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Six Lifestyle Choices to Slow Memory Decline
研究发现，生活方式真能帮助记忆“抗衰”？

A combination of healthy lifestyle choices such as eating well, regularly exercising, playing cards and socialising at least twice a week may help slow the rate of memory decline and reduce the risk of dementia, a decade-long study suggests.

Evidence from previous research has been insufficient to evaluate the effect of healthy lifestyle on memory trajectory, but now a study suggests that combining multiple healthy lifestyle choices is linked with softening the speed of memory decline.

“A combination of positive healthy behaviours is associated with a slower rate of memory decline in cognitively normal older adults,” researchers from the National Center for Neurological Disorders in Beijing, China, told us.

Researchers analysed 29,000 adults aged over 60 with normal cognitive function who were part of the China Cognition and Aging Study.
At the start of the study in 2009, memory function was measured using tests and people were checked for the APOE gene, which is the strongest risk-factor gene for Alzheimer’s disease.The subjects were then monitored for 10 years with periodic assessments.

A healthy lifestyle score combining six factors was calculated: a healthy diet; regular exercise; active social contact; cognitive activity; non-smoking; and not drinking alcohol.

A healthy diet was deemed as eating the recommended intake of at least seven out of 12 food groups: fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, dairy, salt, oil, eggs, cereals, legumes, nuts and tea.

Writing, reading, playing cards or other games at least twice a week was the second area of healthy behaviour.

Other areas included drinking no alcohol, exercising for more than 150 minutes a week at moderate intensity or more than 75 at vigorous intensity, and never having smoked or being an ex-smoker.

Social contact at least twice a week was the sixth healthy behaviour, including activities such as visiting family and friends, attending meetings or going to parties.

After accounting for factors likely to affect the results, the researchers found that each individual healthy behaviour was associated with a slower-than-average decline in memory over 10 years.

A healthy diet had the strongest effect on slowing memory decline, followed by cognitive activity and then physical exercise.

Overall, people with four to six healthy behaviours or two to three were almost 90% and almost 30% respectively less likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive impairment relative to those who were the least healthy.