Latest news with #brainHealth
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
This Surprising Exercise May Be Better for Your Brain Than Walking, New Study Suggests
Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RDCycling was linked to a 19% lower dementia risk and 22% lower Alzheimer's risk. Active travel may boost gray matter in memory-related brain regions, like the hippocampus. Benefits of active travel persist regardless of genetics, especially for Alzheimer's is a condition that disrupts memory, cognitive abilities and the ability to perform daily tasks, and its prevalence continues to rise globally, particularly among older adults. The good news? Staying physically active in middle age may be a powerful way to lower the risk of developing dementia. Research consistently highlights the protective benefits of regular movement, though many adults still fall short of meeting recommended activity levels. One effective method to boost physical activity is what is referred to as 'active travel,' which includes walking or cycling for transportation. In other words, the simple act of skipping the car, bus or train and traveling by foot or bike may have a profound impact on brain health. Active travel not only promotes general health but has also been linked to a decreased risk of conditions like diabetes and potentially dementia. But participating in active travel won't be a magic bullet to living a dementia-free life. The interplay between lifestyle habits and genetic predisposition of developing dementia adds another layer of complexity. While active travel presents health advantages for most individuals, the extent of those benefits may differ depending on a person's genetic risk for dementia. To explore this relationship further, researchers in the UK conducted a study to determine how various modes of travel influence dementia risk, including Alzheimer's disease, alongside changes in brain structure, and their results were published in JAMA Network Open. To conduct this study, researchers used data from the UK Biobank cohort. These participants came from different regions across England, Scotland and Wales. The study gathered extensive information about their demographics, lifestyles, health conditions and more through surveys and exams. For this research, some participants were excluded, such as those already diagnosed with dementia at the start or shortly after (within 2 years), those who couldn't walk, and those missing travel-related data. The study looked at two groups of dementia cases: those who developed dementia before age 65 (younger onset dementia) and those diagnosed at 65 or older (later onset dementia). The researchers ultimately evaluated 479,723 participants with over 13 years of follow-up. To gather information about travel habits, participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire that included questions about transportation choices that they used. Based on their answers, the researchers grouped travel modes into four categories: nonactive (using cars, motor vehicles, or public transport), walking, mixed-walking (a mix of walking and nonactive modes) and cycling and mixed-cycling (cycling combined with other modes). To identify individuals with dementia, they relied on detailed health records using standardized codes for medical diagnoses. They also used information from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain, heart and abdomen. The research also looked at genetic factors related to dementia, focusing on the APOE gene, which is known to play a key role in dementia risk. Specifically, two genetic markers (called single-nucleotide polymorphisms) were used to determine whether a participant had a higher genetic risk. Participants were then grouped based on whether or not they carried the APOE ε4 gene variant. Over a follow-up period of about 13 years, researchers found that out of all participants, 1.8% were diagnosed with dementia, including a very small group who developed it at a younger age (0.2%). The study compared different types of travel, like walking, cycling, or a mix of the two, with nonactive travel modes like driving. The results showed that people who cycled, or combined cycling with other modes, had a notably lower risk of developing dementia overall, particularly later-life dementia. For instance, using a mix of walking reduced overall dementia risk by 6%, while cycling or combining cycling with other methods lowered the risk by 19%. Even for younger onset dementia specifically, cycling or mixed-cycling appeared to cut the risk by 40%. On the other hand, walking alone seemed to slightly increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 14%, but cycling or mixed-cycling helped reduce its risk by 22%. When researchers studied brain scans , they found that cycling and combining cycling with other methods of travel were linked to slight increases in gray matter volume (GMV) in certain parts of the brain, including the hippocampus, which is important for memory. Walking and combining walking with other travel modes, however, were linked to slightly smaller volumes of gray and white matter in some areas. Importantly, these changes don't suggest a higher risk of dementia but highlight how different activities may affect the brain. Nonactive travel, like driving, didn't show any significant impact on brain structure in this study. Interestingly, the researchers found that genetic risk didn't change the link between travel mode and early-onset dementia or Alzheimer's disease. However, for all dementia types and late-onset dementia, genetics did play a role. People who didn't have a specific genetic marker (APOE ε4) seemed to benefit more from cycling, showing lower dementia risks compared to those with the marker. While these results are interesting and compelling, it is worth noting some limitations to this study. First, because younger onset