5 Lifestyle Factors Linked to Dementia

Alzheimers Dementia Brain Disease Concept

According to recent research, lifestyle factors including diet, exercise, and sleep can be crucial in lowering the risk of dementia.

A new study finds that inequality-related dementia risk is correlated with diet and other modifiable lifestyle factors.

New research indicates that lifestyle aspects like diet, exercise, and sleep have a significant role in lowering the chance of developing dementia, even as the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia continue to climb in the United States. According to researchers, two recent studies provide unique insights into the elements that can contribute to dementia’s disproportionate impact among non-White and low-income U.S. populations.

“Our findings support the beneficial role of healthy lifestyles in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias among senior Americans, including those with socioeconomic disadvantages and a high risk of dementia,” said Danxia Yu, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Epidemiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the study’s lead author.

“We should recognize that it is challenging for people facing systemic and structural disadvantages to maintain healthy lifestyles or make lifestyle changes. It is critical to establish public health strategies to make lifestyle modifications achievable for all, especially disadvantaged populations.”

The results of two research were presented online by Yu and her colleagues at NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE, the American Society for Nutrition’s flagship annual meeting. The study was also recently published in Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s official journal.

The Southern Community Cohort Study, a long-term research project that was started in 2001 to look into the causes of numerous diseases and health disparities, is the source of the study’s findings. Around 85,000 people were recruited from community health clinics in the southern United States.  Two-thirds of participants are Black, giving the study among the highest representation of African-Americans of any large U.S. research cohort.  Researchers tracked Alzheimer’s diagnoses among participants over the age of 65 using Medicare claims data.

Examining five lifestyle factors

In the first study, data were collected from 17,209 older study participants, 1,694 of whom had forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s over a median follow-up of four years. Smoking, alcohol usage, leisure-time physical activity, sleep duration, and diet quality were all examined both individually and in combination.

The results showed that healthy choices (no smoking, high leisure-time exercise, low-to-moderate alcohol consumption, adequate sleep and a high-quality diet) were individually associated with an 11-25% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. When combined, a composite score of those five lifestyle factors was associated with a 36% reduced risk in the highest versus lowest quartile. These associations were independent of participants’ age, sex, race, education, income and underlying chronic diseases.

Analyzing dietary polyphenols

For the second study, researchers drew data from 14,500 older study participants, of whom 1,402 developed Alzheimer’s or related dementias. In this group, they analyzed intakes of four major classes of dietary polyphenols — flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and lignans — and their subclasses, using a validated food frequency questionnaire and polyphenol databases. Polyphenols are a large class of compounds commonly found in tea, red wine, chocolate, berries, and other foods and have been associated with a variety of health benefits.

In this study, researchers found a significant difference in intake of polyphenols among racial groups, with White participants consuming a median of about twice the amount of total polyphenols as Black participants daily. Overall there was no significant association between total dietary polyphenol intake and incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in either race; however, certain flavonoids were associated with reduced risk among Black participants but not White participants. The findings showed Black participants in the top quartile for tea consumption had a 28% lower incidence of Alzheimer’s than Black participants in the lowest quartile for tea consumption.

While both studies are observational and did not assess the mechanisms behind the associations, researchers said that healthy lifestyles, including healthy eating, may help protect brain health by improving glucose and lipid metabolism and reducing inflammation and psychological stress. Yu said more research is needed to further elucidate the relationship between lifestyle factors and Alzheimer’s disease among diverse populations.

“Black Americans and people with low socioeconomic status are disproportionately affected by the disease but have been largely underrepresented in epidemiologic studies,” Yu said. “Identifying modifiable factors for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias among low-income people of different races and ethnicities is a critical public health issue.”

Meeting: NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE

Reference: “Association of Healthy Lifestyles with Risk of Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias in Low-Income Black and White Americans” by Jae Jeong Yang, Laura M Keohane, Xiongfei Pan, Ruiqi Qu, Xiao-Ou Shu, Loren P Lipworth, Kyle Braun, Mark D Steinwandel, Qi Dai, Martha Shrubsole, Wei Zheng, William J Blot and Danxia Yu, 13 June 2022, Neurology.
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200774

127 Comments on "5 Lifestyle Factors Linked to Dementia"

  1. This study was intentionally geared to get a wanted result. I wish science and real studies were done for real truth and answers that are based on n facts . When you have 2/3 of your study handpicked to be of a certain race, or economical means. Then you are getting a false representation of general population. You picked your participants to fit your desired result. Science needs to be put back in the practice of the sciences. The education system in America is a failure of our own making.

    • One of the most prevalent causes for Alzheimers is genetics. This should be figured into the equation.

    • In what sense is the data geared to get wanted results, indeed what are the wanted results? The make up of the study is stated up front, the results are predicated on the data from only those in the study and the generalised statements are about those in similar socio economic / ethnic make-ups. The overall message seems to be that there should be more research to try and pin down correlations more firmly and to try and give the poorer amongst us access to a decent diet without needing a second mortgage.

  2. Bradley Bidell | July 22, 2022 at 1:15 am | Reply

    There are plenty of wealthy Caucasians who suffer from dementia. Let’s stop calling diseases “racist.” Also, no where in this “article” did I see anything about lifestyle changes that can be made to reduce the risk of getting dementia. You briefly and vaguely mentioned diet and sleep, but completely failed in delivering on the title. Maybe next time do actual research and provide actual facts and ways to reduce the risk?

    • Right. And there’s plenty of studies that look at those and other populations. Are you saying science and studies shouldn’t look at subset of populations or underrepresented population? Like the elderly,the young, regions, the differently educated, etc.? If interested in that particular topic, you can search for studies of wealthy Caucasians.

