A structured multidomain lifestyle intervention may help slow changes in brain white matter associated with aging, a secondary analysis of data from the randomized POINTER trial suggested.
Compared with a self-guided intervention, a structured intervention attenuated increases in white matter free water over time (β = -0.031, SE=0.012, P=0.009) in people under age 70, reported Pauline Maillard, PhD, of the University of California Davis, who presented findings from the POINTER Imaging analysis at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.
This effect was not seen in participants 70 and older, and no comparable intervention-related interactions were detected for other cerebrovascular MRI markers studied, Maillard and colleagues noted in JAMA Network Open, where the study was published.
"This study provides evidence that a multidomain lifestyle intervention may help slow changes in brain white matter that are associated with aging and cognitive decline," Maillard said. It suggests earlier intervention, before age 70, may be especially beneficial for preserving brain health, she observed.
"White matter changes are often less emphasized than memory-related brain changes, but they are closely linked to vascular health, brain connectivity, and cognitive function," Maillard told MedPage Today. "Our findings support the idea that addressing several modifiable risk factors together, including physical activity, diet, cognitive and social engagement, and cardiovascular health, may have measurable effects on the brain."