dementia is relatively rare, the researchers couldn't break down the different types of cycling, making it hard to draw a firm conclusion. To improve this, future studies need more participants with younger onset dementia and longer follow-up periods. Second, they relied on people reporting their own travel habits, which might not always be accurate. Third, the researchers didn't track how travel habits changed over time, making it challenging to best understand these patterns. Finally, the study group lacked racial and ethnic diversity, as most participants were of European ancestry, so the results may not apply to all groups equally. Understanding how active travel impacts dementia risk can ignite meaningful changes in your daily life, especially if you are focused on supporting your cognitive health. Imagine replacing those quick car rides with a refreshing walk or bike ride! Not only do you help the environment by cutting down on emissions when you do this, but you also take a proactive step toward protecting your brain health. Whether it's walking to the corner store, cycling to work or enjoying a peaceful stroll in the park, these simple shifts can deliver long-term benefits. The great thing is that incorporating more movement into your routine is achievable for most people and it may also support your brain health to boot. Not all communities make it easy to bike or walk to work or while running errands. But if you can find time to go for a ride around the neighborhood or lengthen your parking lot walks at the grocery store, those little moments of extra activity could be helpful to your longterm health. But active travel is just one piece of the bigger picture. Brain health thrives on a combination of regular exercise, a balanced diet, staying socially connected and getting quality sleep. While we can't control genetic factors, adopting healthy habits like active travel empowers us to take charge of what we can. The key is to tailor these efforts to your environment—whether that's walking more in pedestrian-friendly cities or cycling in bike-supportive areas. Small, consistent actions add up, and over time, they may help support not only your cognitive health but your overall health as well. This study published in JAMA Network Open suggests that cycling may be linked to a 19% lower risk of developing dementia and a 22% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found that cycling may increase gray matter volume in the hippocampus, which plays a critical role in memory. Conversely, nonactive modes of travel like driving did not show meaningful effects on brain health. While genetic factors can influence these outcomes, the study suggests that physical activity through active travel offers protective benefits regardless of genetic predispositions, especially for those without high-risk genetic markers. Whether through cycling, walking or other forms of active travel, making intentional choices about how we move through the world can yield profound health benefits. While active travel is not a one-size-fits-all solution, it can be a practical and rewarding way to support both brain and body. By combining movement with other healthy lifestyle choices, like eating a nutrient-rich diet, getting quality sleep and staying socially connected, you can take meaningful steps toward a healthier future. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
This Surprising Exercise May Be Better for Your Brain Than Walking, New Study Suggests
Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RDCycling was linked to a 19% lower dementia risk and 22% lower Alzheimer's risk. Active travel may boost gray matter in memory-related brain regions, like the hippocampus. Benefits of active travel persist regardless of genetics, especially for Alzheimer's is a condition that disrupts memory, cognitive abilities and the ability to perform daily tasks, and its prevalence continues to rise globally, particularly among older adults. The good news? Staying physically active in middle age may be a powerful way to lower the risk of developing dementia. Research consistently highlights the protective benefits of regular movement, though many adults still fall short of meeting recommended activity levels. One effective method to boost physical activity is what is referred to as 'active travel,' which includes walking or cycling for transportation. In other words, the simple act of skipping the car, bus or train and traveling by foot or bike may have a profound impact on brain health. Active travel not only promotes general health but has also been linked to a decreased risk of conditions like diabetes and potentially dementia. But participating in active travel won't be a magic bullet to living a dementia-free life. The interplay between lifestyle habits and genetic predisposition of developing dementia adds another layer of complexity. While active travel presents health advantages for most individuals, the extent of those benefits may differ depending on a person's genetic risk for dementia. To explore this relationship further, researchers in the UK conducted a study to determine how various modes of travel influence dementia risk, including Alzheimer's disease, alongside changes in brain structure, and their results were published in JAMA Network Open. To conduct this study, researchers used data from the UK Biobank cohort. These participants came from different regions across England, Scotland and Wales. The study gathered extensive information about their demographics, lifestyles, health conditions and more through surveys and exams. For this research, some participants were excluded, such as those already diagnosed with dementia at the start or shortly after (within 2 years), those who couldn't walk, and those missing travel-related data. The study looked at two groups of dementia cases: those who developed dementia before age 