  3. Have you ever been to the South Shelia? The article stated Medicaid recipiants were the sample group for this study. Thusly it makes sense that 2/3 of those sampled were African American. Look before you leap perhaps?

  4. Uh. That’s what the study WAS about. Looking at an underrepresented population in comparison to an often represented population. That’s science. It’s done in every field. It’s fundamental. Just like you would compare addiction rates in teens in comparison to adult or one region vs the other.

  5. what a dumb Trump cultist comment.

  6. Carol Johnson | July 22, 2022 at 5:24 am | Reply

    Now we have to hear about woke dementia. Sorry but once you use the word inequality in any article, you’ve lost all credibility.

    • Because… inequality is “fake news“?

      Do you really not understand that some groups are more at risk of certain diseases than others?! Do you really not grasp that at least *some* of that risk can be correlated to socioeconomic status and/or race?

      I guess we should all just close our eyes and hum loudly while pretending all Americans have equal access to medical care, healthy food, etc.

  7. Shiela, you’re arbitrarily changing the data set to the entire population when the paper clearly says it pertains to a particular group, and then wailing that the study only pertains to that small group, as though there’s some unspoken rule of science that all studies must be tailored to consider the entire planet.

    In an effort to, what? Undermine the credibility of the information gleaned from the study? Get attention for yourself? Dissuade others with questionable logic faculties from edifying their selves or think critically to deconstruct a concept on their own?

    I would encourage you to spend some time in self-reflection and ask yourself why you would attack and dismiss anything without understanding it first. Once you have an answer (spoiler: it’s usually fear), try to adjust your epistemology to recognize that you’re afraid of a thing, but the that you’re afraid of something shouldn’t be in the calculus of attempting to understand it.

    If you can get to where you can objectively separate the two, I promise you will have a much easier and peaceful life, and your knowledge will be far closer to reality than delusion and fear allows.

  8. Bingo Sheila

  9. Why are most of the authors Chinese?

  10. Actually, including more minorities in various research studies is a good way to address the problems within those communities and find solutions to those problems.

  11. Aluminum from cans and cookware has long been a cause. CFLs especially if it’s close to your head like a reading light .

  12. Ummmmm Sheila, unless your intentions are to identify the differences in the levels of dementia among different socioeconomic statuses. These studies have already been done on the general population. This is drilled down to show the effects on specific sub populations. The blatant and hidden racism in this country is concerning. Are you ok?

  13. What’s the matter don’t you like my comment? This is my 2nd try! So aluminum from cans and cookware is a problem . Also CFLs especially if they are close to your head like a reading light .

  14. Robert F Solecki | July 22, 2022 at 10:32 am | Reply

    All empirical evidence suggest easy access to fentanyl and government cheese is not the answer!!!

  15. Soooo what they’re saying is, equity is the answer to all life’s ailments? This year I’m asking Santa for an equality of outcome play doh fun factory creator!!

  16. Laughable. I’m just upset it came up in my feed.

    • Harry Makongwa | July 23, 2022 at 6:51 am | Reply

      Is this a research Paper of “Racist article to express their racist options since when a disease affects non-whites and low income populations ,what does a neuro-disease being associated with race ..

      You are spreading hate..

  17. STOP studying by race. Report only by other scientific and economic factors. No one cares otherwise

    • So when there are health disparities based on race the factors surrounding that shouldn’t be examined because folk like you are uncomfortable, yet still racist? That’s the problem, you don’t want to read, you don’t want to listen, and you want to live in the past.

    • Did you read (not skim) the article. It’s not about race it’s about being poor. The sample studied has more blacks than whites in it’s make-up but they are all from a poorer sector of society.

  18. This “study” is BS. Not everyone will step in it 😏

    • Not the well reasoned argument a refutation requires. Saying ‘BS’ is just lazy way of saying ‘Waa, I don’t like it.’ I assume you don’t like it because you don’t understand it. If you do understand it let us know what the BS is rather than going for the smart alec point which ironically is predicated on a comment that has no point to make.

  19. What total biased story!! Who in the heck wrote this article! I have been researching Alzheimer’s for the last 7 years and this article is total BS! After having someone with this horrible disease; I have been literally obsessed with research. Liberal Journalism at its finest!

  20. Our mother had dementia. A study was done and it was found the second born twin most likely will have dementia. I’m a second born twin and have it. Not only me but my older sister has dementia.

  21. Whom ever did this story should visit the rest homes and assisted living facilities where I work as an CNA.Respectfully all I work with are elderly Caucasian people with these illnesses, It’s very sad but the truth is I work with them everyday!I just wish they would find an cure regardless of race!

  22. I am a Texan and I am not racist.and Dallas just might be a name of a person as in a certain person that I know.your comment about Texans was offensive Tommy boy.

  23. Elizabeth Escamilla | July 23, 2022 at 12:25 am | Reply

    Wow Sheila you’re an idiot.

  24. I know people that have lived well into their 80’s and 90’s that smoked, drank, ate s*** food, didn’t sleep right, lived hard lives and never got dementia. There all kinds of people like that. So these tests and research are false. I know it may apply to some people but not everyone.

    • Isn’t that exactly what they said in the article. Some people get it (altzheimers) though most don’t. Of those who might get it their outcomes appear to be improved by a better diet. How can this offend anyone?

