Core Insights - The study indicates that maintaining a healthy lifestyle can significantly extend cognitive health lifespan by 4 to 5 years, even for individuals carrying the high-risk APOEε4 gene [1] Group 1: Research Findings - Over 10% of elderly individuals in China carry the APOEε4 allele, which increases the risk of cognitive impairment by 23% compared to the general population, with changes beginning in middle age [1] - The research involved a 15-year follow-up of 6,488 elderly individuals aged 65 and above, demonstrating the interaction between lifestyle choices and genetic risk factors [1][3] - The study emphasizes that lifestyle factors can influence the effectiveness of genetic predispositions on cognitive health [1] Group 2: Healthy Lifestyle Recommendations - Five key healthy lifestyle habits were identified: not smoking or having quit for over 10 years, abstaining from alcohol or having quit for over 10 years, consuming a diverse diet with at least 12 types of food daily, engaging in regular physical activity, and participating in cognitive social activities [2] - Elderly individuals with 4 to 5 of these healthy habits have a 27% lower risk of transitioning from cognitive health to cognitive impairment and a 43% lower risk of transitioning to death [2] - Even those with existing cognitive impairment have a 73% higher chance of reversing to cognitive health by adhering to these lifestyle habits [2] Group 3: Implications for Alzheimer's Disease Prevention - The findings shift the focus of Alzheimer's disease management from treatment to health maintenance, highlighting the importance of controllable factors over uncontrollable ones [3] - It is suggested that 45% of Alzheimer's cases could be prevented through various modifiable risk factors, and delaying the onset of the disease by one year could reduce prevention costs by over 40% [3] - Recommendations include integrating lifestyle interventions into public health services and enhancing education to dispel myths about dementia being unavoidable [3]