Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease may not be an inevitable part of aging, according to a recent Dutch study, which identified 100-year-olds with high cognitive performance despite declining risk factors.
This six-year-old study of centenarians (people over 100) found that despite the high levels of a brain marker associated with cognitive impairment, called beta amyloid, these centenarians were still sharp and had good performance in the cognitive testing. The researchers concluded that these older subjects may have resistance mechanisms that protect them from memory loss.
In fact, they said the risk of dementia does not necessarily increase once it turns centenary.
“A person between the ages of 70 and 95 is at the same risk of dementia as a person who lives between the ages of 100 and 102,” said Henne Holstege, Ph.D., of the University College of Medicine. from Amsterdam to the Netherlands. the study.
These results provide some with a hopeful illusion that while dementia and Alzheimer’s are likely to occur with increasing age, it will not be everyone’s destiny.
“Age is the number 1 risk factor for Alzheimer’s, but these findings show that centenarians may thrive despite their advanced age,” said Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic. ‘Alzheimer’s from Weill Cornell Medicine and New York. Presbyterian Hospital, which led the study.
While these findings shed light on aging and cognitive function, it remains a complex phenomenon that needs further exploration, according to some experts.
“Dementia and Alzheimer’s are often multifactorial conditions, meaning a mixture of genetics, age, environment, lifestyle behaviors, and medical conditions that coexist together and can lead a person to or away. of cognitive impairment, ”Isaacson said.
Researchers still don’t know exactly why some people are protected from cognitive impairment, while others are spared. The study’s researchers proposed some of these protective factors associated with cognitive performance: education, frequent cognitive activity, and even IQ. But there may be more at stake.
“There could be protective immune and cardiovascular risk factors that help keep the brain resilient and cognitive even in old age,” said Dr. Gayatri Devi, a neurologist and psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in the city of New York. York.
The role of brain markers analyzed in the study on memory, including an adhesive plaque called beta amyloid that is typically found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, is now hotly debated among experts. The variable presence of these markers in this study further contributes to this complicated process.
“It’s important to understand that the presence of amyloid in the brain definitely doesn’t mean a person develops dementia,” Isaacson said. “There are other lifestyle-related factors and behaviors that can make us resilient and resilient to cognitive impairment.”
It is important to note that there are some caveats in this study. For example, brain markers were only analyzed in 44 of the participants, so the findings may not apply to everyone and more research is needed to understand the complexity of aging.
Other studies have investigated the prevention of cognitive impairment. According to the Lancet Commission’s 2020 report, 40% of dementia cases can be prevented based on modifiable risk factors. Some of these previous studies have been successful in improving cognitive function and reducing risk.
A study by Isaacson’s team at the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic found that it was possible to improve cognitive function and reduce risk, especially in those who followed suggestions about lifestyle modification, such as exercise, nutrition, vascular risk and medications.
While more is being discovered and debated, experts continue to recommend maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, exercise, and doctor visits, to maintain cognition during aging.
“It’s critical that people at risk see their doctors regularly and consider cognitive screening tests,” Isaacson said.
Alexis E. Carrington, MD, is a dermatology researcher at the University of California, Davis and a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit.