during autopsies. These participants had been part of the Rush Memory and Aging Project for up to 24 years, undergoing regular cognitive and physical testing and providing annual lifestyle questionnaires. The average age of the participants was 91.
The researchers categorized the participants into two groups based on their lifestyles. Those who scored high in five different categories were considered to have a low-risk or healthy lifestyle. These categories included not smoking, engaging in moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 150 minutes per week, consuming alcohol in moderation, stimulating the brain through activities like reading and playing games, and following the Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND diet).
The MIND diet combines elements of the plant-based Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds, nuts, and extra-virgin olive oil while limiting red meat and sweets. The DASH diet focuses on lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
The researchers compared the lifestyle data with various measures of brain pathology, including beta-amyloid and tau levels, vascular brain damage, and markers of other brain diseases. They found that a higher healthy lifestyle score was associated with lower beta-amyloid load in the brain and better cognitive performance.
Dr. Klodian Dhana, the lead author of the study, stated that the lifestyle-cognition association was independent of Alzheimer’s disease pathology burden. This suggests that a healthy lifestyle can provide cognitive benefits even for individuals who have already begun to accumulate dementia-related pathologies in their brains.
Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, compared the lifestyle changes to a video game where the gun defeats monsters. He emphasized that the lifestyle changes provided resilience against the common causes of dementia.
The study, published in JAMA Neurology, is one of the first to use brain pathology from autopsies to investigate the link between modifiable risk factors and cognitive decline. Professors Yue Leng and Dr. Kristine Yaffe, who wrote an accompanying editorial, stated that the study is an important step in understanding how individuals can modify their lives to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
While the study is observational and cannot prove a direct cause and effect relationship, it highlights the potential benefits of a healthy lifestyle in protecting the brain against cognitive decline. The findings suggest that adopting habits such as regular exercise, a nutritious diet, and brain-stimulating activities can contribute to maintaining cognitive function in old age.
