New Hope for Preventing Dementia: A Multifaceted Approach

Credit: Metrocreative

The fight against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia has seen a promising new development. A recent study conducted by Dean Ornish, M.D. and his team at the University of California, San Francisco, sheds light on how a combination of non-medication interventions might aid in preventing dementia progression in those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This groundbreaking research could pave the way for new preventive strategies, offering hope to millions affected by this debilitating condition.

The Study Design

The study was a randomized, controlled clinical trial, included fifty-one participants, all of whom had mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. The average age of participants was 73.5 years. To ensure consistency, researchers excluded individuals with moderate or severe dementia and those unable to engage in regular physical activity.

Participants were divided into two groups: the control group, which received standard care, and the intervention group, which received standard care along with four specific lifestyle interventions. These interventions included a whole-foods, minimally processed plant-based diet with specific supplements and low levels of harmful fats and refined carbohydrates; moderate daily exercise and mild strength training; stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises; and regular participation in support groups three times a week.

Credit: Burst

The intervention lasted for 20 weeks, with comprehensive support provided to the intervention group, including food supplies, exercise assistance, supervision of stress management techniques, and access to support groups. Researchers used various tools to assess cognitive and functional outcomes, including the AD Assessment Scale—Cognitive Subscale, Clinical Global Impression of Change, Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes, and Clinical Dementia Rating Global.

Promising Results

The results of the study were significant. The control group exhibited declines across all four cognitive and functional assessments, underscoring the progressive nature of Alzheimer’s disease. In contrast, the intervention group showed improvements in three of the assessments and less progression in the fourth. These findings suggest that the lifestyle interventions had a protective effect on cognitive function.

Additionally, the intervention group demonstrated improvements in microbiome configuration and clinically relevant biomarkers, indicating broader physiological benefits from the lifestyle changes. According to Ornish, “the more these patients changed their lifestyle in the prescribed ways, the greater was the beneficial impact on their cognition and function.”

While not all participants in the intervention group showed improvement, the majority did. Specifically, in the Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC) test, 71% of the intervention group either improved or remained unchanged, compared to none in the control group. In the control group, 68% of participants worsened, highlighting the stark contrast between the two groups.

Implications for the Future

The implications of these findings are profound. Should future research confirm these results, lifestyle interventions could become a cornerstone in preventing progression in the early dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.