Rajeev Choudhury

People who follow a healthy lifestyle are not only more likely to live longer but also spend more of their remaining life free from cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, researchers of a new study published in the British Medical Journal said.

The study conducted by the researchers from Rush University Medical Center defined a healthy lifestyle as remaining physically active for at least 150 minutes a week, eating Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurogenerative Delay (MIND) diet, remaining engaged in cognitive activities like playing chess or solving puzzles, not smoking and limiting alcohol use (limited to one drink for women and two for men daily).

“We evaluated these lifestyle factors in combination because they may have synergistic effects on dementia risk,” says Dr Klodian Dhana, an assistant professor at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging and Department of Internal Medicine at Rush University Medical Center.

“Previously, researchers have shown that the MIND diet, which is part of the lifestyle score, is associated with a slower cognitive decline and a lower risk for dementia.” Dr Dhana adds.

Women over 65 years of age who followed four to five healthy factors were found to live 3.1 years more than those who did not, while men over 65 years of age were found to live 6.4 years longer, than those who did not, the researchers wrote in the paper.

Additionally, those following healthy lifestyles were likely to remain dementia-free twice longer than those who did not, the researchers of the study further noted.

 “Of the total life expectancy at age 65, women with four or five healthy factors spent 10.8% (2.6 years, 2.0 to 3.3) of their remaining years with Alzheimer’s dementia, whereas women with zero or one healthy factor spent 19.3% (4.1 years, 3.2 to 5.1) with the disease,” they wrote in the paper.

“Of the total life expectancy at age 65, men with four or five healthy factors spent 6.1% (1.4 years, 0.3 to 2.0) of their remaining years with Alzheimer’s dementia, and those with zero or one healthy factor spent 12.0% (2.1 years, 0.2 to 3.0) with the disease,” they further wrote in the paper.
“A healthy lifestyle was associated with a longer life expectancy among men and women, and they lived a larger proportion of their remaining years without Alzheimer’s dementia. The life expectancy estimates might help health professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders to plan future healthcare services, costs, and needs,” they concluded.