Dementia risks: Mediterranean diet and exercise can help stave off condition, WHO says
老年痴呆症：地中海饮食和锻炼是避免老年痴呆症的良方-世界卫生组织

A World Health Organisation report sets out 12 areas where evidence is strongest for cutting dementia risk – and warns that using supplements meant to mimic a healthy diet are a waste of money
根据世界卫生组织的报告，有12种方法被证实在减少老年痴呆风险方面具有最佳效果。此外，该报告中还提到模仿健康饮食的代餐完全就是浪费钱。

Moving more, eating better but binning cigarettes and health supplements are some of the best ways to lower your odds of dementia, according to the first global guidelines on preventing the condition.
根据全球首个老年证痴呆症预防指南，多运动，更为健康的饮食以及摈弃抽烟和吃代餐的习惯是降低患上老年痴呆症的最佳方法之一。

After a major review of current evidence on the impact of lifestyle on dementia, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has concluded that the condition is “not a natural or inevitable consequence of ageing”.
通过仔细分析生活方式当下对老年痴呆症的影响证据，世界卫生组织得出一个结论，那就是老年痴呆症并非“衰老的自然或不可避免的结果”。

Dementia affects 50 million people worldwide, costs $818bn (£633 billion) annually to treat and diagnoses are likely to triple by 2050, the review said.
评论表示，老年痴呆症涉及全球5000万人，每年治疗和诊断这一疾病的花费为8180亿美元（6.33亿英镑），到2050年，这一数值将会是现在的三倍。

While the WHO has issued guidelines on dementia before, this is the first time it has produced a report on what can be done to reduce the risk.
尽管世界卫生组织此前也发布过有关老年痴呆症的指南，但是发布如何才能减少老年痴呆症的报告还尚属首次。

It sets out 12 areas where action can make the biggest difference and shows that, while advanced age is the biggest risk factors for the decline in thinking and memory, improving overall health is key.
报告中提到了12个方面，在这12 个方面采取行动将会产生最有力的影响并显示，尽管衰老是思考能力和记忆力下降最大的威胁，那么整体改善健康则是关键。

“The vision of the action plan is a world in which dementia is prevented and people with dementia and their carers live well and receive the care and support they need to fulfil their potential with dignity, respect, autonomy and equality,” the WHO authors said.
WHO负责这篇报告的作者表示：“行动计划的愿景是预防老年痴呆，同时让患有老年痴呆的患者和他们的照料人过上幸福的生活并获得他们所需要的照料和支持并能够在发挥潜能的同时获得尊严、尊重、自主和平等。”

The review found the best evidence to date is for a balanced diet and exercise in healthy adults, and those with some cognitive decline.
评论发现，迄今为止最有效的方法就是平衡的饮食习惯和锻炼，无论是对于健康的成年人还是那些认知能力已经有所下降的人群。

In particular, maintaining a “Mediterranean-like” diet – with high levels of fish, fruit and vegetables, nuts and olive oils, all of which have been associated with dementia protection – has been linked to better cognitive health.
特别是保持“地中海式”的饮食习惯，包括大量摄入鱼肉、水果、蔬菜、坚果和橄榄油与预防老年痴呆有关并且涉及更加的健康认知。

But multivitamins, omega-3 and other supplements aimed at replicating this diet were explicitly recommended against – something that was welcomed by experts.
但是，报告却明确不建议人们摄入复合维生素、omega-3以及其他想要复制这一饮食模式的代餐食品。专家对此也持有相同的态度。

Other key recommendations were that support to reduce high blood pressure, quit smoking and cut out “hazardous or harmful” drinking could help healthy adults and those with mild impairment avoid dementia.
其他重要的建议还包括将高血压降至合理范围，戒烟以及戒除“有害”饮品，这些有助于健康的成年人和那些认知能力轻微受损的人避免老年痴呆症。

It also suggests interventions to help people lose weight, and to ensure diabetes is kept under control will help. 
报告还建议，通过干预行为来帮助人们降低体重并确保糖尿病被控制在合理范围内也对预防老年痴呆有所帮助。

Strength of the evidence was more limited in many other areas, with popular initiatives like “brain training” having little good evidence to back them up.
许多其他方面的办法则被证明效果有限，其中就包括比较流行“脑力训练”。没有任何证据证明“脑力证明”对老年痴呆症有作用。

Social isolation, hearing loss and depression are other areas where support might be helpful but where the evidence base is currently too limited to make recommendations.
在脱离社会、丧失听力以及抑郁方面，帮助可能会有效，但是目前证据过于有限，以至于无法给出建议。

In these cases, the authors recommended treatment based on existing WHO guidelines to improve the quality of life of the individual.
在这些情况下，作者建议按照目前的WHO指南进行治疗以改善个人的生活质量。

Robert Howard, professor of old age psychiatry at University College London, said the findings were “sensible but unsurprising”.
英国伦敦大学学院老年精神病学教授Robert Howard表示，结果是“合理且在意料之内”。

“Like many colleagues, I already tell my patients that what is good for their hearts is probably good for their brains,” he added. 
他补充说道：“和许多同事一样，我已经告诉我的患者，对你心脏有利的因素可能对你的大脑也有利”。

But Professor Howard and others said there was much more needed to be done to understand the risks of dementia if we are to cope with a growing health crisis.
但是，Howard教授和其他人也表示，如果我们想要应对不断上升的健康危机，我们还需要做很多很多才可以了解老年痴呆症的风险。

Professor Tom Dening from the University of Nottingham said that the recommendation to avoid dietary supplements was “welcome” and could save “a lot of people from wasting their money”.
来自诺丁汉大学的Tom Dening教授表示，让人们避免吃代餐的建议很“不错”，这一建议可以帮助“许多人避免在这上面浪费钱”。

However he warned many of the steps to reducing dementia risk were easier to achieve if you’re financially well-off.
然而，他同时提醒到，减少老年痴呆症风险的许多办法在经济宽松的情况下更容易实现。

“Like most of the research on dementia risk factors, it is difficult to see clearly the effects of social inequality, but nearly everything that is modifiable tends to favour people in better socio-economic circumstances – diet, access to facilities for physical activity, social interactions,” he said.
他说：“如同绝大多数针对老年痴呆症风险的研究一样，目前很难清楚地发现社会不平等对其所产生的影响，但是几乎所有能够改变的事情都倾向于优待那些社会和经济地位更好的人-饮食，接触运动设施的机会以及社交”。
 
今天要学习的词汇：
Stave off： 挡开、避开
Cut risk：降低风险
Bin：本意是垃圾桶的意思，动词表示丢弃、扔掉
Lower odds of sth.：降低XXX的几率
Make the difference：有影响、很重要、产生差别
Cut out：停止、取消、减少
financially well-off：如果说一个人或一个家庭financially well-off，则表示经济宽松、有经济实力




文章来源：独立报，编辑：专业翻译公司-上海译锐翻译质控部