HERE is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, although treatment and lifestyle changes can slow its progression.
A new Australian study suggests that higher coffee intake might be linked to a slower rate of cognitive decline.
There was also an association between higher coffee intake and slower accumulation of amyloid deposits in the brain.
More than 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which experts believe accounts for 50–75% of dementia cases.
In an aging population, AD cases are expected to increaseTrusted Source.AD is a complicated disease and not a normal part of aging. It causes complex brain changes that can lead to memory loss and cognitive decline.
A new study in Australia has uncovered evidence to suggest that there is a link between the amount of coffee people drink and their rate of cognitive decline. The study recently appeared in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.
Previous research has suggested that coffee might reduce the incidence of cognitive disorders. The authors of this new study set out to explore this further.
Dr. Samantha Gardener, the lead author of the paper, says that if additional research confirms this link, “coffee intake could one day be recommended as a lifestyle factor aimed at delaying the onset of [AD].”
She continues: “It’s a simple thing that people can change […]. It could be particularly useful for people who are at risk of cognitive decline but haven’t developed any symptoms.” The research team is based at the Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia.
The scientists used data from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers, and Lifestyle (AIBL) longitudinal study and followed the participants for more than a decade.
The study involvd 227 adults aged 60 years or over, who did not have cognitive decline at the start of the study.
The team used a questionnaire to gather information from the participants about the amount and frequency of coffee they consumed.
They then performed cognitive assessments using a selection of psychological measures at baseline and 18-month intervals.
These assessments measured six cognitive areas: episodic recall memory, recognition memory, executive function, language, attention and processing speed, and the AIBL Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC).
