Healthy lifestyle choices may lower risk of depression, dementia, and stroke

• A recent study examined how several lifestyle factors influenced late-life depression, dementia, and stroke risk.
• Results show healthier lifestyles were linked to lower incidences of late-life depression and also a reduced risk of combined outcomes including stroke, dementia, and late-life depression.
• Opting for a healthier lifestyle is better for brain health, which may contribute to improved long-term health outcomes.

Research on how everyday activities and lifestyle choices contribute to mental well-being and brain health is ongoing. One area of interest is how these lifestyle choices affect later risk for depression.

A study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry examined how brain care measurements relate to risk for late-life depression.

Including data from over 355,000 participants, researchers found that for each five-point increase in brain care scores, indicating healthier lifestyle choices, there was a 33% reduced risk for late-life depression.

Each five-point increase was also associated with a 27% decrease in risk for a composite outcome of stroke, dementia , and late-life depression.

The results point to concrete action steps that can help people reduce their risk for age-related brain diseases.

Non-study author and psychotherapist Dr. Noah Kass, DSW, LCSW , shared his thoughts on the findings with Medical News Today :

“The study’s findings highlight the interconnectedness of stroke, dementia, and depression. It emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to brain health. The Brain Care Score (BCS) provides a practical tool for individuals and healthcare providers to identify lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk of these conditions. This research shows that brain health involves not only preventing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s but also addressing mental health issues such as depression. The large dataset used in the study enhances the credibility of these findings, suggesting a robust link between lifestyle factors and brain health outcomes.”

Healthy lifestyle influences depression, dementia, and stroke risk

The authors of this study wanted to look at factors that influence brain health and how this relates to late-life depression, which is depression that develops after the age of 60.

They excluded participants with certain conditions like schizophrenia, manic episodes, and bipolar affective disorder.

Researchers utilized data from the UK Biobank , including 363,323 participants in their data collection on late-life depression and 358,198 in the composite event cohort that looked at dementia, stroke, and late-life depression altogether.

To look at brain health factors, researchers used a brain care score. The brain care score researchers used in this study was a modified version of something already developed to look at several risk factors for certain age-related brain diseases.

The brain care score takes into account physical components such as:

• blood pressure
• cholesterol levels
• body mass index (BMI)

It also includes lifestyle factors like nutrition, sleep, and alcohol intake and social-emotional factors like stress levels, relationships, and purpose in life.

For this study, researchers excluded the purpose of life measurement and modified the nutrition section, leading to slightly different scoring. However, overall, higher scores indicate better brain health, with a highest possible score of 19 in this study.

Researchers looked at cases of late-life depression and included a subset sensitivity analysis that included data from general practitioners.

The average brain care score among participants was 12, and the median follow-up time was 12.5 and 12.4 years in the subpopulation analysis that included general practitioner data.

Overall, the study’s results found that each five-point increase in brain care scores was associated with a 33% risk reduction in late-life depression. The results were even more drastic for younger participants.

For participants younger than 50 years old at baseline, each five-point score increase was associated with a 59% lower risk for late-life depression. In their sensitivity analysis that included general practitioner data, researchers found that each five-point increase in brain care scores was associated with a 40% reduced risk for late-life depression.

Researchers also found that each five-point increase in brain care scores was associated with a 27% reduction in incidents of dementia or stroke or late-life depression.

More research into brain care scores needed

Despite the implications the research does have limitations.

First, while the UK Biobank does provide helpful information, the sample doesn’t necessarily represent the general population, so caution is warranted in generalizing the results.

Future research could also include data from participants in other countries.

Second, components of brain care scores relied on self-reporting from participants, which could have led to inaccuracies.

There is also a risk of missing data, such as missed depression diagnoses, and the data cannot infer causality.

Study author Christopher D. Anderson, MD, MMSc , shared with MNT his thoughts on future research in this area:

“We would love to know more about how to get the Brain Care Score into at risk communities, how to build community partnerships and trust around the brain care score, and how to adapt the brain care score to maintain relevance across different cultures around the world. We also want to continuously improve the brain care score to keep pace with the latest science, rooting the score in the most robust science to inspire trust and encourage engagement.”

Tips to improve brain health

As noted in the study, the brain care score contains aspects like blood sugar average, cholesterol levels , blood pressure, smoking status, vigorous activity measurement, and mental elements like stress levels.

People can work on these aspects with appropriate help from doctors and other specialists.

“Clinically, these are good reminders for areas where anyone can improve. All of us scanning this list will find some areas where we know we can improve,” non-study author Alex Dimitriu, MD a double board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, told MNT .

“Personally, I found this a helpful reminder of studied factors, backed by research that improve brain health. And that is a good motivator for anyone,” he added.

Anderson noted the following:

“One of the advantages we have shown with the BCS [brain care score] in this manuscript and our prior work is that a five point positive difference in BCS reduces the risk of stroke, dementia, and late-life depression. But you can get that five point difference any way you’d like. If you’re having a hard time with your weight and your diabetes, you can still make a difference by eating healthy, sleeping well, and exercising to get your five point improvement. Then, maybe you can circle back to some of the more challenging components in the future. We want to see people feel empowered and positive about their brain care, because each positive step has a tangible impact on healthy aging.”