Can You Lower Your Risk for Dementia?

Summary

Chasing Life: Can You Lower Your Risk for Dementia?

Host: Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Episode Release Date: August 5, 2025
Podcast Description: Exploring the secrets of the happiest and healthiest people on the planet, Dr. Sanjay Gupta delves into scientific research and personal stories to uncover ways to enhance longevity, happiness, and health.

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Introduction

In this insightful episode of Chasing Life, Dr. Sanjay Gupta addresses pivotal questions surrounding cognitive health and dementia risk. The episode titled "Can You Lower Your Risk for Dementia?" features discussions on the impact of type 2 diabetes on cognitive decline and the potential benefits of engaging in new languages or musical instruments to preserve brain health.

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1. Type 2 Diabetes and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Timestamp: [00:24] - [05:53]

Question from Alan, Ottawa, Canada: "Does having type 2 diabetes accelerate cognitive decline if you're over the age of 70?"

Dr. Gupta's Response:

Dr. Gupta affirms a significant connection between type 2 diabetes and increased risk of cognitive decline. He states:

"Studies find that diabetes can increase the odds of developing cognitive decline up to two times." ([02:11])

Highlighting the prevalence, he mentions that approximately 11% of the general population and nearly 30% of those over 65 live with diabetes. This demographic is notably at higher risk for various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

Key Insights:

• Age of Onset Matters: Developing diabetes at a younger age correlates with a higher risk of cognitive decline after 70.

• Potential Mechanisms:

  • Vascular Damage: Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which can damage blood vessels in the brain.
  • Chemical Imbalance: Insulin resistance can disrupt essential brain chemicals, potentially triggering cognitive issues.
  • Inflammation: High blood sugar levels foster a pro-inflammatory environment, harming brain cells.

Dr. Gupta emphasizes the role of lifestyle in mitigating these risks:

"Probably around 40% of dementia cases are preventable through lifestyle changes." ([02:11])

Preventative Measures:

• Healthy Diet: Adopting a balanced and nutritious eating plan.
• Physical Activity: Engaging in regular exercise to maintain overall health and blood sugar levels.
• Brain Exercises: Stimulating the brain through various mental activities.
• Social Engagement: Staying socially active to support cognitive functions.

He references the Poynter Study, which involved around 2,000 cognitively healthy individuals aged 60-79. Participants who engaged in structured lifestyle intervention programs, including 30 minutes of cardio daily, weight training, and a Mediterranean-DASH diet, showed improvements in cognitive function. Notably, even individuals diagnosed with early Alzheimer's experienced slowed or reversed disease progression through lifestyle modifications alone.

"There's clearly a connection between lifestyle and dementia... there's a lot that you can do about it." ([02:11])

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2. Learning New Languages or Musical Instruments to Slow Cognitive Decline

Timestamp: [07:31] - [10:39]

Question from Cal: "Can learning a new language or even picking up a new instrument help slow down cognitive decline? Or what kind of impact does that have?"

Dr. Gupta's Response:

Dr. Gupta enthusiastically explores the cognitive benefits of acquiring new skills:

"Learning a new language is kind of like a form of developing cognitive reserve... helping to fight off the initial symptoms of dementia." ([07:48])

Key Points:

• Cognitive Reserve: Engaging in novel and challenging activities builds a reserve that enhances the brain's resilience against cognitive decline.

• Beyond Crossword Puzzles: While beneficial, repetitive activities like crossword puzzles primarily enhance skills specific to that task. In contrast, learning new languages or instruments stimulates diverse and widespread brain regions.

Supporting Studies:

1. Twin Study: Investigated genetically identical twins where one twin played a musical instrument while the other did not. Results showed that the twin who played an instrument had a significantly lower likelihood of developing dementia and cognitive impairment, even after accounting for education and physical activity levels.

2. Professional Musicians Research:

   • Early Training Impact: Musicians who began training before age 7 exhibited thicker areas in parts of the brain such as the anterior corpus callosum, which connects the brain's hemispheres.
   • Late-Life Learning: Individuals who took up instruments later in life experienced enhanced attention, improved thinking skills, and better overall mental health.

"Taking that a step further, there was a study that found professional musicians who began training before age 7 actually had reliably thicker areas of certain parts of the brain." ([07:48])

Conclusion:

Dr. Gupta underscores the importance of continuous learning and engagement in new activities as a strategic approach to maintaining cognitive health. He encourages listeners to pursue new hobbies and skills as a proactive measure against dementia.

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Closing Remarks

Dr. Gupta wraps up the episode by expressing gratitude towards the audience for their curiosity and engagement. He invites listeners to continue submitting health-related questions for future episodes, emphasizing the show's commitment to providing scientifically-backed answers and practical health insights.

"I love reading these questions. I love hearing your stories and I love hearing your voices. That's what makes this show so special." ([07:48])

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Chasing Life illuminates the intricate relationship between lifestyle choices and cognitive health. From managing type 2 diabetes to engaging in intellectually stimulating activities, Dr. Sanjay Gupta presents compelling evidence and actionable strategies to lower the risk of dementia. Listeners are empowered with knowledge on how everyday decisions can significantly influence their brain health and longevity.

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For more episodes and information, visit asksanjayn.com or tune in to the latest episodes of Chasing Life.

Transcript

[Dr. Sanjay Gupta]

Welcome to Paging Dr. Gupta. Thank you so much for joining us. We are really trying to be your source for answers to whatever health questions you've been mulling over. Feel free to send those in to us. This is the show where we take those questions, really dig into the science and hopefully the stories behind them. Kira's back with us. Who do we have first?

