Imagine, in a perfect world, you could make lifestyle changes to prevent the most common causes of dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. Sound interesting? Sure, it does – who wouldn’t want to prevent such a debilitating disease?! I know what you are thinking, tell me more, right? Okay, in 2021, the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s disease (National Plan) introduced a new goal to, “accelerate action to promote healthy aging and reduce risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).”
What the plan identified is that there are eight “potentially modifiable” risk factors including:
- High blood pressure
- Not meeting the aerobic physical activity guidelines
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Current cigarette smoking
- Hearing loss
- Binge drinking
Among these, the one with the highest risk factor (per this study) is high blood pressure and the lowest was binge drinking. Adults with each modifiable risk factor, except for binge drinking, were more likely to report subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Subjective cognitive decline is a self-reported measure and varies by individual. Does losing your car keys fall into this category? Probably not but maybe putting your car keys in the freezer might? Hard to know.
What is evident is that the higher risk factors such as high blood pressure, physical activity and obesity may be able to be addressed through personal lifestyle choices, maintaining wellness visits with your primary care provider, jumping on a treadmill 3-4 days a week and eating a healthy diet. Hmmm, not rocket science, not easy either, but nothing worth having is easy! Stay well and stay informed! Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias?