Combination of healthy lifestyle traits may substantially reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk

Combination of healthy lifestyle traits may substantially reduce Alzheimer's disease risk
Combining four or five healthy lifestyle behaviors — such as swimming — may lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Credit: NIH/National Institute on Aging

Combining more healthy lifestyle behaviors was associated with substantially lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease in a study that included data from nearly 3,000 research participants. Those who adhered to four or all of the five specified healthy behaviors were found to have a 60% lower risk of Alzheimer’s. The behaviors were physical activity, not smoking, light-to-moderate alcohol consumption, a high-quality diet, and cognitive activities. Funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, this research was published in the June 17, 2020, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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