65 (younger onset dementia) and those diagnosed at 65 or older (later onset dementia). The researchers ultimately evaluated 479,723 participants with over 13 years of follow-up. To gather information about travel habits, participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire that included questions about transportation choices that they used. Based on their answers, the researchers grouped travel modes into four categories: nonactive (using cars, motor vehicles, or public transport), walking, mixed-walking (a mix of walking and nonactive modes) and cycling and mixed-cycling (cycling combined with other modes). To identify individuals with dementia, they relied on detailed health records using standardized codes for medical diagnoses. They also used information from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain, heart and abdomen. The research also looked at genetic factors related to dementia, focusing on the APOE gene, which is known to play a key role in dementia risk. Specifically, two genetic markers (called single-nucleotide polymorphisms) were used to determine whether a participant had a higher genetic risk. Participants were then grouped based on whether or not they carried the APOE ε4 gene variant. Over a follow-up period of about 13 years, researchers found that out of all participants, 1.8% were diagnosed with dementia, including a very small group who developed it at a younger age (0.2%). The study compared different types of travel, like walking, cycling, or a mix of the two, with nonactive travel modes like driving. The results showed that people who cycled, or combined cycling with other modes, had a notably lower risk of developing dementia overall, particularly later-life dementia. For instance, using a mix of walking reduced overall dementia risk by 6%, while cycling or combining cycling with other methods lowered the risk by 19%. Even for younger onset dementia specifically, cycling or mixed-cycling appeared to cut the risk by 40%. On the other hand, walking alone seemed to slightly increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 14%, but cycling or mixed-cycling helped reduce its risk by 22%. When researchers studied brain scans , they found that cycling and combining cycling with other methods of travel were linked to slight increases in gray matter volume (GMV) in certain parts of the brain, including the hippocampus, which is important for memory. Walking and combining walking with other travel modes, however, were linked to slightly smaller volumes of gray and white matter in some areas. Importantly, these changes don't suggest a higher risk of dementia but highlight how different activities may affect the brain. Nonactive travel, like driving, didn't show any significant impact on brain structure in this study. Interestingly, the researchers found that genetic risk didn't change the link between travel mode and early-onset dementia or Alzheimer's disease. However, for all dementia types and late-onset dementia, genetics did play a role. People who didn't have a specific genetic marker (APOE ε4) seemed to benefit more from cycling, showing lower dementia risks compared to those with the marker. While these results are interesting and compelling, it is worth noting some limitations to this study. First, because younger onset dementia is relatively rare, the researchers couldn't break down the different types of cycling, making it hard to draw a firm conclusion. To improve this, future studies need more participants with younger onset dementia and longer follow-up periods. Second, they relied on people reporting their own travel habits, which might not always be accurate. Third, the researchers didn't track how travel habits changed over time, making it challenging to best understand these patterns. Finally, the study group lacked racial and ethnic diversity, as most participants were of European ancestry, so the results may not apply to all groups equally. Understanding how active travel impacts dementia risk can ignite meaningful changes in your daily life, especially if you are focused on supporting your cognitive health. Imagine replacing those quick car rides with a refreshing walk or bike ride! Not only do you help the environment by cutting down on emissions when you do this, but you also take a proactive step toward protecting your brain health. Whether it's walking to the corner store, cycling to work or enjoying a peaceful stroll in the park, these simple shifts can deliver long-term benefits. The great thing is that incorporating more movement into your routine is achievable for most people and it may also support your brain health to boot. Not all communities make it easy to bike or walk to work or while running errands. But if you can find time to go for a ride around the neighborhood or lengthen your parking lot walks at the grocery store, those little moments of extra activity could be helpful to your longterm health. But active travel is just one piece of the bigger picture. Brain health thrives on a combination of regular exercise, a balanced diet, staying socially connected and getting quality sleep. While we can't control genetic factors, adopting healthy habits like active travel empowers us to take charge of what we can. The key is to tailor these efforts to your environment—whether that's walking more in pedestrian-friendly cities or cycling in bike-supportive areas. Small, consistent actions add up, and over time, they may help support not only your cognitive health but your overall health as well. This study published in JAMA Network Open suggests that cycling may be linked to a 19% lower risk of developing dementia and a 22% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found that cycling may increase gray matter volume in the hippocampus, which plays a critical role in memory. Conversely, nonactive modes of travel like driving did not show meaningful effects on brain health. While genetic factors can influence these outcomes, the study suggests that physical activity through active travel offers protective benefits regardless of genetic predispositions, especially for those without high-risk genetic markers. Whether through cycling, walking or other forms of active travel, making intentional choices about how we move through the world can yield profound health benefits. While active travel is not a one-size-fits-all solution, it can be a practical and rewarding way to support both brain and body. By combining movement with other healthy lifestyle choices, like eating a nutrient-rich diet, getting quality sleep and staying socially connected, you can take meaningful steps toward a healthier future. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