  25. Nice WOKE study. You guys are twisted. Get back to science!

  26. Todd Scachitti | July 23, 2022 at 4:07 am | Reply

    More pandering and propaganda based on race and “Science”
    What real doctors describe the ADDICTION Americans have with Big Pharma!
    Get off Big Pharma drugs designed to harm the body and start eat real food, drink pH balanced alkaline water, basically making your body alkaline instead of acidic by introducing intermittent fasting and you will notice immediate results!
    Facts vs Fiction

  27. For those of you who think this is just a disease delegated to one race more than another, you are so very wrong. As the study stated all of those variables can lead to dementia, but external forces can predisposition someone toward a diagnosis of dementia as well. It is not a race thing but rather a lifestyle thing. And let’s not forget about genealogy. It runs in families. And working in an ALF doesn’t mean that it is predominantly a white disease. ALFs are expensive so that means that those people who have money get to enter otherwise you stay home with a familial CG or a SNF and live there on Medicaid and Medicare. I’ve worked in hospitals, SNF, ALF, Home care and outpatient and I’ve seen many with dementia from all walks of life and many different ethnicities. And for those calling names about Trump culture, it has NOTHING to do with politics. It’s a sad and horrible disease that effects many regardless of your race, demographics, and finances unfortunately those internal and external forces can make a person more susceptible.

  28. I have come to realize ever disease is a racist…..I have also learned this week we have white food prices and white gas prices because the black community is the only ones who feel the effects of having a jack@$$ in office…

    • Do not throw out this study on a poorly written article. This was a large study with ton of data that is still accumulating. The snapshot of this study is: Yes, these issues are effected more by economic lifestyles than luck of the draw genetics.; Yes, people with money are less likely to great certain types and have better treatment options including earlier detection for better quality of life over the course of the illness.; Yes improving quality of medical care, less stressful lifestyles better food quality all factor into improving existing conditions, preventing some future conditions and leads a better quality of life.; Yes black Americans disproportionately live in the lowest income brackets in the US. Basically just look at cross-section of the homeless population in the US. Terrible living conditions and constant mental and physical stress all rapidly degrade their health.

  29. Caregiver to my father | July 23, 2022 at 7:15 am | Reply

    Wow. Just wow. The studies authors pulled the people studied people that they got from community Healthcare clinics… not from majority white rest homes, not from assisted living facilities, not from a totally random picking off the street. They were looking to get people representative of those Healthcare clinics. Not just a sampling exactly like everyone but those who can’t afford better treatment. In the area they picked that was a fairly high black ratio to other races. Nothing sinister there. Just in the areas they got their sample that’s what the percentages were. They didn’t hide it, they didn’t keep it quiet, they put the information in there for you to see. And they said something that you guys are twisting around like a kids calliope. There was not a racially visible difference around most things they ate that gave the food substances they measured mostly though there was a few differences including a few that help keep dementia and alzheimers from occurring. What they are trying to do is to see how they can help or if they can help people of different races with different dietary habits change those habits to help their chances. And if you’re poor you have a different set of problems in changing to a healthier diet. People in AssistEd living or rest homes where their food is prepared should be on a balanced diet esp for those people so you don’t need to change theirs. And if you’re black and live in the south, traditionally, you weren’t the person who would volunteer for studies… remember the Tuskegee study? They said nothing bad about race or that any other race was better or needed to get all the help leaving non to you poor white people. It’s like none of you bothered to read it let alone comprehend it. And this is the way science works. Hypothesis, then test your hypothesis, results then apply your results. It’s not have belief something is right, test group set up to give result, smugly note result is what I thought, flip middle finger to rest of world. I don’t know why any publication bothers to let their readers from the web post comments since it always devolves into “thees aint science because it doesn’t say what I want it to” followed by “idiot trump followers wouldn’t know science if they fell into a puddle of it”. The number of folks seriously interested in this topic who have posted anything of value shows how little anybody gains from your bickering and back and forth.

  30. The second I read the word “inequality” I already knew where this was going.

  31. It’s funny how reflexively protective some people are when pointing out the fact that racist ideation’s have infected even the scientific process. This article simply attempted to present results obtained in undersampled populations of the incidence of dementia and its possible dietary nexus. The fact that the population sampled was routinely eliminated from prior studies is a fact not in dispute.

  32. Fred Friendly | July 23, 2022 at 3:31 pm | Reply

    Diet, exercise and sleep? Really?! I’m not a scientist or medical professional but I could have told you that. Everything shakes out from there.

  33. The key of this read is make people to belive polyphenol is good for your health. Guess who sell polyphenols…Chinese…

  34. Denise, I agree. I also worked in a Dementia unit for 5 years, all elderly white people. Most of them were highly intelligent professionals. Scientists, bankers, engineers, professors, doctors and nurses. Devastating to see the way this disease takes a brilliant person and turns them into someone that has low to no cognitive abilities. It’s like their brains just simply gave up

  35. Oh my gosh, people. Calm the eff down. Longitudinal studies are always performed across various demographic groups. I don’t think *anyone* needs to worry that wealthy whites are underrepresented in studies about Alzheimer’s, or any other disease for that matter.

    Good grief.

  36. I dispute this claim. My mother and many others are educated, active socially, financially well off and Caucasian. Please explain why you only pigeon hole a specific ethnicity and economic profile. Just say everyone is not discriminated against. Dementia affects everyone.

  37. All studies are distorted by parameters set to meet expected or hoped for outcomes. That’s why FDA recommendations from studies funded by drug companies are all bogus. Including Covid vaccines, the biggest hose job of all.

