Simple lifestyle changes can prevent Alzheimer’s
July 19th, 2011 - 6:29 pm ICT by IANSWashington, July 19 (IANS) Over half of all Alzheimer’s disease cases can be prevented through lifestyle changes and treatment or prevention of chronic medical conditions.
The biggest risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease are physical inactivity, depression, mid-life hypertension, low education, smoking, diabetes and mid-life obesity.
The findings are based on studies involving hundreds of thousands of participants worldwide, by Deborah Barnes, researcher at San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Centre and professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.
Together, these risk factors are associated with up to 51 percent of Alzheimer’s cases globally (17.2 million) and up to 54 percent cases in the US (2.9 million), according to Barnes, reports journal Lancet Neurology.
“This suggests that some very simple lifestyle changes, such as increasing physical activity and quitting smoking, could have a tremendous impact on preventing Alzheimer’s and other dementias in the US and worldwide,” said Barnes, according to Medical Centre statement.
The study results were presented at the 2011 meeting of the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Paris, France.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia among older people. Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s ability to carry out daily activities.
–Indo-Asian News service
st/rah/tb
- Healthy lifestyle can help cut Alzheimer risk - Jul 19, 2011
- Midlife crisis could be linked with dementia - May 08, 2012
- Dementia linked to midlife weight crisis - May 03, 2011
- Smoking can kill 40 mn more people - Oct 05, 2011
- Obesity may be linked to dementia - Mar 07, 2011
- Clogged arteries can also cause clouded thinking - Jul 22, 2011
- Study: Smoking doubles the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia - Oct 27, 2010
- Mid-aged women with high cholesterol not at risk for Alzheimer - Nov 11, 2010
- Novel tool to predict Alzheimer's risk in elderly developed - May 14, 2009
- Healthy heart = healthy brain; smoking linked to dementia - Aug 07, 2009
- New tool can help predict Alzheimer's risk - May 14, 2009
- Hormone therapy use may increase or decrease dementia risk - Nov 19, 2010
- Healthy lifestyle lowers mid-age cardiac risk - Mar 04, 2012
- Researchers chalk out Alzheimer's prevention plan - Jun 15, 2010
- Large doses of B-complex vitamins may help slow progression of dementia - Oct 26, 2010
Tags: asian news, brain disorder, california san francisco, chronic medical conditions, deborah barnes, dementia, dementias, france alzheimer, journal lancet, lifestyle changes, medical centre, mid life, paris france, physical activity, physical inactivity, quitting smoking, risk factors, san francisco veterans, university of california san francisco, veterans affairs medical