[Kira]

Hey, Sanjay. So first up today, we've got a question from Alan in Ottawa, Canada, who wrote in asking if having type 2 diabetes accelerates cognitive decline if you're over the age of 70.

[Dr. Sanjay Gupta]

Alan, I am really glad you asked about this because so many people in both Canada and the United states have type 2 diabetes. In fact, around 11% of the general population lives with diabetes. And the numbers for those over the age of 65 jump up close to 30%. Keep that in mind when we give you the answer right after the break.

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[Dr. Sanjay Gupta]

All right, so does having type 2 diabetes affect cognitive decline in older adults? Well, the short answer, unfortunately, is yes. Studies find that diabetes can increase the odds of developing cognitive decline up to two times. A 2021 JAMA study following about 10,000 men and women found that those who had diabetes at age 70 had a higher likelihood of developing cognitive decline. So, you know, older adults with diabetes do have higher incidences of dementia overall, Alzheimer's disease, and also something known as vascular dementia. And it has also been shown that the risk of cognitive decline in dementia is higher for those who develop diabetes. At a younger age. So the earlier the age when you develop diabetes, the more likely you are to have cognitive decline again after age 70. Now, we don't know exactly why this is, but the connection appears to be pretty strong. So much so that some people have started calling Alzheimer's and type 3 diabetes. Now, that might be a bit hyperbolic, but I think there's no question that we know diabetes raises the risk of heart disease and stroke, which hurt heart and blood vessels. Damaged blood vessels in the brain could contribute to cognitive decline. We also know that the brain is dependent on many different chemicals which can become imbalanced when insulin is not working as it should. Some of those changes could trigger cognitive decline. High blood sugar all by itself is pro inflammatory. That could damage brain cells and cause dementia to develop. But all this to say that there is clearly a connection between lifestyle and dementia. In fact, if you look at some of the latest studies, probably around 40% of dementia cases are preventable through lifestyle changes. Healthy, balanced diet, physical activity, exercising your brain, social activity, and, and yes, keeping your blood sugar in check. There was another recent study called the Poynter study. Around 2,000 participants from across the United States. People who were between the ages of 60 and 79 and were cognitively healthy. Okay, so they did not have problems, but they were leading sedentary lifestyles and had a higher risk of dementia due to health issues like pre diabetes or borderline high blood pressure. And what they did in these two groups is one was given sort of a structured lifestyle intervention program and the other was given guidance, but they were told to sort of do it on their own. All of it was geared towards healthy behaviors, things like 30 minutes of cardio A day, plus several days of weight training, A Mediterranean dash diet, which is basically the Mediterranean diet with even more salt restrictions, Certain brain training, exercises, social activities, and health monitoring. Both groups that focused on these lifestyle changes. People did see an improvement in cognitive function. So that was really encouraging. There was other studies that have shown people who had even been given the diagnosis of cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer's disease also saw an improvement. Not only were they able to slow or stall the progression of the disease, in some cases they were able to reverse it with lifestyle changes alone. So there's this connection between high blood sugar diabetes and cognitive impairment. But I think the evidence is becoming increasingly clear that there's a lot that you can do about it. Hope that helps. Alan. I'll be back to answer another one of your questions right after the break.

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[Dr. Sanjay Gupta]

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[Dr. Sanjay Gupta]

All right, all sorts of pagers going off. Kira, who's next?

[Kira]

Okay, next up, we've got Cal. Now he's wondering, can learning a new language or even picking up a new instrument, can that actually help slow down cognitive decline? Or what kind of impact does that have?

[Dr. Sanjay Gupta]

So just as keeping your body active is important, and we know it's really important not just for your physical health, but your brain health as well, we also know that learning a new language or learning to play an instrument can have a really significant beneficial impact on cognitive decline. I love this question. I love this topic. It is true that just moderate brisk activity, physical activity is probably the most evidence based way to improve your overall brain health. But when it comes to doing other things, learning new skills, to taking on new hobbies, the key word here is new. A lot of people focus on things like crossword puzzles, which can be really helpful for overall brain health. But mostly what crossword puzzles do is make you really good at crossword puzzles. What you want to do is something new. Learning a new language is kind of like a form of developing cognitive reserve, like a demanding career of some sort that's going to strengthen and organize your brain circuits, helping to fight off the initial symptoms of dementia and until later in life. I really love this one study when it came to instruments. There was a study of twins where one twin had developed dementia, the other didn't. And what they found after controlling for education and physical activity, that playing a musical instrument was significantly associated with the lower likelihood of dementia and cognitive impairment. So, you know, genetically identical individuals, they the only big difference was that one played an instrument. Taking that a step further, there was a study that found professional musicians who began training before age 7 actually had reliably thicker areas of certain parts of the brain, such as the anterior corpus callosum, which is the very front of the brain that sort of connects the two hemispheres. Even learning an instrument later in life was associated with improved attention and improved thinking skills and overall better mental health. So, shukriya, merci gracias for your question. Thank you very much. That's all the time we have for today. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. I'm inspired by your curiosity. I love reading these questions. I love hearing your stories and I love hearing your voices. That's what makes this show so special. So keep the questions coming. If there's something health related you've been wondering about, send it to us. We might try and answer it next week. Record a voice memo, email it to asksanjayn.com or give us a call 470-396-0832 and leave a message. Thanks so much for listening. I'll be back next Tuesday.

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