  38. Stop Watching Me | July 23, 2022 at 8:14 pm | Reply

    At baseline visits, the data showed that 26.8% of Black participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or related dementias, as opposed to 36.1% of white participants.Dec 16, 2021

  39. Can’t people just take what useful information they can use from the facts presented and stop with all the racist phobias?
    I am white and found this very useful information. Stop eating junk, exercise more, stop causing problems or letting people acuse you problems and try some berries…black white or green , good advice! Thanks for the hard work put into this study.

  40. We keep talking about how its effected by things we do but, I think it comes from abuse. If we leave the environment we get sick in I bet we get better. Abused and traumatized. I’ve seen 3 woman go through it. The common factor was abuse in their life. I feel I’m headed down that same path. No one wants to consider it because that means telling people you know abusive people. I take care of myself very well, but I’m mistreated and found I loose memory after every time I’m yelled at by family.my Mother in law has it and she has been silently mistreated. No one wants to hear that though. I suffer from cpstd, research is looking the wrong way too long. In my opinion.

  41. More leftist tripe.

    • Clearly when information is over your head you label it “leftist .” Whatever that means. Why not stick to reading Mad Magazine. Clearly reading the results of social/scientific study that focuses on disparities based on race is not for you and you can help but interject your racist slant to everything that doesn’t fit your narrative. And that’s ok.

  42. I hope this doesn’t come across as being inaccurate or uneducated, but has anybody within these communities or groups received any help or support from the results of this scientific study?

    • Good question! African Americans have had a love-hate relationship with the medical community for decades. So there needs to be a lot of lifestyle education and trust building and that takes time. Judging by some of the ignorant, racist comments that are posted, it’s no wonder the US has such a dreadful healthcare system that is only slowly recognising that where we’re all human, we all are not the same and that’s ok. And yes, I am also Black American who is also a health coach.

  43. LMFAOOOO these comments are so funny

  44. Sheila speaks rational sanity, Freg

  45. Quit reading it once it started the equality and race stuff.

  46. When there are health disparities based on race there needs to be creditable scientific research to determine why that is. I’m not understanding some on the comments that are debunking the results because the participants were primarily Black. The bottom line if ANYONE eats well, gets proper rest, engages in a serious exercise routine as they age then there’s a higher reduction of certain diseases and conditions, including dementia.

  47. African Americans are effected more than any other racial group by hypertension, cardiac disease, obesity, kidney disease, as well as certain cancers and including dementia. Some of these comments are inherently racist and ignorant.

  48. Did any African-American researchers contribute to this study? Some people say other societies consider diversity a weakness and for that very reason try to use race to sow division amongst more racially diverse societies.

  49. Sheila, reread the study’s methodologiy carefully, it will reduce such a kneejerk interpretation as your comment doesn’t relate to this specific study.

    Eddie, right on it.

  50. Sheila, studies find volunteers and they are not handpicked by their race and economic situation. For Alzheimers studies it is particularly hard to find volunteers from minority populations. Because of past abuse of minority populations in clinical trials there is a racial disparity of clinical study participation, plainly not trusting to be in a study. There is a lot of effort to get a representative sample for a study,

  51. My mother developed Alzheimer’s and later Parkinson’s. She always had her mind working before with quilting, crossword and social activities

  52. You are genetically predisposed to it.

  53. Welcome to 2022, where EVERYTHING is about race – even science and medicine – and if you don’t agree, or if you dare to question it (e.g. in an article’s comments), you are a racist. At this point the word “racist” doesn’t even mean anything anymore.

  54. Bruce Johnson | July 25, 2022 at 5:50 pm | Reply

    Science has taught us that scientist will lie through their teeth if their career or peer status is the least bit threatened. Nothing but bad news is coming from Birx and reports of severe harm from covid vaccines. Fauci himself acknowledged menstrual problems. If a university, hospital, or government agency pays you, you lie and have no integrity. Willful blindness just shows your cowardice.

    • Awww you’ve been researching on youtube again. PS. Please forgive the condescending ‘Awww’ if you are in fact younger than twelve.

  55. I’ve read all of the comments and have formed a strong conclusion based on those comments. I’m confident we could not sit together at a table and enjoy a glass of “Top Shelf” Cabernet Sauvignon. However, I would love to have tried.

  56. This study explains nothing. My aunt died from ALZHEIMER’S. She kept a weight of 115lbs most of her life, never drank or smoked, drank at LEAST 4 cups of black tea EVERY DAY FOR DECADES. Stop with these biased tests and do some significant research to help with dementia.

  57. It’s “white”, not “White”. I know you want to do that because “Black”, not “black”—but don’t. Uppercase “b” is because Black is an ethnicity and culture. AMERICAN is a culture, but white is not.

  58. Jenny – “It’s “white”, not “White”. I know you want to do that because “Black”, not “black”—but don’t. Uppercase “b” is because Black is an ethnicity and culture. AMERICAN is a culture, but white is not.”
    Sounds like a racist comment.

  59. I wish there would be research on the prevention of Alzheimer’s instead of wasting money on what groups of people get it over another. Alzheimer’s was originally diagnosed as being diabetes 3 until big pharma realized they could make money. The American diet causes many diseases and cancer because it is mostly sugar and bad carbs based. Sugar is the main culprit in Alzheimer’s no matter where you live.

