Study details

For the study, researchers used the 21-point Brain Care Score, which measures modifiable risk factors for age-related brain diseases, such as dementia, stroke, and late-life depression.

The Brain Care Score also assesses blood pressure, BMI, weekly dietary and sleep habits, aerobic exercise, as well as hemoglobin, cholesterol, and stress levels. A higher score indicates better brain care.

Researchers analyzed 368,340 U.K. Biobank participants over nearly 12 years of follow-up. The median age was 58 years, and 46.3% of participants were men.

Over the research duration, each 5-point improvement in Brain Care Score was associated with a reduced risk of dementia, stroke, and late-life depression.

Along with Brain Care Scores, researchers also leveraged polygenic risk scores, specifically using APOE status to detect the APOE4 allele, which has the strongest risk factor of developing Alzheimer's. Over half (59%) of participants had wild-type genetic risk for dementia, as indicated by APOE3 homozygotes.

For all three age-related brain diseases, the median follow-up time with participants was 12.5 years. During follow up, there were 9,361 stroke cases, 6,959 dementia cases, and 14,371 late-life depression cases. 

"These results are particularly important now that direct-to-consumer companies are returning polygenic risk data to their customers," the researchers said. "Along these lines, our results support the notion that genetic predisposition can be counterbalanced by lifestyle and health behavior modifications."

However, the researchers emphasized that the study was observational and that any relationships between Brain Care Scores and outcomes were not causal. The study design also did not allow them to assess the independence of the components within the Brain Care Score. In the future, additional research could how clarify the impact of changes in baseline Brain Care Scores over time, the researchers said.

"Controlling risk factors can go a long way toward promoting healthy aging even if your genetics are working against you," Anderson said.