How to Lower Your Risk of Dementia
How to Lower Your Risk of Dementia: New Study Shows Lifestyle Changes Work
A major new study suggests that a combination of healthy habits—diet, exercise, and brain training—can significantly boost memory and thinking skills in older adults.
The study, known as POINTER, followed sedentary adults in their 60s and 70s. Those who adopted an intensive lifestyle program showed real improvements in brain function and slowed age-related cognitive decline.
This regimen included:
- Aerobic exercise
- A heart-healthy Mediterranean diet
- Online brain training games
- Social engagement
- Regular health monitoring
Participants who followed this plan outperformed the control group in key measures of mental sharpness.
In response to these promising results, the Alzheimer’s Association is investing $40 million to help bring these lifestyle-based dementia prevention strategies to communities across the U.S.
Experts say it’s time for healthcare providers to treat lifestyle changes like medicine—prescribing them to patients—and for insurance companies to cover these proven, non-drug interventions.
Source: NPR
