{"id":20222,"date":"2025-09-24T11:00:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T15:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/?p=20222"},"modified":"2025-09-19T10:44:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T14:44:52","slug":"could-this-be-the-habit-that-keeps-some-people-from-getting-dementia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/health\/could-this-be-the-habit-that-keeps-some-people-from-getting-dementia-20222\/","title":{"rendered":"Could this be the daily habit that lowers dementia risk?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Building<strong> habits that protect brain health<\/strong> has become a central focus in <a href=\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/health\/the-alzheimers-association-outlines-5-early-warning-signs-of-alzheimers-and-dementia-19089\/\"><strong>dementia<\/strong><\/a> research. According to a YouGov poll, it is the most feared condition among<strong> people over 55<\/strong>, and many wonder why some individuals develop the disease while others seem to remain unaffected.<\/p>\n<p>At the <a href=\"https:\/\/aaic.alz.org\/releases-2025\/highlights-aaic-2025.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Alzheimer\u2019s Association International Conference<\/strong><\/a>, researchers shared new findings that shed light on dementia risk. From genetic predispositions to lifestyle choices, their studies suggest that age is not the only factor. Certain behaviors and experiences may give the brain extra resilience against damage, delaying or even preventing the onset of symptoms.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contenido<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/health\/could-this-be-the-habit-that-keeps-some-people-from-getting-dementia-20222\/#The_role_of_mental_stimulation_in_dementia_prevention\" >The role of mental stimulation in dementia prevention<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/health\/could-this-be-the-habit-that-keeps-some-people-from-getting-dementia-20222\/#Is_dementia_passed_down_through_families\" >Is dementia passed down through families?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/health\/could-this-be-the-habit-that-keeps-some-people-from-getting-dementia-20222\/#How_sleep_patterns_affect_brain_health\" >How sleep patterns affect brain health<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_role_of_mental_stimulation_in_dementia_prevention\"><\/span>The role of mental stimulation in dementia prevention<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the most striking findings presented by researchers at the Alzheimer\u2019s Association International Conference highlighted the power of <strong>mental stimulation<\/strong>. The concept of &#8220;cognitive reserve&#8221; refers to the brain\u2019s ability to adapt and find alternate pathways when damage occurs. People with higher levels of education or who engage in mentally demanding activities throughout life tend to build stronger cognitive reserves.<\/p>\n<p>Data shared at the conference showed that individuals with longer years of education were less likely to develop dementia after experiencing a stroke. A Swedish study added further weight, showing that <strong>childhood school performance predicted <a href=\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/health\/the-silent-symptom-most-people-dont-know-could-signal-dementia-say-neurologists-19058\/\">dementia risk<\/a> decades later<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Those with<strong> lower grades in early life faced higher odds of developing the disease<\/strong>, even more so than factors such as career complexity or adult education levels. These findings suggest that mental habits formed early may have lifelong protective effects.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_dementia_passed_down_through_families\"><\/span>Is dementia passed down through families?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The question of inheritance remains one of the <strong>most common concerns for families<\/strong>. While rare genetic mutations can almost guarantee the development of early-onset Alzheimer\u2019s or frontotemporal dementia, most cases are linked to risk genes rather than certainty.<\/p>\n<p>The APOE gene is the most well-known. Around 25% of the population carries one copy of APOE4, which makes them roughly <strong>three times more likely to develop Alzheimer\u2019s<\/strong>, and often at a younger age. About 2% inherit two copies, raising the risk more than eightfold.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, as researchers emphasized at the conference, <strong>carrying these genes does not mean a person will definitely face dementia<\/strong>, since lifestyle and other factors play a major role.<\/p>\n<p>Conference presentations also explored<strong> how genes and lifestyle may interact<\/strong>. MRI brain scans revealed that education\u2019s protective effects on grey matter appear weaker in people carrying APOE4. This suggests that while cognitive reserve is beneficial, genetics can influence how much protection it provides.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_sleep_patterns_affect_brain_health\"><\/span>How sleep patterns affect brain health<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Sleep<\/strong> was another focus of the Alzheimer\u2019s Association International Conference. Studies in animals showed that<strong> sleep deprivation increased the buildup of amyloid<\/strong>, a protein linked to Alzheimer\u2019s. Lack of deep sleep not only disrupts memory storage but also creates a cycle where brain changes worsen sleep quality, accelerating the disease.<\/p>\n<p>One fascinating study suggested that even the position in which animals slept affected how well the brain cleared waste proteins. While these findings are still in early stages, they <strong>underscore the importance of sleep quality as a potential factor in dementia prevention.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Building habits that protect brain health has become a central focus in dementia research. According to a YouGov poll, it is the most feared condition among people over 55, and many wonder why some individuals develop the disease while others seem to remain unaffected. At the Alzheimer\u2019s Association International Conference, researchers shared new findings that &#8230; <a title=\"Could this be the daily habit that lowers dementia risk?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/health\/could-this-be-the-habit-that-keeps-some-people-from-getting-dementia-20222\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Could this be the daily habit that lowers dementia risk?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":20223,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20222"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20306,"href":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20222\/revisions\/20306"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/metabolic\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}