INTENSIVE DIET AND LIFESTYLE CHANGE COULD SLOW DOWN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

For the first time, a study has shown that an intensive lifestyle modification, without drugs, can significantly improve cognition and function in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. 

Alzheimer's disease, the most popular form of dementia, is a brain disorder that gets worse over time. It is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. While there is no cure, treatments help slow the symptoms.

The clinical study, led by Dr Dean Ornish and published in Alzheimer's Research and Therapy, offers new hope for those battling this debilitating condition.

Dr Ornish, founder of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and a clinical professor at UCSF, collaborated with top scientists and neurologists from leading medical centres for the study. 

"While we do not yet have a cure for Alzheimer's, these results offer a way to improve quality of life for many patients," said lead author Dr Ornish.

The study involved 51 participants with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer's dementia, randomly assigned to either an intensive lifestyle intervention group or a usual-care control group.

LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS

The intervention group participated in an intensive lifestyle program with four components:

• A whole-foods, minimally processed plant-based diet low in harmful fats, refined carbohydrates, alcohol and sweeteners, predominantly fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, plus selected supplements, with all meals sent to each patient's home to maximise adherence. 
• They did moderate aerobic exercise and strength training for at least 30 minutes per day. 
• Stress management, including meditation, stretching, breathing, and imagery, for one hour per day.
• Support groups for one hour three times per week.

After 20 weeks, the intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in three out of four standard cognitive tests compared to the control group, which saw declines in all tests. 

The intervention group also demonstrated positive changes in blood biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's, including the Aβ42/40 ratio, which improved significantly.

Participants reported regaining lost cognitive functions, such as the ability to read and watch movies without forgetting what they had just read or seen. 

A former business executive was able to manage his finances again, and another participant resumed preparing financial reports for the family business.

Dr Rudolph E. Tanzi of Harvard Medical School, a co-author of the study, emphasised the potential impact: "Biopharma companies have spent billions on Alzheimer's drugs with limited success. In contrast, these lifestyle changes improved cognition and function at a fraction of the cost, with only positive side effects."

The study also highlighted a significant dose-response correlation, showing that the more participants adhered to the lifestyle changes, the greater their cognitive improvements. 

This correlation supports the biological plausibility of the findings and suggests that intensive lifestyle changes could be more effective than moderate ones, such as the Mediterranean diet.

The implications extend to Alzheimer's prevention as well. 

New technologies can predict an individual's risk of developing Alzheimer's, but many have questioned the value of knowing this risk if no interventions are available. 

This study offers hope that intensive lifestyle changes could potentially prevent the onset of Alzheimer's.

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2024-06-11T11:32:50Z dg43tfdfdgfd