More sleep at night, improving your diet or even exercising… If these healthy lifestyles are recommended to everyone on a daily basis to be in better health, they could be even more beneficial for people with diabetes, and could in particular limit their risk of dementia.
According to one study published on September 14, 2022 in the journal Neurologya combination of seven habits labeled as “healthy” may reduce the risk of dementia in people with type 2 diabetes.”Type 2 diabetes is a global epidemic affecting one in 10 adults, and diabetes is known to increase the risk of developing dementia.”said Professor Yinglu Lu, lead author of the study.
For the study, researchers looked at data from 167,946 people aged 60 or older with and without diabetes, but not all of whom had diabetes at the start of the study. They all completed health questionnaires, provided physical measurements and gave samples of their blood. Each participant then received a lifestyle score rated between zero and seven 1 point was awarded for each healthy habit followed.
11% less risk of dementia per lifestyle adopted
All patients were followed for 12.3 years on average. During this period, 4,351 people developed dementia. In total, 4% of people followed only zero to two healthy habits, 11% followed three, 22% followed four, 30% followed five, 24% followed six, and 9% followed the seven.
“The risk of dementia was higher in participants with diabetes, compared to those who were normoglycemic, but not in those with prediabetes”, say the researchers. In people with diabetes who followed all healthy habits, 21 cases of dementia were found, or 0.28%. For those following two or fewer habits, 72 cases of dementia were identified, or 0.69%.
In people following all habits had a 54% lower risk of dementia : Each additional healthy habit followed by people was associated with an 11% lower risk of dementia.
“Our research shows that for people with type 2 diabetes, the risk of dementia can be significantly reduced by adopting a healthier lifestyle”, said the researcher. “Such changes may not only improve overall health, but also contribute to the prevention or delayed onset of dementia in people with diabetes.”
