Reference News Network August 15 report - According to a recent article on the Boston Globe website, for years, every time Louise Kott couldn't remember something, she would wonder: "Will I get Alzheimer's like my mother?"

More than two years ago, Kott joined a study that changed her life. She started eating healthier, avoiding fried foods and desserts. She also began paying more attention to how often she exercised and increased her social interactions.

Kott is 65 years old and lives in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, as a graphic designer. She said, "I lost weight. I started feeling that my old clothes were loose. My arms started to shape up, and I don't think I've ever had such a shape before. This study has definitely affected everything."

She also hopes these changes will help her prevent rapid cognitive decline or develop Alzheimer's disease, a progressive brain disorder that gradually affects thinking, behavior, and memory. The study she participated in found that targeted lifestyle interventions may help protect brain health.

Slowing the Cognitive Aging Clock

Stephen Salloway, founder and director of the Butler Hospital Memory and Aging Program, said, "You just need to be more active, eat properly, and live a high-quality, meaningful life in terms of social interaction and brain stimulation. Really, all of this makes common sense."

The "Intervention to Reduce Risk" (also known as "the U.S. POINTER") study was conducted over two years at five locations across the United States and was the largest randomized trial to examine whether healthy behaviors can protect brain health.

The study results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. More than 2,000 people aged 60 to 79 with risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia participated in the study, which tested two different lifestyle interventions. The results found that both interventions improved the cognitive abilities of older adults at risk of cognitive decline.

Both interventions focused on physical exercise, nutrition, cognitive challenges, social interaction, and monitoring heart health, but they differed in intensity, structure, accountability, and the support provided.

Half of the participants followed a structured program, attending over 30 peer group meetings during two years and receiving a prescribed activity plan. The plan included measurable goals for aerobic, resistance, and stretching exercises, following a specific diet similar to the Mediterranean diet, brain training, and other intellectual and social activities, and regularly assessing health indicators and setting goals with clinical doctors participating in the study.

The other half underwent a "self-directed lifestyle intervention," where participants attended six peer group meetings and implemented lifestyle changes that best suited their needs and schedules. Researchers also provided general encouragement without goal-oriented guidance.

Laura Baker, professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at the Wake Forest School of Medicine and a researcher in the "U.S. POINTER" study, said both groups showed significant improvements in cognitive function, but the participants in the structured program performed at levels comparable to those one or two years younger.

Baker said, "It looks like it's slowing down the cognitive aging clock."

The study results cannot be compared to the general population because there was no group that did not receive any intervention.

Significance of Healthy Behaviors

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, with an estimated 6.7 million elderly people in the United States suffering from it, with symptoms including problems with short-term memory. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this number is expected to double by 2060. Many factors can cause Alzheimer's, including genetics and lifestyle habits.

Joanne Pike, head of the Alzheimer's Association, said, "With the increasing global burden of dementia, 'U.S. POINTER' confirmed an important public health message: healthy behaviors have a strong impact on brain health."

Participants came from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and they all had sedentary lifestyles, poor diets, and other risk factors for dementia, such as a family history of cognitive decline.

Heather Snyder, principal investigator of the Alzheimer's Association and senior vice president for medical and scientific affairs, said, "The next generation of treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's may integrate drug and non-drug strategies, and 'U.S. POINTER' provides a strong foundation for such a combination."

Peter van Wijk, 72, who lives in Pflugerville, Texas, was a participant in the self-directed group. Van Wijk said he bought a smartwatch to track his daily steps and started walking more. During the study, his wife passed away from cancer, but he continued to participate in the trial and began volunteering for community programs.

Van Wijk said, "I have only one child, and I think it's important for us to take as much information as possible to reduce the risk." Van Wijk has a family history of Alzheimer's, and he himself has high blood pressure and cholesterol, and had a quadruple bypass surgery at the start of the study.

Van Wijk admitted that some participants from low-income backgrounds might find it difficult to follow the study guidelines.

He said, "My teammates found it hard to find affordable gyms or times that met their needs locally. In Texas, it's too humid and hot to exercise outdoors in the summer."

The trial ended last year, but researchers will continue analyzing blood samples, brain scans, and tests completed by participants to see if these interventions reduced proteins or other biological factors associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Susan Antkowiak, vice president for projects and services at the Alzheimer's Association Massachusetts and New Hampshire chapter, said, "Alzheimer's is still stigmatized, which brings a lot of worries and anxieties. But when we talk about what science has shown regarding lifestyle interventions, we have hope."

The Alzheimer's Association has spent $50 million funding the study and will spend another $40 million tracking participants and helping communities implement local programs.

Antkowiak also said, "Some people try to ignore their brain health and the symptoms they may have experienced because they are afraid of the consequences, which is understandable. Providing a more positive preventive approach can bring hope. We have a lot of things we can do." (Translated by Yang Xinpeng)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7538634132922941987/

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