Research Shows That People Who Experience These Telltale Symptoms At 60 May Develop Dementia Within 20 Years

Dementia is a debilitating condition that affects about 10% of older adults in the US So, it’s understandable that you want to do what you can to reduce your risk of developing it in the future.

Now, new research is clearly elucidating the risk factors for developing dementia, and even breaking them down into strong and weak predictors of the disease. Here’s what research has found, and what brain health experts recommend to lower your risk of dementia.

Meet the experts: Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA; Ryan Glatt, CPT, NBC-HWC, is a senior brain health coach and director of the FitBrain Program at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA.

What did this study find?

The study, conducted by economists at the nonprofit research organization RAND, analyzed data from about 20,000 people who participated in the Health and Retirement Survey, a long-term, nationally representative study of Americans over the age of 50.

Researchers looked at 181 risk factors, and estimated how likely they were to predict dementia and cognitive impairment in people two, four, and 20 years after they turned 60.

Economists are finding a number of different predictors of dementia, including a person’s basic cognitive abilities, health, and functional limitations. But other factors did not have as much of an impact.

The findings suggest that people born in the southern US face a higher risk of developing dementia later in life, as do black and Hispanic people—though there are modifiable factors that can help reduce that risk.

What are the strongest predictors of dementia?

According to research findings, these are the strongest predictors of someone developing dementia:

• Having poor physical health

• Not having a private health insurance plan at age 60

• No work experience, or few years of work experience

• Getting low scores on physical tests, including breathing, grip strength, walking speed, and balance

• Excessive alcohol consumption

• Lack of honest personality

• Not really having hobbies or activities that encourage learning

What are the weak predictors of dementia?

These are weak predictors of dementia, according to the results:

What do doctors say about these findings?

It is important to emphasize that this study was conducted by economists, not doctors. But medical professionals who work with dementia patients say the findings are similar to what they see in practice.

Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, says he appreciates that the report breaks down risk factors that are easy to understand. He also flagged a history of stroke, poor health, and diabetes as strongly related to dementia, based on his work ethic.

However, Segil says he was surprised to see a work history of only a few years or not having private health insurance at age 60 is a strong predictor.

Ryan Glatt, CPT, NBC-HWC, senior brain health coach and director of the FitBrain Program at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, also points out that the findings are observational, making it difficult to say whether certain behaviors or habits actually. cause dementia. Still, he says many of the predictions from the study seem right.

“From a practical perspective, the findings emphasize the importance of lifestyle interventions, such as regular physical activity, maintaining social engagement and cognition, and managing chronic health conditions such as diabetes,” he said.

How to reduce the risk of dementia

Keeping your brain and body active is important for reducing the risk of dementia, says Segil. That means doing things like having a good exercise routine, working out, having hobbies after retirement, and trying to be healthy “may prevent someone from developing dementia,” he said. Segil says this information is important for people to keep in mind if they want to reduce the risk of dementia as they get older.

Also, if you are concerned about your risk of dementia or have a family history of the disease, talk to a doctor. They may be able to provide you with personalized guidance to help reduce your risk.

You May Love It Again