Having a mental health coach can delay memory loss in older adults: study
A recent two-year study led by researchers at UC San Francisco and Kaiser Permanente Washington shows promising results by demonstrating that personalized health and lifestyle changes can delay and even prevent memory loss in older adults at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
This study, known as SMARRT (Systematic Multi-Domain Alzheimer’s Risk Reduction Trial), marks a milestone by offering personalized interventions based on each participant’s risk profile, preferences and priorities.
172 older adults participated in the research, divided into two groups: those who received personalized training to improve their health and lifestyle, and those without intervention. The results were striking, with the intervention group experiencing a modest 74% increase on cognitive tests compared to the no-intervention group.
Dr. Kristine Yaffe, first author and principal investigator of the study, highlighted the uniqueness of this personalized intervention. “ This is the first personalized intervention that focuses on multiple areas of cognition, with risk factor targets tailored to each participant’s risk profile, preferences and priorities. “We believe this approach may be more effective than one-size-fits-all strategies.”
Also Read: Switching to a vegetarian diet can prevent heart disease and diabetes
The participants, aged between 70 and 89, had at least two of eight risk factors for dementia, including physical inactivity, uncontrolled hypertension and uncontrolled diabetes. In the intervention group, participants were guided by health professionals to choose the risk factors they were most interested in addressing and received regular coaching to help them refine their goals.
Improvement in lifestyle
The positive impact of the intervention was reflected not only in cognitive improvements but also in measures of risk factors and quality of life, with increases of 145% and 8%, respectively. These results challenge previous studies that have yielded conflicting results on the effectiveness of health and lifestyle interventions.
The study also addressed the impact of the pandemic on the cognitive health of the participants. Although social distancing negatively affected many older adults, participants in the intervention group showed better cognitive outcomes and fewer risk factors even during the pandemic.
Dr. Eric B. Larson, the co-author of the study, highlighted the importance of these personalized interventions compared to anti-amyloid drugs. “Unlike medications, risk reduction programs are not expensive, do not have strict eligibility criteria, or require extensive monitoring for side effects,” he said.
With these encouraging results, researchers envision a future where the treatment of Alzheimer’s and related dementias combines risk reduction and specific medications targeting the mechanisms of the disease. This comprehensive approach could transform the way we approach and treat neurodegenerative diseases in the older adult population.
