Making a single simple lifestyle choice could be the most important thing you do when it comes to maintaining your cognitive function as you age, according to a study spanning 14 countries published in Nature Communications. Findings from this study led by researchers from University College London (UCL) suggest that smoking may be the most influential factor in whether or not older adults develop dementia.
The study
For this study, more than 32,000 adults spanning 14 countries between the ages of 50 to 104 were followed for up to 15 years, examining 16 different lifestyle combinations; isolating and focussing on the effects of smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, and social engagement on cognitive decline. Participants filled out questionnaires as well as underwent memory and verbal fluency testing to measure cognitive function at multiple points over the years to track how cognitive function changed over time.