  60. Jesse the antibody Ventura | July 26, 2022 at 10:44 pm | Reply

    I took care of my Grandmother Mary the last 4 years of her life. She was 90. I studied and observed her very closely. I found Alzheimer’s is a disease. Dementia is a hijacking of the mind. Its diabolical. Remotely demons interfere with the subject. (hence prefix Dem) I actually caught them and they were already in her life before I picked her up in Utah. She was thrown to curb by Mormon church (she was high in pedigree of Granite Stakes).scientology building was behind her apartment. They set her up. Mormons busted for $100 billion embezzlement. No joke, she was dedicated to the Bishop even in her 80’s. They called and asked for her 4 years later a month after she died. Go figure$ The Mormons plan of tree of Jesse 💦🌱💦is Zion Missouri.🐜🐝 The 3rd Temple. I found a unpublished manuscript about Tecumseh and Camelot. A pearl of great worth ⚪
    Salt Lake. The hymns🎶✝️☦️🕍🕌

  61. Latinos? Asians? There are more Latinos in the US than black people, but media is always more concerned about the 10% of the population. Why is that Brazil and other countries that participated in slavery aren’t experiencing the same guilt? They don’t have a political party with radical nut jobs programming people through the media to be their mindless drones. Cultures have differences and there are slight differences in genetics but we are all humans with hopefully a higher consciousness than animals, hopefully we’ll turn away from divisive speech and action to treating fellow people with respect

  62. Inequality correlated dementia!!!! HiLARIOUS.

    All roads lead back to woke. I sane. This nation is inviting a master. Sad.

  63. Typical racist liberal science reports

    • Which reports have you been reading? There’s only one in this article and you seem to have based your comment on preconceptions not on reading/understanding the article.

  64. This inequality B’s is going too far. It is more affordable to eat healthy than eating poorly. You can get a whole chicken for 6 dollars, and 5 lbs of carrots for 3 dollars. It’s not a lack of education either EVERYONE can Google look up how to eat healthy. Diseases cannot be racist.

  65. You people need to get a life.

  66. Do any of these so called studies ever FOCUS on Dental health and the HORRIFIC PRACTICES in that field

  67. GladI I was Raised Right | July 28, 2022 at 8:37 am | Reply

    As a Black American female AMERICAN being the most important next to human being..this crap is sickening. My grandma is gonna be 96 years old and NEVER taught any of us this disproportionately disadvantaged crap. This study is yet another designed to falsely lead ppl to a fruitless conclusion for a condition that is still greatly unknown yet affects millions of families of all colors. So much I could say here, but come on!!!

  68. Study is fake science stack the deck for the outcome desired. Where are the numbers and hypothesis with level of confidence pure political nonsense

  69. Tammy Lombardi | July 28, 2022 at 1:08 pm | Reply

    You have to wonder all these medications that seniors seem to be prescribed once they get a certain age how NECESSARY are they really are. Maybe causing the senior problems. My great Aunt is 96 and takes NO medicincations that these Drs love to prescribe once you hit a certain age.shes never been Vaccinated either. Just saying

  70. @Shelia you are right and so are many others who see and complain about this study. It’s not for us but supposed to be about us. We are a generation different than generation X or the millennium generation. This is your world we are leaving but we are still here. The future is yours change it to suite you. Just remember us and allow us to live and enjoy our time here.

  71. Everything is about inequality now. Most utterly broken, despair ridden homeless people I’ve seen from coast to coast and in between are White, American born people.

    Yet it’s this propaganda daily shoved in our collective faces.

    What the F is wrong with you people?

    Next you’ll blame the old Apartheid system of South Africa as a root cause of “people of colour” having such a hard time in America.

    Do you realize your credibility is eroding daily? And you’re despicable.

  72. I come from a long line of alzheimer, 2 generations, my grandmother and 4 of her children, 1 being my mom . Scary stuff seeing it unfold in real time

  73. 😹😹😹 I wonder how much money was wasted on this

  74. Most people don’t realize the damage medications,both prescription and over the counter do to our brains over time; drugs like anti depressants, anxiety,sleeping pills,sinus medications answer over the counter sleeping pills. Shame on these findings for not including the harmful effects of drugs.

  75. Markarius Katuromunda | July 29, 2022 at 11:04 am | Reply

    What could be the relationship between amyloid Beta accumulation in the brain and diet?

  76. It would be nice if you broke each category down. Also maybe a suggestion of a different lifestyle choice for each.

  77. I absolutely agree with all the people waiting in on this subject matter. A person’s race has nothing to do with it. There are all kinds of races that get dementia or Alzheimer’s. Genetics plays the most part. People who are rich or poor get the disease. We need to stop trying to put race into everything. Our country was getting better with race until Obama and Biden made it their personal agenda. Let’s try using real facts and leave race out of it. We will never get better as human beings if we don’t stop bringing up negative agendas.

  78. This article and its obviously misguided author just confirms how much the PC narrative has infected even what should be rational and objective scientific discourse.
    The headline screams “inequality related dementia risk…”, etc.

    Except apparently the research shows that these improved outcomes are associated with personal choices, like alcohol on tobacco consumption, exercise and diet.
    it also specifically says these outcomes were “independent of race, education &income levels!

    So how are these differential outcomes, which seem related solely to personal individual choices but NOT Race, income, educational level etc., “inequality related”?

    This attempt to link everything to “inequality” With its thinly veiled implication of racism, is a systemic illness in our culture, which doesn’t contribute to any honest narrative either in science or elsewhere.
    It’s obvious that the main determining factor is here are related not to respond to personal lifestyle choices, which can be made regardless of income level or certainly race.

    Unfortunately this obsession with a currently fashion wall but fundamentally dishonest narrative about our society will not contribute at all to its overall improvement.

  79. Would just ask at reviewing some of these comments that “Carol Johnson” is of course exactly right &”Zooey” sounds like a mindless left lefty sheep mouthing irrelevant nonsense which makes her feel good about herself emotionally, But of course has nothing whatsoever to do with results of this sorry, it’s distorted headline come or fax in general.
    In other words, undoubtedly someone who voted for The hopeless Biden!