Forbes
4 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
5 Surprising Ways Too Much Screen Time Impacts Your Brain
Excessive screen time can impact brain health and productivity, making intentional breaks more ... More important than ever. The average American now spends 12 hours and 36 minutes staring at screens every day, with approximately 104 million people exposed to excessive screen time of seven or more hours daily. While we often focus on physical symptoms like eye strain and neck pain, neuroscience research reveals that excessive screen time is literally reshaping our brains in surprising ways. "The negative effects of screen time are insidious because you can't see what's happening in your brain as you're staring at the screen," explains Maris Loeffler, member of the Stanford Lifestyle Medicine Cognitive Enhancement pillar. "If you scrolled on your phone in bed for an hour just one morning, the negative impacts would be minimal. But if it becomes a habit, day after day, month after month, this behavior can take a toll." Here are five scientifically-backed ways excessive screen time is impacting your brain, along with actionable workplace strategies to protect your mental acuity. One of the most astonishing discoveries in recent neuroscience research is that excessive screen time can lead to physical changes in the brain's structure. Studies show that in adults aged 18-25, excessive screen time can cause thinning of the cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer responsible for essential brain functions like memory and problem-solving. Your cerebral cortex is your brain's command center, orchestrating everything from complex reasoning to creative thinking. When this region becomes thinner due to excessive screen exposure, it can impact your ability to focus, make decisions and process information effectively. Implement the 20-20-20 rule recommended by The American Academy of Ophthalmology throughout your workday. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Schedule this as recurring calendar reminders if needed. Additionally, negotiate "cortex recovery" breaks with your employer. Brief 10- to 15-minute breaks every two hours can boost productivity. Use these breaks for activities like brainstorming sessions, walking meetings or reviewing printed materials rather than staying glued to your monitor. Gray matter is your brain's essential tissue responsible for everything from movement to emotions. While gray matter naturally decreases with age, research indicates that adults who engage in excessive screen time have significantly lower gray matter volume compared to their peers. This premature shrinkage is concerning because gray matter houses the majority of your brain's neuronal cell bodies. When you lose gray matter volume ahead of schedule, you're accelerating cognitive aging, which can impact your memory, emotional regulation and overall mental sharpness. To protect and build your gray matter at work, consider these neuroscience-backed strategies: • Take walking meetings: Replace video calls with phone calls while walking, or suggest walking discussions for one-on-one meetings to combine exercise with collaboration. • Prioritize in-person interactions: Choose face-to-face conversations over Slack messages when possible, attend networking events and participate in team-building activities. • Engage in professional development: Attend workshops, take online courses during designated learning time or join professional associations that require active participation and new skill development. The blue light emitted by screens doesn't just strain your eyes; it also affects your sleep. Research demonstrates that screen light can delay the release of melatonin from the brain's pineal gland, disrupting the body's natural circadian rhythm and making it difficult to fall asleep and achieve restorative sleep cycles. When your circadian rhythm is consistently disrupted, it creates a series of problems that neuroscience research has linked to impaired cognitive performance. Poor sleep quality impairs memory consolidation, reduces cognitive performance and can even contribute to mood disorders and anxiety. To protect your sleep and circadian rhythm: • Set clear boundaries: Negotiate with your employer to avoid late-night emails and establish "off-hours" communication policies. • Use protective technology: If you must work late, use blue light-blocking glasses or enable night mode on all devices. • Create a shutdown ritual: Physically close your laptop, turn off notifications and transition to non-screen activities like reviewing tomorrow's priorities on paper. • Propose flexible hours: Consider work schedules that align with your natural circadian rhythm for peak performance. "One of the biggest issues with picking up the phone right away in the morning is that when you have an object close to your face, it's registered as a threat," explains Loeffler. "You wouldn't want to wake up and look a bear in the face every morning. On a physiological level, it's the same thing." When you