Cognition — the ability to clearly think, learn, and remember — often changes as we age. Although some people develop Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia, many older adults experience more modest changes in memory and thinking. Research shows that healthy eating, staying active, and learning new skills may help keep older adults cognitively healthy.
How different factors affect cognitive health
If you think your daily choices don’t make a difference, data from an NIH study with 3,000 participants show otherwise. Researchers scored participants on five healthy lifestyle factors, all of which have important health benefits:
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- At least 150 minutes per week of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity
- Not smoking
- Not drinking heavily
- A high-quality, Mediterranean-style diet
- Engagement in mentally stimulating activities, such as reading, writing letters, and playing games
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The findings show that making these small, daily changes can add up to significant health benefits. Those who followed at least four of these healthy lifestyle behaviors had a 60% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Even practicing just two or three activities lowered the risk by 37%. While results from observational studies such as this one cannot prove cause and effect, they point to how a combination of modifiable behaviors may mitigate Alzheimer’s risk and identify promising avenues to be tested in clinical trials.
New clinical trials are also testing the benefits of tightly controlling blood pressure on healthy aging. These trials are based on a 2019 study, with data supporting the idea that intensive blood pressure control may slow age-related brain damage and even mild cognitive impairment, which can increase the risk for Alzheimer’s or a related dementia.
Researchers continue work to understand how we might prevent Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related cognitive decline. NIA is currently funding more than 350 active clinical trials on Alzheimer’s and related dementias, 100 of which use nondrug interventions, such as exercise, diet, cognitive training, sleep, or combination therapies.
*Data in this article was taken from NIH/National Institute on Aging