Evidence of benefit from interventions to protect from cognitive decline, dementia inconclusive

A committee commissioned by the NIH’s National Institute on Aging to recommend future public health and research priorities found that current research does not support educating the public about certain interventions to prevent cognitive decline and dementia, according to a press release

Although the evidence was encouraging, it remains inconclusive that interventions such as cognitive training, BP control for people with hypertension, and increased physical activity would improve public health.

The committee recommends providing information about the potential benefits for some conditions while continuing to pursue more conclusive research on these and other approaches. They also recommend that health care providers include the potential positive cognitive impact of these interventions when promoting their adoption for the prevention or control of other conditions.

The committee suggests that when communicating with the public, the NIH, CDC and other organizations should present potential benefits of the three interventions as they apply to cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s dementia, but should still point out the limitations of the evidence.

These recommendations are based on an NIA-requested and supported systematic review by AHRQ’s Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) that categorized hundreds of studies by strength and quality.

“We’re all urgently seeking ways to prevent dementia and cognitive decline with age,” Richard J. Hodes, MD, NIA Director, said in the release. “But we must consider the strength of evidence — or lack thereof — in making decisions about personal and public investments in prevention. The National Academies’ and AHRQ’s careful reviews… will be very instructive for what we can tell the public now, as critical research continues.”

Disclosures: Hodes is director of the NIA.