immediately reach for your phone upon waking and dive into emails, you jolt your nervous system and trigger a fight-or-flight response before you're fully awake. This creates a pattern where your brain defaults to hypervigilance and anxiety throughout the day, making it harder to relax, focus and think clearly. Implement a screen-free first hour of your day. Instead of checking emails immediately, start with activities that regulate your nervous system, like exercise, meditation or preparing a healthy breakfast. Arrive at work early to settle in without the immediate pressure of emails and notifications. Use this time to plan your day, organize your workspace or have informal conversations with colleagues. This approach helps you start work from a calm, focused state rather than reactive stress mode. Research indicates that adults who watch television for five hours or more daily may have an increased risk of developing diseases like dementia, stroke or Parkinson's. This connection likely stems from the combination of factors we've already discussed: reduced gray matter, disrupted sleep patterns, chronic stress activation and the sedentary lifestyle that often accompanies excessive screen time. When these factors compound over years or decades, they can accelerate cognitive decline and increase vulnerability to serious neurological conditions. Take a comprehensive approach to brain health in your professional life: • Seek cognitive challenges: Volunteer for projects requiring strategic thinking, problem-solving and creative solutions, or lead cross-functional teams and mentor colleagues. • Champion workplace wellness: Propose initiatives like lunchtime walking groups, meditation sessions or stress management workshops incorporating neuroscience-based techniques. • Advocate for health support: Push for ergonomic workstations and regular health screenings through your employee benefits. Remember that your brain is remarkably adaptable. By taking control of your screen time and protecting your cognitive health, you can actually rewire your brain's neural pathways, reduce the risk of mental decline and create a healthier relationship with technology that advances rather than hinders your professional success.
Free Malaysia Today
16-06-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
The little-known link between climate change and brain health
People with neurological diseases are at risk of seeing their symptoms worsen as a result of climate change. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : The link between brain health and climate disruption was recently highlighted in a 16-minute mini-documentary shared online last month by FutureNeuro @ the Research Ireland Centre for Translational Brain Science, based in the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. Produced in partnership with the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), the film explains that over three billion people worldwide are living with neurological disorders. Research has already established a link between rising temperatures and an exacerbation of the symptoms of certain neurological diseases sensitive to temperature variations. This is the case, for example, with Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of childhood epilepsy, in which a sudden rise in temperature is likely to lead to more frequent seizures, as well as altered brain function. Professor Sanjay Sisodiya, chair of the ILAE Climate Change Commission, explained: 'The brain is key to our response to challenges from our surroundings, and many parts of the brain are sensitive to the temperature at which they have to work. 'As a result, if the brain is already affected by disease, it may be more vulnerable to the challenges posed by the effects of climate change. 'As climate change continues to worsen, it is essential that we pay attention to its effects on people with neurological conditions all around the world.' The professor of neurology at University College London is also the author of a study published in 2024 in The Lancet Neurology, which shows that extreme temperatures – whether low or high – are likely to exacerbate disorders linked to 19 neurological diseases, including dementia, epilepsy and migraine. AI tools to identify at-risk populations Through patient testimonials, the documentary highlights the difficulties people with neurological pathologies can encounter on a daily basis, such as the inability to leave the house in the event of a heatwave and the social isolation that can ensue. Extreme temperatures can also disrupt medical supply chains, damaging cold-stored medicines and hindering access to healthcare. As ILAE president J Helen Cross notes: 'Climate change is one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time, and its impact on people with epilepsy and other neurological conditions is becoming increasingly clear. 'This film is a powerful step towards placing neurological health firmly within the climate conversation.' Beyond its primary aim of raising awareness for a phenomenon of which many people are still largely unaware, the documentary aims to encourage the funding and development of more advanced scientific research on the subject. One way to better understand the link between brain health and rising temperatures linked to climate change is to capitalise on imaging and genetic technologies, including AI-driven predictive models to identify at-risk populations and develop targeted interventions. 'New imaging and genetic technologies allow us to learn more about the brain's temperature control systems, and how this is altered in conditions such as epilepsy,' said FutureNeuro director David Henshall, a professor of molecular physiology and neuroscience at RCSI. 'Understanding these mechanisms could open the door to new treatments or preventative strategies, helping to reduce the impact of heat on seizure risk.'
