Lifestyle components of the global oldest old assessed as effective nonpharmacologic strategies to maintain lifelong cognitive and functional health

Cécil J.W. Meulenberg

doi:10.31382/eqol.190605

Abstract

Longevity and high quality of life are amongst the most desired traits of humanity. However, the incidences of non-communicable diseases are rising, while sedentary lifestyles and malnutrition are more common than ever, and in general both functional and cognitive health is declining. Besides the concurrent costs to provide healthcare for such an aging population are dramatically increasing and depend on pharmacological treatment. There is an urgent need to raise awareness for cost-saving healthier customs and to adjust lifestyles. From specific geographic areas around the globe, where its citizens tend to grow (very) old, that is over 100 years of age (indicated as ‘oldest old’), without the obvious health-deficits, the so-called blue zones, lifestyle factors have been identified, or will be proposed, and taken as candidate for nonpharmacologic approaches to improve general health. This paper will summarize scientific studies focussing on cardiovascular and cognitive health benefits induced by: Physical activity through exercise, light to moderate intensity, and nonexercise outdoors activities; Nutrition through the Mediterranean diet and the incidence of neurodegeneration; Cognitive engagement through cognitive-motor exercises, language usage, and meditation; and finally: Sleep. The identified denominators are reviewed through various scientific studies regarding substantiated healthinducing effects. Adherence to such nonpharmacologic lifestyles is eventually a personal choice, and for governments to take notice of, and to include in policies.

Keywords

References

Agarwal, A., Wang, Y., Buchman, A., Holland, T., Bennett, D., & Morris, M. (2018). MIND diet associated with reduced incidence and delayed progression of Parkinsonism in old age. Journal of Nutrition, 10, 1211–1215.

Alladi, S., Bak, T., Duggirala, V., Surampudi, B., Shailaja, M., Shukla, A., & Kaul. (2013). Bilingualism delays age at onset of dementia, independent of education and immigration status. Neurology, 22, 1938–1944.

Alladi, S., Bak, T., Mekala, S., Rajan, A., Chaudhuri, J., Mioshi, E., & Kaul. (2016). Impact of bilingualism on cognitive outcome after stroke. Stroke, 1, 258–261.

Alladi, S., Bak, T., Shailaja, M., Gollahalli, D., Rajan, A., Surampudi, B., & Kaul. (2017). Bilingualism delays the onset of behavioral but not aphasic forms of frontotemporal dementia. Neuropsychologia, 207–212.

Anderson, J., Grundy, J., De Frutos, J., Barker, R., Grady, C., & Bialystok, E. (2018). Effects of bilingualism on white matter integrity in older adults. Neuroimage, 143–150.

Ansaldo, A., Ghazi-Saidi, L., & Adrover-Roig, D. (2015). Interference control in elderly bilinguals: Appearances can be misleading. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 5, 455–470.

Asai, Y., Obayashi, K., Oume, M., Ogura, M., Takeuchi, K., Yamagami, Y., & Saeki, K. (2018). Farming habit, light exposure, physical activity, and depressive symptoms. Journal of Affective Disorders, 235–240.

Bherer, L. (2015). Cognitive plasticity in older adults: Effects of cognitive training and physical exercise. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1–6.

Bialystok, E., Craik, F., Binns, M., Ossher, L., & Freedman, M. (2014). Effects of bilingualism on the age of onset and progression of MCI and AD: evidence from executive function tests. Neuropsychology, 2, 290–304.

Bialystok, E., Craik, F., & Freedman. (2007). Bilingualism as a protection against the onset of symptoms of dementia. Neuropsychologia, 2, 459–464.

Bialystok, E., & Poarch, G. (2014). Language experience changes language and cognitive ability. Zeitschrift Fur Erziehungswissenschaft, 3, 433–446.

Bialystok, E., & Viswanathan, M. (2009). Components of executive control with advantages for bilingual children in two cultures. Cognition, 3, 494–500.

Bonaccio, M., Di Castelnuovo, A., Costanzo, S., Gialluisi, A., Persichillo, M., Cerletti, C., & Lacoviello, L. (2018). Mediterranean diet and mortality in the elderly: a prospective cohort study and a meta-analysis. British Journal Nutrition, 8, 841–854.

