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The number of people affected by dementia is growing exponentially, it is estimated that there are 55 million people diagnosed worldwide today and 139 million predicted to be diagnosed by 2050.

Age-related cognitive decline is a health concern for many people, especially those with a family history or increased genetic risk for neurodegenerative disease.

Modifiable Risk Factors

A US report in 2019 indicated that among the most common modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, were high blood pressure (49.9% risk factor prevalence), reduced aerobic physical activity (49.7%), obesity (35.3%), diabetes (18.6%), depression (18.0%), cigarette smoking (14.9%), and binge drinking (10.3%), hearing loss had a 10.5% modifiable risk factor prevalence.

Therefore, if you apply a multi-pronged lifestyle approach you can proactively reduce the risk factors for cognitive decline. For example, personalized dietary plans that include neuroprotective foods can provide nutrients for optimal cognitive functioning and potentially reduce neuroinflammation, as well as improve brain plasticity.

Neuroprotective Nutrients

Nutrient-dense anti-inflammatory diets have been associated with reduced risk of numerous chronic diseases. The research has shown that healthy nutrition habits, including diets that are high in phytochemicals and antioxidants, can be neuroprotective, support cognition, and may even slow neurodegeneration.

Therefore, nutrition is recognised as an important aspect for cognitive health. A key consideration is mitochondrial health when deciding what specific nutrients and vitamins etc. to utilize to support cognition and reduce neurodegeneration.

Age-related neurodegeneration has been associated with oxidative stress, poor energy metabolism, and mitochondrial dysfunctions. In studies, a variety of vitamins and nutrients have been shown to have protective effects on mitochondria, these include:

• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) https://www.holisticsonline.com/product/coq10-nanoemulsified-50ml
• Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) https://www.holisticsonline.com/product/l-carnitine/  
• Resveratrol https://www.holisticsonline.com/product/resveratol-150/.  

Other clinical studies also suggested a role for ALC and resveratrol in the potential delay of cognitive decline. 

• The Coenzyme Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) also influences many key cellular functions, including processes that are critical for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and for healthy aging and is regarded as extremely beneficial. Using quality supplements that are clean and provide the appropriate dose is essential to get the desired support from these nutrients. Here is a link to a clean NAD https://www.holisticsonline.com/product/nuchido-time/ 

Nutrition will also affect underlying brain structures. As an example, polyphenols in foods have anti-inflammatory effects on microglia. Further, poor nutrition, such as consuming the unhealthy Western diet, has been correlated with reduced hippocampal volume, while the intake of good quality fish oils https://www.holisticsonline.com/product/brain-e-dha-softgels/ and https://www.holisticsonline.com/product/remind/ have been suggested to exert beneficial effects on white matter microstructural integrity and grey matter volume. Also, a good combination product for brain support is https://www.holisticsonline.com/product/full-focus/.

A very interesting systematic review published in 2020 evaluated 14 cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that measured dietary patterns, neuroimaging correlates, and neurocognitive tests. Most of the studies assessed adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Some of the most interesting results are:

• High adherence to the diet was associated with lower markers of microstructural changes and in turn was associated with higher cognitive scores;
• Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet correlated with larger total and regional brain volumes and higher white matter integrity;
• Low adherence to the beneficial Mediterranean diet was associated with increased beta-amyloid (not good) in the left frontal-parietal cortex;
• Overall, the Mediterranean diet and other assessed nutrient patterns (such as intake of vitamins, antioxidants, and fibre) were beneficially associated with white matter integrity, functional connectivity, total and regional brain volumes, and glucose metabolism.

Hearing Loss is A Modifiable Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline

You may have noticed that hearing loss was included in the modifiable risk factors. Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting adults as they age and it is important to recognize that it can have more of a detrimental affect rather than just loss of hearing.

Studies associate hearing loss with increased reports of depression, loneliness, and social isolation as well as an overall reduced quality of life.  Recent research also emphasizes the connection to cognitive health. A growing number of people are affected by cognitive decline and dementia and hearing loss has not only been associated with mild cognitive impairment, it has also been identified as a modifiable risk factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

A 2021 meta-analysis of 14 cohort studies found that hearing loss was independently associated with a 59% increased risk of dementia and significantly linked to a 124% higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. A 2022 systematic review and analysis of 34 studies found that individuals with peripheral hearing loss had a 106% increased risk of mild cognitive impairment compared to those without.

These modifiable risk factors are huge opportunities for health improvement and reduction in potential negative health effects. Encouragingly, recent studies have reported that the use of hearing aids reduces dementia risk and helps to mitigate hearing loss–related cognitive decline. In a 2022 cohort study, hearing aid users were less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment compared to hearing-impaired individuals who did not use a hearing aid. In a 2019 retrospective cohort study, involving adults aged 65+ and diagnosed with hearing loss, it was found that those who obtained a hearing aid had an 18% decreased risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and an 11% decreased risk for anxiety and depression. 

Conclusion

Hopefully you can see that just by changing your diet and moving regularly you can help address key dementia modifiable risk factors such as poor blood sugar balance, high blood pressure and obesity You should also be mindful of daily habits that are not supportive such as smoking, lack of exercise and binge drinking which increase the risks of creating an undesirable neurodegenerative condition. An effective and easy prevention strategy is getting your hearing checked and if you need a hearing aid – get one and use it! 

Some links within this article may be for practitioner only products, therefore if you are a practitioner and would like to register with us, please email the office @ office@energizemindbody.com

References

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27. Mahmoudi E, Basu T, Langa K, et al. Can hearing aids delay time to diagnosis of dementia, depression, or falls in older adults? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019;67(11):2362-2369. doi:1111/jgs.16109
28. Mahmoudi E, Basu T, Langa K, et al. Can hearing aids delay time to diagnosis of dementia, depression, or falls in older adults? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019;67(11):2362-2369. doi:1111/jgs.16109