Cognitive decline affects many older people around the world. As explained by the High Authority of Health (HAS), the “cognitive disorder or decline corresponds to an alteration of one or more cognitive functions, whatever the mechanism involved, its origin or its reversibility.. The main cause of loss of autonomy, cognitive decline can be a first step towards Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, which makes it one of the main axes of current research. While a new drug brings hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, a study looked at preventing memory loss in high-risk older adults.
Change your lifestyle and health habits to prevent memory loss
Published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, the research was carried out for two years by researchers from the University of California and Kaiser Permanente Washington (United States). Together, the scientists looked at cognitive decline to see if certain lifestyle changes could delay memory loss. To do this, they analyzed data from 172 people aged between 70 and 89 years old. All presented at least two risk factors for dementia : physical inactivity, uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes, lack of sleep, taking prescription medications associated with a risk of cognitive decline, elevated depressive symptoms, social isolation and smoking.
The scientists then assessed three criteria in each participant: cognitive score, risk factors and quality of life. For the purposes of the study, half of the participants specifically received personalized support to improve their health and lifestyle, in areas considered to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. First, people in the first group consulted a nurse and a health coach. Then, after selecting the risk factors they wanted to target, the participants benefited from coaching sessions every two months. Depending on each person, the support could take the form of hypertension monitoring, daily walking or even participating in a workshop.
A clear improvement in cognitive functions
Once the analysis was completed, the scientists observed that the participants who had followed coaching saw their results thinking tests and memory improve by 74% compared to the other group. At the same time, the participants of the first group also experienced an improvement in their risk factors (145%) as well asan improvement in their quality of life (8%).
“This is the first personalized intervention, focusing on multiple domains of cognition, in which risk factors are targeted based on the person’s risk profile, preferences and priorities, which we believe can be more effective than a one-size-fits-all approach“, commented lead author Kristine Yaffe, MD, vice chair of psychiatry research and professor in the departments of neurology, psychiatry, epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California.
Sources:
- Care pathway guide for patients with a neurocognitive disorder associated with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disease – High Authority of Health (HAS)
- Effect of Personalized Risk-Reduction Strategies on Cognition and Dementia Risk Profile Among Older Adults – JAMA Internal Medicine
Read also :
⋙ Sedentary lifestyle: here is the period of inactivity in a seated position from which the risk of dementia increases, according to a study
⋙ Alzheimer’s disease: 5 good habits to adopt to limit the risks, according to this neurologist
⋙ How to prevent Alzheimer’s disease through diet?