Protects a healthy lifestyle from dementia?

Connection between lifestyle and dementia

06/10/2013

A healthy lifestyle could lower the risk of dementia and thus help to reduce the number of new cases in the coming decades to a level previously assumed. A Swedish study led by researchers from the renowned Karolinska Institute at the University of Stockholm suggests that the number of new cases of dementia - defying demographic change or the aging of the population - has not increased, but probably even dropped. Their results have the researchers in the trade magazine „Neurology“ released.

Dementia is a relatively common neurological disease in old age, which can occur in various forms and often brings a full-day care needs of those affected. The estimated numbers of dementia patients in Germany vary between one and 1.4 million people, with about two-thirds of those affected suffering from Alzheimer's dementia. The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth goes on its advisory page „Signpost dementia“ from an increase in the number of dementia patients to three million by the year 2050. It mainly affects people over the age of 65 years. Demographic change is seen as the driving force behind the increase in dementia. But this assumption could turn out to be a fallacy according to the results of the current Swedish study. Because the researchers could not detect an increase in dementia diseases in the past 20 years.

Development of dementia diseases in Stockholm
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute compared two studies on dementia frequency in the Stockholm district of Kungsholmen to analyze the development of dementia. As part of the first study, the so-called „Kungsholmen Project“, 1,700 persons aged 75 and over between 1987 and 1989 were interviewed about possible dementia. The second study of 1,575 participants over the age of 75 years followed from 2001 to 2004. The researchers compared, among other things, the total number of diseases, the mortality rate and the average lifetime after diagnosis of dementia in the two studies.

Number of dementia disorders stable in the last 20 years
In the second study, the researchers observed a slight increase in the total number of dementia cases to 298 cases (from 225 cases in the first study) and also a minimal increase in the proportion of dementia patients in the respective sample from 17.5 percent to 17, 9 percent. But at the same time, the survivors' chances of survival have increased. Today, dementia patients can survive much longer if they have been treated with their disease early than they were 20 years ago. „The prevalence of dementia was stable in the center of Stockholm from the late 1980s to early 2000s, while the life expectancy of patients with dementia has increased. These results suggest that the incidence of dementia has decreased during this period“, write the scientists in the journal „Neurology“.

Gender differences in dementia disorders
The Swedish scientists also observed in their study significant gender differences in dementia. In the first survey, 12.8 percent of men and 19.2 percent of women were affected by the neurodegenerative disease. The second survey showed a decline in prevalence to 10.8 per cent for men, while for women an increase to 20.5 per cent was recorded. According to this, every fifth woman over the age of 75 fell ill with dementia, but only around one in ten men was affected. From the age of 85, researchers found a significant increase in dementia regardless of gender.

Positive lifestyle development counteracts dementia
Although the researchers could provide no scientifically proven explanations of the causes of the stagnating number of dementia diseases in the Stockholm district of Kungsholmen, they suspect a connection with the generally positive development of the lifestyle. For example, the comparison between the samples from the two available studies showed that the second group had on average a significantly higher level of education. In addition, some positive developments in the field of individual health promotion and prevention have generally been observed in Sweden in recent decades. So much more attention today is paid to a balanced diet and sufficient physical or physical activities than it was 20 years ago. The age researcher and chief physician of the Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology in the Albertinen House in Hamburg, Wolfgang von Renteln-Kruse, explained opposite „World Online“ In view of the current study results from Sweden, the improved living conditions, especially with regard to vascular dementia, may have led to a significant reduction.

Healthy lifestyle protects against vascular dementia
Vascular dementia is usually caused by arteriosclerosis, which in turn is associated with various risk factors such as smoking, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. The reduction of existing overweight, the absence of tobacco, sufficient movement to stabilize the cardiovascular system and the best possible adjustment of blood sugar levels, could therefore have a significant impact on the risk of atherosclerosis. The Hamburg age researcher Wolfgang von Renteln-Kruse was therefore convinced that „a conscious, healthier lifestyle plays a role“ in the increased life expectancy of dementia patients. In addition, give it „More and more evidence that a good setting of high blood pressure leads to a reduction in the risk of vascular dementia“ the expert stressed and added: „By detecting and treating risk factors for heart attack and stroke, we are likely to prevent vascular dementia.“ (Fp)