Altering Type 2 Diabetes Habits May Decrease Dementia Risk
Dementia and Reduced Risk for Diabetes Sufferers
Living with type 2 diabetes doesn't mean you're doomed to develop dementia. A recent study, published in Neurology, found that practicing certain healthy lifestyle choices can lower a diabetes patient's risk.
Dementia: A Notorious Challenger
Dementia is a condition that wreaks havoc on a person's memory, thinking, and reasoning. With no cure in sight, students, researchers, and healthcare providers are embarking on a mission to understand its origin and find ways to prevent it.
Some risk factors for dementia can't be controlled, such as age and family history. However, adopting a healthy lifestyle can help mitigate stress on the brain and decrease the risk. Smoking, obesity, and excessive drinking are all risk factors for Alzheimer's and related dementias.
What's more, diabetes is a risk factor for dementia, particularly type 2. Healthcare professionals help their patients juggle diabetes management while also considering brain health. The question remains: can lifestyle changes improve conditions like diabetes and lower a patient's dementia risk?
Diabetes, Dementia, and Life Changes
Researchers looked at how seven healthy habits could impact dementia risk in a recent study published in Neurology. These habits included regular exercise, a healthy diet, adequate sleep, and limited sedentary behavior among others.
The study excluded participants with type 1 diabetes, focusing on individuals with type 2. The researchers used the U.K. Biobank for data collection and followed participants for an average of 12 years.
They found that healthy living habits were linked to a lower dementia risk, especially among participants with diabetes. The study's author, Dr. Yingli Lu, stated that adhering to a healthy lifestyle can significantly decrease a diabetes patient's risk of developing dementia.
Limitations and Future Research Opportunities
The study emphasizing healthy lifestyle choices and dementia risk has many takeaways. However, it also had some limitations. For instance, data on lifestyle behaviors was self-reported, increasing the risk of data collection errors. Additionally, the researchers didn't account for lifestyle changes between the study's start and the end.
That said, the study adds a crucial piece to the puzzle, encouraging further research in the intersection of diabetes and dementia prevention. As Dr. Lu noted, more research is needed to understand how combined healthy lifestyle behaviors contribute to cognitive outcomes in diabetes and the possible mechanisms.
Some key healthy lifestyle choices include:
- Eating a balanced diet with vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and limiting processed foods.
- Regular exercise, like walking, resistance training, or yoga. Prioritize low-impact activities for older adults and those with chronic conditions.
- Manage blood sugar levels by monitoring glucose consistently, adhering to medications, and maintaining a healthy weight.
- Reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption.
- Stay mentally active by engaging in cognitive activities, such as reading or socializing.
By incorporating these lifestyle choices, individuals with type 2 diabetes can protect their brain health and potentially lower their risk of developing dementia.
Sources:
[1] "Type 2 Diabetes and Dementia Risk: An Unfavorable Combination." Diabetes Self-Management, 2018.
[2] "A Comprehensive Look at Lifestyle Changes in Diabetes and Dementia Prevention." Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada, 2020.
[3] "Medication Adherence Best Practices for Managing Type 2 Diabetes." American Diabetes Association, 2019.
[4] "The Mediterranean Diet and Cognitive Function: Evidence for a Delicious Connection." Trends in Neurosciences, 2021.
[5] "Alcohol and Tobacco: A Double Whammy for Dementia Risk." Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2020.
- The naive assumption that living with type 2 diabetes leads to an inevitable development of dementia is being challenged by recent studies.
- Dementia, a notorious condition affecting memory, thinking, and reasoning, is a significant concern for medical-conditions research, with no known cure yet.
- Adopting a contextual approach of healthy living, including fitness-and-exercise, nutrition, mental-health therapies-and-treatments, and adequate sleep, can help decrease the risk of developing dementia, especially for those with chronic-diseases like type-2-diabetes.
- The science behind dementia suggests that smoking, obesity, excessive drinking, and poor nutrition are risk factors that can be mitigated through personal lifestyle changes.
- A recent study published in Neurology revealed that the personas adhering to healthy habits, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and limited sedentary behavior, had a lower risk of developing dementia, particularly those with type-2-diabetes.
- Dementia prevention is not just about managing diabetes but also understanding how combined healthy lifestyle behaviors contribute to cognitive outcomes in diabetes.
- Retargeting lifestyle choices, such as eating a medley of vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and avoiding processed foods, can help protect brain health and potentially lower the risk of developing dementia.
- To tackle the intersection of diabetes and dementia prevention, further research is essential to understand the role of lifestyle changes, especially considering possible mechanisms and potential interactions.
