Diabetes Type 2 Dementia: Research suggests adopting these 7 habits to potentially lower the risk for those diagnosed with diabetes.
Dementia can be a challenging condition to deal with, as it severely impacts a person's ability to remember, think, and reason, and progressively worsens over time. With no cure available, people frequently ponder what they can do to minimize their risk of developing dementia. A recent study published in Neurology provides some interesting findings about lifestyle choices for people with type 2 diabetes.
Dementia, Diabetes, and Risk Factors
Dementia is a blanket term for disorders affecting memory, thinking, and reasoning abilities. It can significantly interfere with a person's daily life and independence. Some factors influencing dementia risk, such as age and genetic predisposition, cannot be modified. However, other factors can be managed to decrease the risk. For instance, smoking, obesity, and excessive alcohol consumption are known risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
Diabetes is also linked to dementia, particularly type 2 diabetes. Managing diabetes is crucial for individuals in managing their overall health. Researchers are continuing to explore how lifestyle choices can influence conditions like diabetes and dementia risk.
Type 2 Diabetes, Dementia, and Lifestyle Factors
In the current study, researchers examined how seven healthy habits influence dementia risk. They studied both individuals with diabetes and those without, focusing on the following habits:
- Avoiding smoking
- Moderate alcohol consumption
- Regular physical activity
- Healthy eating
- Adequate sleep
- Less sedentary behavior
- Frequent social contact
Data was collected from the U.K. Biobank, focusing on participants aged 60 or older without dementia at the study's onset. Participants with type 1 diabetes were excluded. Participants' healthy lifestyle score was determined based on the seven factors, each with a definition of what qualified as healthy.
Over 160,000 participants, including more than 12,000 with diabetes, were followed for an average of 12 years. The study revealed that implementing healthy lifestyle factors was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia. However, the reduction in risk was more pronounced among participants with diabetes.
Dr. Yingli Lu of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China, a study author, remarked to Medical News Today, "Our findings suggest that, although patients with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing dementia compared to those without, adherence to an overall healthy lifestyle may greatly reduce this risk."
While the study has important implications, some limitations should be considered, such as self-reported lifestyle data, data collection errors, and lack of data about lifestyle factors before diabetes diagnosis. More diverse studies are needed to confirm these findings across different ethnicities.
Nonetheless, the study emphasizes the vital role healthy lifestyle choices play in overall health. Researchers believe that doctors and medical professionals should consider recommending lifestyle changes to their patients, as these changes can not only improve overall health but also potentially contribute to the prevention or delayed onset of dementia in people with diabetes. Further research is needed to clarify the exact benefits and mechanisms of combined healthy behaviors on cognitive outcomes in diabetes.
Here are ten lifestyle changes that can help individuals with type 2 diabetes minimize their risk of dementia:
- Regular Physical Activity
- Engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or equivalent vigorous activity per week.
- Healthy Diet
- Adopt diets like the Mediterranean or MIND diet, emphasizing whole grains, fish, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and healthy fats.
- Social Engagement
- Maintain regular contact with friends and family.
- Stress Management
- Practice stress-reducing activities like yoga, meditation, or quiet walks.
- Sleep Quality
- Ensure adequate sleep each night.
- Smoking Cessation
- Quit smoking to lower dementia and health risks.
- Alcohol Reduction
- Limit alcohol consumption to protect brain health.
- Weight Management
- Maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise to reduce dementia risk.
- Blood Pressure Management
- Control high blood pressure to minimize cognitive impairment and stroke risk.
- Cognitive Stimulation
- Engage in lifelong learning by picking up new skills or hobbies to support cognitive health.
Embracing these lifestyle changes can help individuals with type 2 diabetes potentially reduce their risk of developing dementia.
- Dementia, a condition affecting memory, thinking, and reasoning, can be detrimental to a person's daily life and independence.
- Some factors contributing to dementia risk, such as age and genetics, are unmodifiable, but other factors can be managed to decrease the risk.
- Influential risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias include smoking, obesity, and excessive alcohol consumption.
- There is a link between dementia and diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, and managing diabetes is essential for overall health.
- A recent study examined how seven healthy habits influence dementia risk among individuals with and without diabetes.
- The habits studied were avoidance of smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, regular physical activity, healthy eating, adequate sleep, less sedentary behavior, and frequent social contact.
- Researchers found that adherence to healthy lifestyle factors was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia, with the reduction in risk being more pronounced among participants with diabetes.
- Embracing lifestyle changes like regular exercise, a healthy diet, social engagement, stress management, quality sleep, smoking cessation, alcohol reduction, weight management, blood pressure management, cognitive stimulation, and medication adherence can potentially help individuals with type 2 diabetes minimize their risk of developing dementia.
