MIAMI.- In the search for modifiable factors that contribute to the prevention of dementia, a new study from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom revealed that there are three factors that are harmful to the “fragile” areas of the brain and that it is up to people to control them.
The research led by scientists from the University of Oxford analyzed 161 variables, including health and lifestyle, to identify their impact on cognitive decline and distinguished three essential variables whose control can help prevention.
“We have found that of all the common modifiable risk factors for dementia, the most detrimental are diabetes, traffic-related pollution and alcohol consumption” confirmed Gwenaëlle Douaud, professor who led the study.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communicationsanalyzed the brain scans of 40,000 people aged 44 to 83 classified as “pretty healthy overall,” and only a few dozen had had a diagnosis of dementia before their scans.
The study determined that those who said they drank alcohol “daily or almost daily” are at greater risk, above those who drink three or four times a week, once or twice a week, once or three times a month, only occasionally special or never.
Delay memory leak
Although the study did not differentiate between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, it was most likely type 2 that had the greatest impact, according to the study. While the impact of pollution on the brain is related to traffic and combustion. That is, nitrogen dioxide that is formed as a byproduct in combustion processes at high temperatures, such as in motor vehicles, which is a frequent pollutant in urban areas.
These risk factors can potentially be changed throughout life to prevent or delay the onset of diseases and slow the aging process.
“To protect the fragile regions of the brain, the study considers that it is possible to try to keep your diabetes under control or avoid developing it with a healthy and varied diet, protect yourself from traffic-related pollution and drink in moderation.”
“The development of preventive strategies based on the modification of risk factors could prove to be a successful approach to ensure healthy aging,” the study authors said.
These three essential factors due to their impact on fragile areas of the brain were followed by lack of sleep, excess weight, smoking and high blood pressure, so with a good health pattern you can expand the possibilities to prevent cognitive impairment.
Dementia is a disease that arouses much interest among scientists who seek to control its accelerated advance in the world through early diagnosis, adequate treatment and prevention.
According to the charity Race Against Dementia, dementia affects the brain and causes problems with memory, thinking and behaviour. It is a progressive disease that worsens over time.
Types of dementia
Alzheimer’s is the best-known dementia and accounts for the majority of cases, but there are at least 200 different types of this disease, each with its own symptoms, causes and treatments.
The joint evaluation of these modifiable risk factors makes it possible to identify the unique contribution of each of these factors in the brain,” the researchers state.
Source: Nature Magazine / Infobae / Diario las Américas