Bredensen, D., Amos, E., Canick, J., Ackerley, M., Raji, C., Fiala, M., & Ahdidan, J. (2016). Reversal of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. Aging, 6, 1250–1258.

Buettner, D., & Skemp, S. (2016). Blue zones: Lessons from the world’s longest lived. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 5, 318–321.

Calogiuri, G., Litleskare, S., Fagerheim, K., Rydgren, T., Brambilla, E., & Thurston, M. (2018). Experiencing nature through immersive virtual environments: Environmental perceptions, physical engagement, and affective responses during a simulated nature walk. Frontiers in Psychology, 2312.

Charloux, A., Gronfier, C., Lonsdorfer-Wolf, E., Piquard, F., & Brandenberger, G. (1999). Aldosterone release during the sleep-wake cycle in humans. American Journal of Physiology, 1, 43-E49.

Chertkow, H., Whitehead, V., Phillips, N., Wolfson, C., Atherton, J., & Bergman, H. (2010). Multilingualism (but not always bilingualism) delays the onset of Alzheimer’s disease: evidence from a bilingual community. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 2, 118–125.

Chicago: Meulenberg, & Cécil, J. (2019). Lifestyle components of the global oldest old assessed as effective non-pharmacologic strategies to maintain lifelong cognitive and functional health. Exercise and Quality of Life, 1, 37–49.

Choi, K., Chen, C., Stein, M., Klimentidis, Y., Wang, M., Koenen, K., & Smoller, J. (2019). Assessment of bidirectional relationships between physical activity and depresseion among adults: A 2-sample Mendelian randomization study. time stress response to outdoor environments. Health & Place, 136–150.

Kuo, M., Barnes, M., & Jordan, C. (2019). Do experiences with nature promote learning? Converging evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship. Frontiers in Psychology, 305. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00305

Lassale, C., Batty, G., Baghdadli, A., Jacka, F., Sánchez-Villegas, A., Kivimäki, M., & Akbaraly, T. (2018). Healthy dietary indices and risk of depressive outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Molecular Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0237-8

Lauenroth, A., Ioannidis, A., & Teichmann, B. (2016). Influence of combined physical and cognitive training on cognition: A systematic review. BMC Geriatrics, 141.

Leproult, R., & Van Cauter, E. (2010). Role of sleep and sleep loss in hormonal release and metabolism. Endocrine Development, 11–21.

Lin, X., Zhang, X., Guo, J., Roberts, C., Mckenzie, S., Wu, W., & Song, Y. (2015). Effects of exercise training on cardiorespiratory fitness and biomarkers of cardiometabolic health: A systematic review and metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of the American Heart Association, 7, 2014.

Lourida, I., Soni, M., Thompson-Coon, J., Purandare, N., Lang, I., Ukoumunne, O., & Llewllyn, D. (2017). Mediterranean diet, cognitive function, and dementia: A systemic review. Epidemiology, 4, 479–489.

Marselle, M., Warber, S., & Irvine, K. (2019). Growing resilience through interaction with nature: Can group walks in nature buffer the effect of stressful life events on mental health? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16060986

Martínez-Horta, S., Moreu, A., Perez-Perez, J., Sampedro, F., Horta-Barba, A., Pagonabarraga, J., & Kulisevsky, J. (2018). The impact of bilingualism on brain structure and function in Huntington’s disease. Parkinsonism and related disorders. 30405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parkreldis.2018.09.017

Martinez-Lacoba, R., Pardo-Garcia, I., Amo-Saus, E., & Escribano-Sotos. (2018). Mediterranean diet and health outcomes: a systematic meta-review. European Journal of Public Health, 5, 955–961.

Marušič, U., Giordani, B., Moffat, S., Petrič, M., Dolenc, P., Pišot, R., & Kavčič, V. (2018). Computerized cognitive training during physical inactivity improves executive functioning in older adults. Neuropsychology, Development and Cognition Section B, Aging Neuropsycholology and Cognition, 1, 49–69.

Marušič, U., Grospretre, S., Paravlić, A., Kovač, S., Pišot, R., & Taube, W. (2018). Motor imagery during action observation of locomotor tasks improves rehabilitation outcome in older adults after total hip arthroplasty. Neural Plasticity, 5651391.