  80. The author compounds are misleading and PC distorted title with predictably Mindless “woke” narrative, Blabbing on about “people facing systemic and structural Disadvantages” Somehow forcing them to make worse Choices in exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, etc.

    Somehow all I see these days is minorities being actually favorably advantaged in applications to jobs, schools, etc.
    Over 3/4 of blacks themselves in a recent survey said that racism was not or an insignificant problem in their daily lives.

    So continually falling back on some mythical “ structural disadvantages” Sounds like it’s taken right from the totally mindless and dishonest CRT playbook.

    Just can’t understand what these imagined “structural disadvantages” Have to do with forcing people to make bad choices in tobacco, alcohol consumption, exercise, diet, etc. etc. How about some truth telling here, like talking about it all important role of personal behavioral choices?!

    And finally couldn’t help noticing that no bit of leftist pap would be complete without some comments desperately trying to bash President Trump! Must say I find this brain dead leftist narrative about one of the best president we ever had truly incredible, given the total ineptitude and outright corrupt incompetence of his successor!

  81. I totally agree, this is a pathetic racist issue again. And then all the ridiculous people on here saying no, don’t you get it basically making excuses just because of the color of their skin once again. It’s everything they do sorry but in every aspect of their lives we make excuses for one group of people. Perhaps look at the reason why they’re all lower class, on medicaid, instead of getting out and supporting themselves. It truly is I don’t call this a scientific study by any means at all, it’s nothing more than the what culture hitting again!!

  82. Sheryl has the best posting on this whole garbage forum. All u idiots or there that think this is a race issue need to get their head outta their asses. It’s pathetic to realize that most of the white people in the USA claim that they need to make America great again by making it more white couldn’t b father from the truth. American was NEVER WHITE. Asians came first then Eskimos then American Indians then the Spanish and oh then white puritans. So white people never made this country what it has become. It took ALL OF US and if u think about it the black man got here thru white people. because they didn’t want to perform the everyday menial tasks it took to survive. Y do u think the confederate’s succeeded from the union in the first place. The black man was gonna b free to call they’re own shots. Meaning Uncle Clem had to go pick his own cotton! I doubt most f*@kn white people Kno anything about cotton except barley knowing how to wipe their fat asses. These kinds of white people make me ashamed to b of Caucasian race. It’s mostly Trump’s favorite people white uneducated trailer park trash!

  83. There wasn’t dementia or alzheimers until a few generations ago. They weren’t spewing chemtrails on us, look up what chemicals are in chemtrails. Good luck with that (government cover up). How about the pesticides and herbicides (still selling glysophate). Hormones in livestock food. All of the GMOs. Oh, don’t forget all the meds and vaccines that get taken off the market when the patent runs out So much for “Do No Harm”. Thank you FDA, NIH, CDC, etc.

  84. Altimers comes from ticks… Ever who wrote this is a babyTard.

  85. Heather Martin | July 30, 2022 at 3:35 am | Reply

    I agree that the emphasis on ‘race’ in modern research is misleading and, ultimately, a huge waste of time and resources. But using race is a very good way to get published and noticed, no matter what useless and insupportable evidence is used. A person I know succeeded in getting a good degree with a dissertation about black soldiers. He openly admitted that he chose the subject because the ‘black’ element would get him a higher mark than he would otherwise have been able to achieve. I think this article falls into that category and we should stop rewarding people for this covertly racist and divisive behaviour.

  86. This isn’t true medical research. It’s social justice garbage. Hurts the credibility of Vanderbilt.

  87. Fellow Traveler | July 30, 2022 at 6:20 am | Reply

    My Lord! The comments section is a study of its own in basic Science education and literacy. I stopped reading after considering half of the 98 comments posted, but I would bet two trends held:
    1. No one pointed out that “SciTechDaily.com” is a website that publishes articles ABOUT select topics, but what you are reading is ONE writer’s (incomplete) summary of the ACTUAL article. If anyone want to know what the researchers concluded, go to the “Findings” or “Conclusions” section of the research paper itself.
    2. When we discuss what we’ve personally experienced and use that to justify our thinking, it’s a pretty common pattern of thinking, but it’s contrary to “scientific thinking”. Anecdotal evidence is what people default to when they hold a belief to reinforce that belief. This goes hand-in-hand with “confirmation bias” where you can present say 98 people with the say information and they will interpret it in a way that reinforces their preexisting beliefs.
    If your feed offered you an article the had the word inequality in it, it doesn’t follow that the scientists are trying to convince the general population of anything (in fact, SciTechDaily readers aren’t the audience they spent months analyzing 20 years of data for). Researchers write for doctors, healthcare professionals, and epidemiologists that use that information to try and PREVENT more people from suffering with particular diseases.
    Two things to consider (f anyone ever reads this diatribe):
    1. It’s not all about you and/or your tribe. People (or at least our brains) are meaning-making machines. If we don’t understand something, we’ll find an explanation that makes the discomfort of not knowing go away. When you read, try asking questions rather than drawing conclusions.THAT’S how “Science” works, by asking good questions and not assuming we KNOW anything.
    2. If you have a loved one or you yourself might be at higher risk of dementia, aren’t you a little bit glad that SOMEONE, ANYONE is trying to prevent and treat this debilitating condition? Before people started seeing the word “inequality” and interpreting it unconsciously as “woke” or whatever, they might have been intrigued enough to wonder how the research might help people and keep EVERYONE’S taxes lower. Healthcare is expensive, the longer people stay healthy and independent, the better off we are as a society.
    There has always been inequality,but if anyone commenting has a K-12 in the US education, that’s because folks in 1851 started talking about the ‘rightness” of education the ” common man. Would we be better off if that level of inequality was ignored? What I personally recognized and “feel to be true” is that we’re all doing the best we can in a complex world and there is a vast inequality between the producers of information (at least 8 years beyond HS), the interpreters, like journalists or more accurately “freelance Science Writers” (perhaps 4 years beyond high school), and the consumers (HS education or more, but not educated the the “hard Sciences).
    Let’s not disparage researchers because we don’t like their conclusions or we don’t fully speak their language…everytime someone survives cancer, they have many, many scientists/researchers to thank.

