How lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of dementia

See Doing these five things could decrease your risk of Alzheimer's by 60 percent, new study shows by Hannah Natanson of The Washington Post. Excerpts:

"Ditch red meat, take a brisk walk to the grocery store, do the Sunday crossword and stick to one glass of wine at dinner."

"combining five lifestyle habits - including eating healthier, exercising regularly and refraining from smoking - can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's by 60 percent. A separate study showed that lifestyle choices can lower risk even for those who are genetically prelifestyle disposed to the disease."

"Over the last decade, studies have increasingly pointed to controllable lifestyle factors as critical compenents to reducing the risk of cognitive decline."

"the new study's authors . . . were floored by the "magnitude of the effect," said Klodian Dhana, a Rush University professor and co-author.

"This demonstrates the potential of lifestyle behaviors to reduce risk as we age," said Heather Snyder, senior director of medical and scientific operations at the Alzheimer's Association."

Individuals who ate a "high-quality diet" of mostly vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, seafood, poultry and olive oil - while avoiding red meats, butter, cheese, pastries, sweets and fried food - earned 1s. This was also true for anyone who exercised at least 150 minutes a week, whether by biking, walking, swimming, gardening or doing yard work.

People who did not smoke, limited themselves to one glass of wine a day, and regularly - two or three times a week - engaged in mentally stimulating activities like reading the newspaper, visiting the library or playing games such as chess and checkers also earned 1s."

"individuals with a score of 4 or 5 - meaning they pursued four or five healthy behaviors over the period studied - were 60 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's compared to participants who scored 0 or 1. The results did not vary by race or gender"

"The average age of participants in the CHAP cohort was 73 and in the MAP cohort, 81. The population studied included both men and women and blacks and non-Hispanic whites."

"making just one more healthy choice, no matter how many participants had already made, decreased their chance of Alzheimer's by an additional 27 percent."
 "Another study also presented Sunday found that lifestyle choices may even counteract genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's."

"people with a high genetic risk of Alzheimer's were less likely to develop the disease if they pursued a healthy lifestyle."