Marušič, U., Kavčič, V., Giordani, B., Gerževič, M., Meeusen, R., & Pišot, R. (2015). Computerized spatial navigation training during 14 days of bed rest in healthy older adult men: Effect on gait performance. Psychology and Aging, 2, 334–340.

Mayne, P., & Burne, T. (2019). Vitamin D in synaptic plasticity, cognitive function, and neuropsychiatric illness. Trends in Neurosciences, 4, 293–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2019.01.003

Mitchel, K., Dick, A., Dimartino, D., Smith, B., Niles, B., Koenen, K., & Street, A. (2014). A pilot study of a randomized controlled trial of yoga as an intervention for PTSD symptoms in women. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2, 121–128.

Mla: Meulenberg, & Cécil, J. (2019). Lifestyle components of the global oldest old assessed as effective non-pharmacologic strategies to maintain lifelong cognitive and functional health. Exercise and Quality of Life, 37–49.

Naska, A., Oikonomou, E., Trichopoulou, A., Psaltopoulou, T., & Trichopoulos, D. (2007). Siesta in healthy adults and coronary mortality in the general population. Archives of Internal Medicine, 3, 296–301.

Nedeltcheva, A., Kilkus, J., Imperial, J., Schoeller, D., & Penev, P. (2010). Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adoposity. Annals of Internal Medicine, 7, 435–441.

Olson, R., Pangelinan, M., Bogulski, C., Chakravarty, M., Luk, G., Grady, C., & Bialystok, E. (2015). The effect of lifelong bilingualism on regional grey and white matter volumes. Brain Research, 128–139.

Owen, N., Sparling, P., Healy, G., Dunstan, D., & Matthews, C. (2010). Sedentary behavior: Emerging evidence for a new health risk. 12, 1138–1141.

Pacanowski, C., Diers, L., Crosby, R., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2017). Yoga in the treatment of eating disorders within a residential program: A randomized controlled trial. Eating Disorders, 1, 37–51.

Panagiotakos, D., Chrysohoou, C., Siasos, G., Zisimos, K., Skoumas, J., Pitsavos, C., & Stefanadis, C. (2011). Sociodemographic and lifestyle statistics of oldest old people (>80 years) living in Ikaria island: The Ikaria study. Cardiology Research and Practice, 679187.

Paravlić, A., Marušič, U., Gerževič, M., Urzi, F., & Šimunič, B. (2016). The effects of different exercisebased interventions on functional fitness of older adults. Annales Kinesiologiae, 2, 117–137.

Pes, G., Dore, M., Errigo, A., & Poulain, M. (2018). Analysis of physical activity among free-living nonagenarians from a Sardinian longevous population. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 2, 254–258.

Petersson, S., & Philippou, E. (2016). Mediterranean diet, cognitive function, and dementia: A systemic review of the evidence. Advances in Nutrition, 5, 889–904.

Pires, G., Bezerra, A., Tufik, S., & Andersen, M. (2016). Effects of acute sleep deprivation on state anxiety levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine, 109–118.

Poulin, M., Pes, G., Grasland, C., Carru, C., Ferrucci, L., Baggio, G., & Deiana, L. (2004). Identification of a geographic area characterized by extreme longevity in the Sardinia island: The AKEA study. Experimental Gerontology, 9, 1423–1429.

Robbins, R., Grandner, M., Buxton, O., Hale, L., Buysse, D., Knutson, K., & Jean-Louis, G. (2019). Sleep myths: An expert-led study to identify false beliefs about sleep that impinge upon population sleep health practices. Sleep Health, 30025–30027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2019.02.002

Sarris, J., Logan, A., Akbaraly, T., Amminger, G., Balanzá-Martínez, V., Freeman, M., & Jacka, F. (2015). Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3, 271–274.

Schweizer, T., Ware, J., Fisher, C., Craik, F., & Bialystok, E. (2012). Bilingualism as a contributor to cognitive reserve: Evidence from brain atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease. Cortex, 8, 991–996.

Serra-Majem, L., Roman, B., & Estruch, R. (2006). Scientific evidence of interventions using the Mediterranean diet: A systematic review. Nutrition Reviews, 2, 27-S47.