  88. Interesting article but marred by writer’s need to Insert some PC nonsense about “ Inequality related dementia quote into the headline. There is zero evidence in the research as described, which apparently adjusted for “race, sex, income level, etc.” any factors having to do with “ Inequality in determining rates of dementia”

    Instead personal choices unrelated to call race, sex, education, or income levels” About smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise etc. are the critical factors which have nothing whatsoever to do with “inequality” but instead are personal Behavioral choices.
    Seems that the writer would prefer obscuring these simple truths to somehow trying to present the findings from the study as having to do with the brain dead “woke” Types finding “any quality “& ” racism” Everywhere, even though nowadays in the US it rarely is a deciding factor in anything.

    This piece is just one more sad example of how the leftz’s fashionable but mostly Dishonest narrative about race and “inequality” Fundamentally distorts and makes dishonest the real causes of poverty, crying, and health outcomes in this country,i.e. Personal behavioral choices unrelated to raise, income etc.

    And it’s not just that this leftist “Woke “narrative” It’s so fundamentally dishonest, even worse it’s divisive and polarizing

    Get over it.

  89. Sgt. Blackwell | July 30, 2022 at 2:22 pm | Reply

    Climate, health, Christianity, and even the idea of a merit based society are all being ushered into the category racial injustices. This article simply reflects something much greater than the “science” it is referring to. I come from a very biracial family and we have been very adamant about looking into things from a more logical point of view, especially believing that minority communities are more susceptible to a mental disease than white people, this simply doesn’t reflect actual reality. I hope people will dig into issues for themselves, more so ones regarding racial discrepancies. Also that comment about Texans was pretty shallow, Tom, maybe you should diversify your thought patterns more often than none….

  90. Look to ALL VACCINES…..PERIOD.

  91. My dad had it and passed away 2 years into it. He never smoked, drank very little and was in good health. His mom, aunt and cousins had it. The doctors here says it hereditary. I was tested and they say to retest every year. I’m 64 now so who knows.
    As for the article I stopped reading it as soon as I realized it was ‘woke’ and stupid.
    Pray for this country, with idiots like this writer it’s clear we are living in a messed up world.

  92. Thank you Josh , presented well.

  93. Nutrition is the key word. ‘Try’ to eat food which has not been messed with. Wash all fruit and vegatables before consuming or cooking. Here in the UK we have labels whch actually state which pesticides are on some of the products. How I shudder when I see mothers open packets of fruit straight out of the supermarket and hand it over to their kids. Apart from the weed-killing spraying, what about the dirt, who the heck has filty hands packing the stuff Yuk!!!.Also If you investigate, the majority of elderley folk in care homes have been jabbed for years with the flu vaccine. My doctor said ‘not to worry’ it’s only got a little mercury in it. Add that up year after year. Oh! and by the way he said he and his staff in the clinic, do not have the flu vaccine. Why I wonder if they push it on everyone else?. Just a thought….

  94. Randy squires | July 31, 2022 at 2:33 pm | Reply

    My white mother had a healthy lifestyle. Gardening, walking everyday, no alcohol, tea only.
    Maybe it was the suntan block?
    Maybe the weed killer?
    Maybe the estrogen pills?
    Get a better diverse study group!

  95. Where am I?

  96. It’s no secret that America has a disparity in health maintenance which includes quality of food and care. My father was diagnosed, he has excellent health care and not poor, but his city is. 72% Black, and ranked the most unhealthy in his state. That is systemic and real. I changed his diet since his doctor knew nothing; more B vitamins, green leafy veggies, MCT OIL, K2, removed him from a stressful environment, Ginko Bilbao and NO SUGAR!!!!! HBP/diabetes/dementia are linked!

  97. So we adjust our findings to meat our agenda once again. If you can afford to spend hundreds of dollars a month on hair , nails and designer shoes you can afford to eat healthy! You chose not to. I know most healthy food is no as tasty has fried chicken and high fat foods like ribs and Mac n cheese. But, consuming those food are a choice and not mother nature being racist!! Besides diet doesn’t always equal health. My Sicilian mother who followed a medertrain diet and whom was a healthy weight her whole life. Developed dementia. She was.poor but, had the attitude if you can spend 20 bucks on Jack food you can spend same of fresh fruits and vegetables. She also never ate canned or processed food. She made from scratch meals even while working and raising 9 kids. Again unhealthy behavior is a chose not a racist act of god.

  98. A lot of it is due to air pollution , exhaust and other contaminants

  99. Not an empowering study. Many healthier foods that are dementia fighting are on the cheaper side, like the varieties of veggies and root crops. It takes knowledge and wisdom as well application to reap the benefits. But of course it is diffucult to change a person just by telling him or her what is a better lifestyle whether he is poor or rich. On the socioeconomic section on access to healthy foods. It is difficult to get everybody on board about eating healthier foods even if the public health goverment found a solution to provide money to everyone so everyone has equal access to healthy foods to help lessen dementia. There are other variables that affect an individual’s or family’s decision to choose to eat healthy foods. I find the study repetitious and not empowering.

