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October 23, 2024 – Adopting healthy lifestyle habits in middle age may be key to protecting brain health in later years, according to a new study published in Neurology. The research, which analyzed data from over 316,000 individuals, suggests that poorly managed cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, combined with unhealthy habits such as lack of exercise, poor diet, and insufficient sleep, are linked to an increased risk of stroke, dementia, and depression as people age.
The study, led by Dr. Santiago Clocchiatti-Tuozzo, MD, MHS, of Yale University and member of the American Academy of Neurology, emphasizes the importance of maintaining brain health for overall well-being. “Brain health is paramount for the optimal well-being of every person, enabling us to function at our highest level and constantly adapt in the world,” Clocchiatti-Tuozzo stated.
The study focused on the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8, which includes the following lifestyle and cardiovascular factors:
- Physical activity
- Healthy diet
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Avoiding smoking
- Managing blood pressure
- Getting enough sleep
- Controlling cholesterol
- Managing blood sugar levels
Researchers followed the participants, who had an average age of 56, for five years, organizing their scores across these eight factors into three categories: optimal, intermediate, and poor. They then tracked the development of neurological conditions such as stroke, dementia, or depression.
The results were telling: among those with optimal health scores, only 0.7% developed a neurological condition, compared to 1.8% of those with poor scores. Even those with intermediate scores had a 37% higher risk of developing brain health problems compared to those with optimal scores. Overall, participants with poor scores were more than twice as likely to experience these conditions.
“Because the risk factors we looked at are all ones that people can work to improve, our findings highlight the potential brain health benefits of using these eight cardiovascular and brain health factors to guide healthy lifestyle choices,” said Clocchiatti-Tuozzo. He also noted that more research is needed to understand how factors like race and ethnicity influence the connection between lifestyle habits and brain health.
To confirm their findings, the researchers repeated the study with a separate group of over 68,000 participants and obtained similar results. However, a limitation of the study is that participants’ scores were only measured at the beginning, without accounting for lifestyle changes over the course of the study.
This research underscores the potential long-term benefits of a healthy lifestyle, particularly in reducing the risk of cognitive decline and other brain-related conditions later in life.
For more information, the study is available in the October 23, 2024 issue of Neurology.