Sharma, A., Barrett, M., Cucchiara, A., Nalaka, S., Gooneratne, M., & Thase, M. (2017). A breathingbased meditation intervention for patients with major depressive disorder following inadequate response to antidepressants: A randomized pilot study. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 1, 59-e63.

Shen, X., Wu, Y., & Zhang, D. (2016). Nighttime sleep duration, 24-hour sleep duration and risk of all-cause mortality among adults: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Scientific Reports, 21480.

Sofi, F., Abbate, R., Gensini, G., & Casini, A. (2010). Accruing evidence on benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on health: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 5, 1189–1196.

Sofi, F., Cesari, F., Abbate, R., Gensini, G., & Casini, A. (2008). Adherence to Mediterranean diet and health status: meta-analysis. BMJ, 1344.

Sofi, F., Macchi, C., Abbate, R., Gensini, G., & Casini, A. (2014). Mediterranean diet and health status: An updated meta-analysis and a proposal for a literaturebased adherence score. Public Health Nutrition, 2, 2769–2782.

Spartano, N., Davis-Plourde, K., Himali, J., Andersson, C., Pase, M., Maillard, P., & Seshadri, S. (2019). Association of accelerometermeasured light-intensity physical activity with brain volume: The Framingham heart study. JAMA Network Open, 4. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.2745

Spiegel, K., Leproult, R., L’hermite-Baleriaux, M., Copinschi, G., Penev, P., & Van Cauter, E. (2004). Leptin levels are dependent on sleep duration: Relationships with sympathovagal balance, carbohydrate regulation, cortisol, and thyrotropin. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 11, 5762–5771.

Spiegel, K., Leproult, R., & Van Cauter, E. (1999). Impact of sleep debt on metabolic and endocrine function. Lancet, 9188, 1435–1439.

Spiegel, K., Tasali, E., Penev, P., & Van Cauter, E. (2004). Brief communication: Sleep curtailment in healthy young men is associated with decreased leptin levels, elevated ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and appetite. Annals of Internal Medicine, 11, 846–850.

Strasser, B., Siebert, U., & Schobersberger, W. (2010). Resistance training in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of resistance training on metabolic clustering in patients with abnormal glucose metabolism. Sports Medicine, 5, 397–415.

Tamm, S. (2019). A Neuroimaging perspective on the emotional sleepy brain. Doctoral Dissertation.

Tasali, E., Leproult, R., Ehrmann, D., & Van Cauter, E. (2008). Slow-wave sleep and the risk of type 2 diabetes in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 3, 1044–1049.

Trichopoulou, A., Bamia, C., & Trichopoulos, D. (2009). Anatomy of health effects of Mediterranean diet: Greek EPIC prospective cohort study. BMJ.

Van Cauter, E., Spiegel, K., Verghese, J., Mahoney, J., Ambrose, A., Wang, C., & Holtzer, R. (1999). Circadian and sleep control of endocrine secretions: Chapter taken from Circadian and Sleep Control of Endocrine Secretions ISBN: New York. Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 12, 1338–1243.

Van Der Ploeg, H., Chey, T., Korda, R., Banks, E., & Bauman. (2012). Sitting time and all-cause mortality risk in 222,497 Australian adults. Archives Internal Medicine, 6, 494–500.

Visceglia, E., & Lewis, S. (2011). Yoga therapy as an adjunctive treatment for schizophrenia: A randomized, controlled pilot study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 7, 601–607.

Vollbehr, N., Hoenders, R., Bartels-Velthuis, A., & Ostafin, B. (2017). The influence of yoga on chronic depression and potential cognitive mediators.

Wen, L., & Duffy, A. (2017). Factors influencing the gut microbiota, inflammation, and type 2 diabetes. Journal of Nutrition, 7.

Woumans, E., Santens, P., Sieben, A., Versijpt, J., Stevens, M., & Duyck, W. (2015). Bilingualism delays clinical manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 3, 568–574.

Zelenski, J., & Nisbet, E. (2014). Lifestyle components of the global oldest old assessed as effective non-pharmacologic strategies to maintain lifelong cognitive and functional health. Exercise and Quality of Life, 1, 37–49. https://doi.org/10.31382/eqol.190605

Citation

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Article metrics

Google scholar: See link

The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

More articles from Volume 11, Issue 1, 2019