  100. Cynthia Binder | August 2, 2022 at 1:54 pm | Reply

    the time has come to say all in the family. These things happen, thats drunk uncle , miss know it all, etc. Whole foods properly cooked, healthy no stomach ache here. Sleep makes the body heal from within. Exercise is great sweaty blood is pumping breathing is a essential easy. Most important is environmental, air,water,non pollination. Words for encouragement not insults or lies of heart, disenchanted bull_hit. Look at me true health is from love,👶 🚼 🍼 🤱 🤰 nine happy pain free months. N then some. Ok who’s laughing someone is 😂🤣😆😅😇laughing outloud. Don’t cry 👶baby👾 😢 😘 😭 🤧 👶 🚼 🍼 baby boss shows up, call the sitter

  101. Patricia Mitchell | August 2, 2022 at 2:53 pm | Reply

    It does seem to be somewhat diet proven by the Indian diet with large amounts of curry- turmeric but no matter what the aluminum poured down on us makes no one immune..

  102. Dementia is just another form/ way of our body deteriorating/ aging/ wearing out. The brain wears out just like your knee ( but you can get a knee replacement Surgery- huh.). Our bodies wasn’t meant to last forever- but we have some that try everyway possible, to find that ” Fountain of Youth”- or believe they are just going to live forever. When you are young- you never think about your body wearing out/ as you feel invincible- and com’n- admit it now…we all ( majority of us) probably have abused our bodies, in some fashion, way, or form..and even if we still took perfect care..of them/ we are still destined…to the time where they will begin to fail. Earn-out. Aging process cannot be stopped/ nor slowed down ( no matter what or how hard you try) Father Time catches up to us all. Life is like a sheet of paper…” turned sideways”. A Vapor. Dementia and Alzheimer’s is a terrible Disease…for sure. Especially to those whom are the closest to you ( such as your Family/ Loved ones). Cherish every moment you have, and those memories..while you can. We are just passing through…this world. Its temporary. We experience sickness…then death. What truly matters is where you spend Eternity. John 3:16 God’s promise to us is a New Earth..with No more Sickness, and No more Pain, nor Sorrow, nor tears. For Eternity..if we only Believe in him, that he came into the world, and died on the Cross for ” our Sins”- the Whole Worlds Sins”- so that we could be Saved- by his Grace. That’s why right before he died…that day…on the Cross- he said, ” It is Finished”. God sent his only Son- into this world, to walk as a man ( Flesh) – and was a Perfect man ( the only Perfect man to ever walk this Earth)/ He came to Seek and Save…those who were troubled. Even…when they whipped him, and then crucified him…he stilled hang there on the Cross asking God the Father ” to Forgive them”- for they know Not what they do.The Thief that was hung beside Jesus that day told Jesus that he was guilty and deserved his punishment- but knew that Jesus had not done anything to warrant him to be hung…and asked for forgiveness. Jesus told the thief that ” Today…he would be with him”- in Paradise!! ( Meaning Heaven) You too…do not need worry about Dementia, nor Death- if only…you accept him..as your Personal Savior. All you have to do, is sincerely believe- in him/ ask him to ” Come into your heart”/ and that you want to live for him…humble yourself..and he will Forgive you of ” All your Sins” and you will be saved by his Grace. This promise he has made..to us, that only believe. Then he will send the Holy Spirit to you, and you will forever be changed. He said we will still have trials, and tempations..but by ” Faith” are we Saved…by Grace. ” Faith”- is the substance of things not yet seen. ” Faith” comes by hearing, and by hearing the Word of God. If you gave your heart to Jesus..then please get you a bible. Start…reading..the Gospels first. These..will help you. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John ( First). They ( the Gospels) tell the accounts of Jesus- and his Disciples. It will help..with ” everyday life”, and life’s problems..that arise. The Bible…is a book..of the beginning of time- until the end of time. Jesus said…” I am the Alpha, and Omega…the beginning, and the end.” May God Bless you Always.

  103. Having worked in locked dementia facilties, and private in-home care, all of which are prolifically expensive, I have cared for many upper income individuals.

    A retired Senator for example. Many other wealthy people. All of them were trapped by their minds. Truly, truly heart-breaking.

    Dementia, Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body diseases, do not discriminate!

    I sincerely hope to see improvements
    For the understanding and hopefully, treatment in my lifetime.

    It is so deeply sad and difficult to work with.

    I am not going into this study, as my own experiences have been with the opposite ends of the spectrum, but believe me, these illnesses DO NOT discriminate.

  104. GENETICS… first and foremost.
    It’s the reason you sée it on ALL questionnaires of personal family health history, along side of heart, cancer, high-blood pressure, cardiovascular disease..etc. Diet and lifestyle are still in the infantile study stages..but relevant. This study is but one of a myriad of medical opinions geared towards discovery. A simple Google search, will produce HUNDREDS of Lab studies, with both correlating and dissenting Medical opinions.

  105. My husband who had been diagnosed with Dementia for 2 years at the age of 62 had all his symptoms reversed with Ayurveda medicine from naturalherbscentre. com after undergoing their Dementia natural protocol, he’s now able to comprehend what is seen. God Bless all Dementia disease Caregivers. Stay Strong, take small moments throughout the day to thank yourself, to love your self, and pray to whatever faith, star, spiritual force you believe in and ask for strength. I can personally vouch for these remedy but you would probably need to decide what works best for you💜.

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