RESEARCHERS believe there are ten major risk factors that could be targeted to prevent Alzheimer's disease.
A new study from China's Fudan University reviewed available evidence to find out what works in preventing the condition.
Experts are predicting rising case numbers as the population ages but recent research has suggested that the number of cases appears to be reducing, possibly due to lifestyle changes, better education and risk reduction strategies to prevent or delay dementia.
The researchers gathered 395 studies and narrowed these down to 19 suggestions.
Nearly two-thirds of these suggestions would involve targeting vascular risk factors (such as high blood pressure and cholesterol levels) and lifestyle, strengthening the importance of keeping healthy to prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Ten of the suggestions were backed by strong evidence and included receiving as much education as possible in early life, participating in mentally stimulating activities such as reading, avoiding diabetes, stress, depression, head trauma, and high blood pressure in midlife.
A further nine suggestions had slightly weaker evidence to support them and included regular physical exercise, getting sufficient good quality sleep, maintaining a healthy body weight and good heart health in later life, avoiding smoking, and including vitamin C in the diet.
In contrast, two interventions were not recommended - oestrogen replacement therapy and use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (drugs that increase communication between nerve cells).
The authors point to some study limitations, such as the fact that observational studies cannot indicate a clear causal relationship and randomised controlled trials cannot be generalisable beyond the specific sample, intervention, dose and duration studied.
Study in mice finds potential therapy
Researchers from Macquarie University have discovered a world-first new treatment that reverses the effects of memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease in a study of mice with advanced dementia.
The research, co-led by two brothers, Dr Arne Ittner and Professor Lars Ittner, from Macquarie University Dementia Research Centre, builds on their work begun in 2016 involving a ground-breaking gene therapy which uses an enzyme that is naturally present in the brain, known as p38gamma.
The researchers found that p38gamma, when activated, can modify a protein such that it prevents the development of Alzheimer's disease symptoms.
The next step will be to transition to testing safety and efficacy in humans.
"It will be exciting to see how over 10 years of basic research to understand the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease will finally transition into clinical development to eventually benefit those most in need, people living with dementia," Professor Lars Ittner said.
"This provides hope, as there is a lot of therapy out there focussed on prevention, but not much for those already affected by the disease."
