Low bone density is linked to dementia

What's the news: Low bone density is linked to higher rates of dementia.

Why should we believe it: This news comes from a study published earlier this spring by scientists in the Netherlands. The study looked at 3,651 people aged 72 on average, with no signs of dementia. The scientists measured the bone density of these people, and tracked over the course of more than a decade. Results:

1. 18.8% of the people in the study ended up developing dementia

2. The third of people with the lowest bone density 42% more likely to develop dementia than the third of people with the highest bone density

Why this is a big deal: This might be obvious, but dementia is terrible. Brain health is something you want to protect, particularly as we manage to extend our lifespan. Previous studies have linked bone density to Alzheimer's disease. the present study adds to that connection.

We don't know the details of that connection. Perhaps it's a mere correlation, or it's caused by the same underlying factor. Perhaps dementia leads to bone density loss. Or perhaps low bone density directly contributes do dementia in some way.

One unproven but plausible-sounding mechanism I've heard is that our bones are our reserves of the building blocks of healthy brains. Without adequate reserves of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, our brains start to suffer and then malfunction.

So what specifically can you do now: While the connection between low bone density and dementia is being worked out, you can work on getting your bones stronger. Whether low bone density directly contributes to dementia or not, strong bones, and all the benefits they bring, are definitely a part of long and healthy youthspan.

The good news is, there are many interventions available to you. Diet, exercise, supplementation, and pharmaceuticals can all be effective in increasing bone density.

There's too much info for me to go into right now in detail. But if this is something that interest you, write me and let me know, and I will address it in a future issue of Long Youthspan.