Health
Stroke, dementia and depression share these 17 preventable risk factors
Three of the most common aging-related diseases share many of the same risk factors — and they can all be reduced through lifestyle changes.
That’s according to a new study from Mass General Brigham (MGB), which identified 17 common risk factors all linked to stroke, dementia and late-life depression.
The researchers combed through previously published studies of risk factors associated with those three conditions, then determined which ones can be controlled through healthy behaviors.
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They also predicted the impact each risk factor had on quality of life and mortality, according to a press release from MGB.
“The suggestion that reduced activity may be a symptom rather than a cause of brain disease challenges how we interpret early signs.” (iStock)
The 17 risk factors that are shared by at least two of the diseases include blood pressure, kidney disease, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, alcohol use, diet, hearing loss, pain, physical activity, purpose in life, sleep, smoking, social engagement and stress, the researchers listed.
The findings were published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.
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Senior author Sanjula Singh, MD, PhD, principal investigator at the Brain Care Labs at Massachusetts General Hospital, described the discovery as “hopeful.”
“This means there are real opportunities for prevention. Whether it’s managing your blood pressure, staying physically active, eating well or maintaining social connections, small changes in your daily routine can help you take better care of your brain over time,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Small changes in your daily routine can help you take better care of your brain over time.”
Brian Snelling, MD, of the Miami Neuroscience Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, was not involved in the study but shared his input on the findings.
“The influence of factors like chronic pain and a sense of purpose on brain health was notable and often overlooked in neurological care,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Also, the suggestion that reduced activity may be a symptom rather than a cause of brain disease challenges how we interpret early signs.”
Total cholesterol was one of the modifiable risk factors shared by at least two of the three cognitive disorders. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, said he agrees with the findings of the study.
“These factors are all well-proven to decrease inflammation in the body and thereby the risk of stroke, dementia and late-life depression,” he told Fox News Digital.
Incremental changes
To keep from becoming overwhelmed, the researchers recommend regarding the 17 factors as a “menu of options.”
“You don’t have to address them all at once — starting with one to three small, realistic changes can already make a meaningful difference,” said Singh. “These findings might help people consider which of these 17 risk factors could be a starting point to take better care of their brains.”
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Singling out one area to start with, Singh recommended measuring blood pressure and taking steps to keep it at a healthy level.
“There are many ways to control your blood pressure — reducing salt intake, increasing physical activity, eating more fruits and vegetables, managing stress and taking medication when prescribed,” she advised.
Singling out one area to start with, the lead study author (not pictured) recommended measuring blood pressure and taking steps to keep it at a healthy level. (iStock)
Other important areas to focus on include sleep, social connections, blood sugar and physical activity, according to the researcher.
“The most important thing is to start somewhere — even small improvements can make a meaningful difference for your brain health,” she said.
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Many of the factors are interconnected, Singh noted.
“Progress in one area often supports progress in others,” she said. “For example, becoming more active may help to improve sleep or lower blood pressure.”
Managing blood pressure and kidney health, as well as staying mentally and socially engaged, are key strategies to protect the brain, according to Snelling.
“Proactive brain care should start well before symptoms appear,” he said.
Limitations of the study
Like any study, Singh noted, this one had several limitations.
“We focused on modifiable risk factors that overlapped with at least two out of the three conditions — as a result, we may have excluded important risk factors that are specific to just one condition, particularly certain psychological or behavioral factors related to late-life depression,” she told Fox News Digital.
Maintaining social connections is one of the most important strategies for protecting brain health, according to experts. (iStock)
The researchers also relied only on existing meta-analyses, which meant some potentially important factors in smaller studies may have been missed.
“Additionally, the strength of evidence varied across risk factors and conditions, and we couldn’t establish causality — only associations,” Singh said. “Still, we hope this work offers a useful starting point for prevention-focused research.”
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Snelling agreed that while the large review shows strong associations, it doesn’t confirm cause and effect.
“It also highlights the need for more high-quality data, especially around late-life depression.”
“Proactive brain care should start well before symptoms appear.”
Overall, experts agreed the study emphasizes that lifestyle changes can be instrumental in promoting health and longevity.
“Diet, exercise, sleep and having a purpose in life aren’t just good for brain health — they are also critical in preventing numerous chronic diseases,” family physician Dr. Brintha Vasagar, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, told Fox News Digital.
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“Your family medicine physician can help you identify which changes would have the most impact on your health.”
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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