Medscape
12-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Healthy Lifestyle May Curb Age-Related Brain Disease Risk
It's often emphasized that a healthier lifestyle can lead to a longer life, but a recent study of participants from the UK Biobank showed that healthy lifestyle behaviors may help reduce the risk for age-related brain diseases. Results of new research show participants with shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) were more likely to develop age-related brain diseases, including dementia, stroke, and late-life depression, than those who had longer LTL. However, engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors appeared to offset these risk factors. Although the study does not establish causality, the findings suggest that the association between shorter LTL and age-related brain diseases may be modifiable. 'Our findings support the potential benefits of working to improve your risk factors such as maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, and getting enough sleep and exercise in reducing the risk of age-related brain disease even in people who are already showing signs of damaging biological aging,' senior author Christopher D. Anderson, MD, MMSc, of Harvard Medical School in Boston, said in a press release. The results were published on June 11 in the journal Neurology . Unhealthy Lifestyle and Age-Related Brain Diseases Telomeres are often described as protective caps on the end of chromosomes, and shortened telomeres have been associated with age, race, sex, adverse environmental exposures, and genetic factors, as well as lifestyle factors such as physical activity, diet, alcohol, nutrition, sleep, stress, aerobic activity social interactions, and smoking using the Brain Care Score (BCS). A BCS of 15 or higher was associated with healthier lifestyle choices, while a BCS of 10 or lower signified less healthy lifestyle choices. What has been less clear up to this point is the degree to which LTL affects age-related brain diseases, and whether changing an individual's lifestyle habits could influence LTL, as opposed to LTL being a predictor of the risk for age-related brain disease. Researchers evaluated 356,173 participants from the UK Biobank with a median age of 56 years. Recruitment of participants occurred between 2006 and 2010, and there were four follow-up assessments in 2012-2013, 2014, 2019, and 2023. Participants were included if they had data on biomarkers such as LTL and DNA, as well as clinical data to identify potential risk factors for age-related brain disease using the BCS. The primary outcome was the association between LTL and the risks for stroke, dementia, and late-life depression, both as a composite outcome and as individual outcomes. LTL was categorized into three tertiles, ranging from shortest to longest, and risk factors were compared across these groups using the BCS. A BCS of 15 or higher indicated healthier lifestyle choices — such as a nutritious diet, a low cholesterol level, and controlled blood pressure — while a BCS of 10 or lower reflected less healthy behaviors. The results showed the shortest LTL tertile was associated with an increased risk for the age-related brain disease composite outcome (hazard ratio [HR], 1.11; 95% CI, 1.08-1.15), as well as increased risks for dementia (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.12-1.26), late-life depression (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.09-1.18), and stroke (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.15). When comparing participants with shorter LTL, those with a lower BCS were at a higher risk for the age-related brain disease composite outcome (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.07-1.16), as well as for dementia (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.08-1.28), late-life depression (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.07-1.19), and stroke alone (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02-1.19). Among participants with shorter LTL but a higher BCS, there were no significant increases in the risk for age-related brain disease as a composite or individual outcomes. Reversing Risk Limitations of the study included the evaluation of participants with only European ancestry, and measurement of LTL was conducted at baseline rather than over time. Future studies should include assessing the relationship between shortened LTL and age-related brain diseases in more diverse populations, as well as measuring LTL over time, the researchers said. However, the findings suggest 'healthy lifestyle behaviors could delay the aging of our cells and reduce the frequency of these diseases, especially in people who are greater risk,' said Anderson. 'Reducing risk factors like weight and alcohol consumption, as well as getting more sleep and exercise, can all help reverse the risk of age-related brain diseases, even for people who are already showing signs of biological aging,' lead author Tamara Kimball, MD, of the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, said in the press release. 'In short, it is never too late to start taking better care of your brain.'
