As we get older, different parts of our bodies age at different speeds. A new study shows that our lifestyle choices can affect how quickly our brains age.
Researchers from Sweden studied 70-year-olds without memory problems and found that keeping our blood vessels healthy can help our brains stay young. This means doing things like exercising regularly, eating well, not smoking, and controlling our blood sugar levels.
Older-looking brains were linked to not being active, having diabetes, having had a stroke, and having high inflammation and blood sugar levels. Men and women had different factors affecting their brain age, with glucose levels being more important for men. The researchers used AI technology to assess brain age from MRI scans.
Healthy blood vessels are important for protecting our brains and reducing the risk of dementia. Future research will focus on how social factors like relationships, sleep, and stress can affect brain resilience, especially for women.
The study was published in the Alzheimer’s & Dementia journal.
Vocabulary List:
- Lifestyle /ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl/ (noun): The way in which a person or group lives.
- Inflammation /ˌɪnfləˈmeɪʃən/ (noun): A localized physical condition characterized by redness swelling heat and pain.
- Resilience /rɪˈzɪl.jəns/ (noun): The ability to recover quickly from difficulties.
- Diabetes /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz/ (noun): A metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar.
- Assess /əˈsɛs/ (verb): To evaluate or estimate the nature ability or quality of something.
- Dementia /dɪˈmɛnʃə/ (noun): A chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury.
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