A Healthy Lifestyle May Offset Genetic Risk for Alzheimer’s

A Healthy Lifestyle May Offset Genetic Risk for Alzheimer’s
An elderly couple walks past the Berlaymont building, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels on Sept. 27, 2018. Francisco Seco/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

LOS ANGELES—People with high genetic risk and poor health habits were about three times more likely to develop dementia versus those with low genetic risk and good habits, researchers reported Sunday. Regardless of how much genetic risk someone had, a good diet, adequate exercise, limiting alcohol and not smoking made dementia less likely.

“I consider that good news,” said John Haaga of the U.S. National Institute on Aging, one of the study’s many sponsors. “No one can guarantee you'll escape this awful disease” but you can tip the odds in your favor with clean living, he said.