Stan Haithcock
Stan Haithcock, a Florida-based annuity consultant who has authored six books about annuities. StanTheAnnuityMan.com
Memory loss is such a frightening and frustrating aspect of aging that, of course, we want to do what we can to keep our minds sharp. So it was a devastating disappointment to many people when a recent comprehensive analysis of studies concluded that there is simply not enough scientific evidence to support many of the strategies commonly recommended for preventing cognitive decline.
The big questions: How could the results of this analysis be so contradictory to those of numerous earlier studies? And what — if anything — can and should we do now to protect our minds?
Before we tackle those questions, let’s first look at the new analysis. An independent government panel reviewed the results from 165 scientific papers published in the last 25 years and concluded in Annals of Internal Medicine (AIM) that “the current literature does not provide adequate evidence to make recommendations for interventions” aimed at preventing cognitive decline. Reasons for this conclusion…
Still: A closer examination of the AIM report reveals some strategies that may indeed help.
Factors tentatively linked to a lower risk for cognitive decline include…
My recommendation: Although these strategies have not yet been proven to prevent cognitive decline, it seems likely to me that many, if not all, of them will ultimately be shown to do so. Why? A significant amount of cognitive decline is related to underlying vascular disease (diseased arteries supplying the brain or heart). There is conclusive evidence that a healthy lifestyle that includes most of the above strategies can prevent a large proportion of cases of stroke and heart disease, as well as vascular risk factors, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. This vascular protection would be expected to translate into reduced cognitive risk as well. Therefore, I’m hedging my bets and still recommending — and personally practicing — these strategies for prevention not only of vascular disease but also of cognitive decline.
What appears not to help prevent cognitive decline…
The AIM report noted that, although laboratory studies and some observational studies suggest cognitive benefit for the following interventions, they have not shown benefit in available randomized trials. So, although the factors below may have other health benefits (as well as risks, in some cases), cognitive protection does not appear to be among the benefits of the following…
There’s just too little data to say…
The panel found too little evidence to hazard a guess whether the following factors increase, decrease or have no effect on cognitive function…
Bottom line: What should women make of this information? My opinion is that there is no harm and much to be gained in terms of prevention of other health problems (including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, depression and physical disability) by adhering to a healthful diet… maintaining an active, involved lifestyle… and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels as needed. As more rigorous studies are conducted, hopefully we will find that our efforts have also kept cognitive decline at bay.