People without risk factors for dementia, such as smoking, diabetes or hearing loss, have similar brain health to people who are 10 to 20 years younger than them, according to a new Baycrest study. The study found that a single risk factor for dementia could reduce cognition by the equivalent of up to three years of aging.
“Our results suggest that lifestyle factors may be more important than age in determining a person’s level of cognitive functioning. This is great news, as there is much you can do to modify these factors, such as controlling the diabetes, addressing hearing loss and getting the support you need to quit smoking,” says Dr. Annalize LaPlume, a postdoctoral fellow at the Rotman Research Institute (RRI) in Baycrest and lead author of the study.
The study is one of the first to look at lifestyle risk factors for dementia throughout life.
“While most studies of this nature look at middle and late adulthood, we also included data from participants as young as 18 years old and found that risk factors had a negative impact on cognitive performance at all ages. This is This is crucial because it means risk factors can and should be addressed as soon as possible,” says Dr. Nicole Anderson, RRI Senior Scientist, Associate Scientific Director, Kimel Family Center for Brain Health and Wellness in Baycrest, and senior author of this study.
The study, published today in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment, and Disease Monitoring, a journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, included data from 22,117 people ages 18 to 89 who completed the Cogniciti Brain Health Assessment, developed by Baycrest. Participants took the test in their own homes by accessing the Cogniciti website (https://cogniciti.com/). The test takes about 20 minutes to complete and consists of a background questionnaire and four cognitive tasks.
The researchers looked at participants’ performance on tests of memory and attention, and how this was affected by eight modifiable risk factors for dementia: low education (less than a high school diploma), hearing loss, brain injury trauma, alcohol or substance abuse, hypertension, smoking (currently or in the last four years), diabetes, and depression.
Each factor led to a decline in cognitive performance for up to three years of aging, and each additional factor contributed the same amount of decline. For example, having three risk factors could lead to a decline in cognitive performance equivalent to nine years of aging. The effects of risk factors increased with age, as did the number of risk factors people had.
“Overall, our research shows that you have the power to lower your risk of cognitive decline and dementia,” says Dr. LaPlume. “Start addressing any risk factors you have now, whether you’re 18 or 90, and you’ll be supporting your brain health to help you age fearlessly.”
This research was supported by the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
With additional funding, the researchers could delve deeper into the differences between normal-aged people and elderly people, that is, people who have identical cognitive performance to people who are several decades younger than them.
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Source: www.sciencedaily.com