Have you ever wondered about how to increase human lifespan or at least, how to increase one's health span? This post introduces you the concept for lasting brain health, to promote better cognitive health over your life span.
Many researchers and health pundits would argue that health span is more important than how long someone actually lives. So, it is more important to ask questions like "How to live a better life?" or "How to live longer and healthier?" I would go one step further and argue how important it is to live longer if you cannot enjoy life due to poor cognitive function. How important is it to live long while your brain is not working the way it did before? It is widely believed that brain function declines as we age, and some even suggest that this decline starts as early as someone's 30s. But, what if I told you that this does not have to be your destiny? In fact, many scientists now believe that increasing lifespan or health span is not as unattainable as it was once thought to be.
A brief exploration of the general life expectancy of people would confirm that individuals are living significantly longer. However, how about our brain's health? The longer life expectancy seems to be accompanied by a significant increase in the prevalence of dementia across the world, especially in developed countries (Chang, et. al., 2015; AAIC, 2023), and dementia becoming one of the major causes of death worldwide ( World Health Organization, 2023). Some may argue that the increase in reported dementia rates may be due to advancements in the diagnostic process. Others may argue that now that people are living longer, degenerative diseases like dementia, which happen more frequently in older ages, have an opportunity to develop, unlike the era when fewer people lived long enough to develop diseases like dementia.
Although each of these theories and many others could be feasible, it does not change the fact that we are not helpless. It is still possible to live longer while avoiding many of the diseases associated with aging. Although this idea may be far-fetched, taking a closer look around us could prove that it is indeed possible to avoid many diseases related to aging.
Through advancements in the field of genetics, many people can find out about their chances of developing certain diseases, such as cancers or dementia, at a relatively cheap price using publicly available genotyping services, such as 23&me, or other compnaies. The knowledge about the presence of certain genes that may lead to the development of those diseases later on allows us to be more vigilant about it. For example, someone who knows they are at risk of developing breast cancer can address this potential by performing tests, performing precautionary surgeries, and improving their diet before the actual disease finds the opportunity to manifest itself. The same goes for cognitive decline, dementia, and many other brain-related diseases related to aging.
Similarly, we are not helpless about age-related diseases such as dementia. For example, it is believed that one of the major predictors for the development of Alzheimer's disease is the presence of APOE ε4, which has been shown to be a strong predictor of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (e.g. Lin, et. al., 2018). However, many factors could help delay the onset of the symptoms. For example, although more research is needed, some studies have shown that certain diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, can be helpful in protecting against cognitive decline and dementia. Aside from the diet, certain life skills, such as bilingualism, could delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms by up to 5 years (e.g. Costumero, et. al., 2020; Bialystok, et al., 2012; Craig, et al., 2010). This is interesting as brain imaging shows that although the patients' brain mass may be declining, those bilinguals are still able to carry on their daily lives independently, using their cognitive reserves, contributing to a longer health span.
Whether by contributing to actual lifespan or at least increasing the health span, we can see that there are several paths to achieve a higher quality of life, especially at older ages. I call this effort to maintain sharper cognitive abilities and avoid or at least delay the onset of cognitive decline the quest for Brain Longevity. By now, you may have realized that this quest should start way before old age. Think about your Brain Longevity the same way you think about your career. We all strive to have a good job and income to support our needs and wants now, in a year from now, as well as later on during our retirement. It is so difficult to start your retirement plans when you are only a year away from it. Similarly, to have a healthy life, both now and during older ages, we need to take action right now. Addressing your diet, physical activities, and lifestyle, all help you to have a better quality of life now and in the future. Whether you are younger or older, here's to improving the quality of our lives.
Related Scientific findings:
Ballarini, T., Melo van Lent, D., Brunner, J., Wolf, D., Lütjohann, D., Prange, S., ... & Wagner, M. (2021). Mediterranean diet, Alzheimer disease biomarkers and brain atrophy in old age. Neurology, 96(24), e2920-e2932. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000012081
Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I., & Freedman, M. (2007). Bilingualism as a protection against the onset of symptoms of dementia. Neuropsychologia, 45(2), 459-464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.10.009
Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I., & Luk, G. (2012). Bilingualism: Consequences for mind and brain. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(4), 240-250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2012.03.001
Chang, M., Jonsson, P. V., Snaedal, J., Bjornsson, S., Saczynski, J. S., Eiriksdottir, G., ... & Launer, L. J. (2015). The effect of midlife physical activity on cognitive function among older adults: AGES—Reykjavik Study. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 70(4), 471-477. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glu092
Alzheimer's Association International Conference. (2023). Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 19(1), 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12638
World Health Organization. (2023). Dementia. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia
Lin, Y. T., Seo, J., Gao, F., Feldman, H. M., Wen, H. L., Penney, J., ... & Tsai, L. H. (2018). APOE4 causes widespread molecular and cellular alterations associated with Alzheimer's disease phenotypes in human iPSC-derived brain cell types. Neuron, 98(6), 1141-1154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2018.05.008
Costumero, V., Marin-Marin, L., Calabria, M., Belloch, V., Escudero, J., Baquero, M., & Ávila, C. (2020). A cross-sectional and longitudinal study on the protective effect of bilingualism against dementia using brain atrophy and cognitive measures. Neuropsychologia, 146, 107529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107529
Craig, L. A., Hong, N. S., & McDonald, R. J. (2010). Revisiting the cholinergic hypothesis in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 34(6), 855-868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.01.012
Troutwine, B. R., Hamid, L., Lysaker, C. R., Strope, T. A., & Wilkins, H. M. (2021). Apolipoprotein E and Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiology of Disease, 148, 105218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105218
Disclaimer
This information is provided for general use only and to raise awareness about brain health and longevity. Before implementing any of the recommendations provided here, please review them with your healthcare provider. Not all recommendations may be suitable for everyone.
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