Five daily lifestyle habits can have a significant impact on the brain aging rate of middle-aged and older adults suffering from chronic pain, according to research findings. Those who maintained healthy lifestyle habits showed a brain age up to 8 years younger than their actual age, and this effect persisted over a two-year follow-up period.
A joint research team from three universities in the U.S., including the University of Florida and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, analyzed the relationship between chronic pain and cognitive decline. The results of this study were published in the international journal ⟪Brain Communications⟫ and were recently reported by British media such as the Mirror as the new year began.
The researchers reported that, contrary to the existing perception that chronic pain is associated with changes in brain structure, behavioral and psychological lifestyle factors may have a greater impact on brain aging than pain itself.
Led by Professor Jay Tanner from the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Florida, the joint research team followed over 100 adults aged between 45 and 85 for two years. The participants were part of a large observational study observing osteoarthritis and pain risks.
The degree of chronic pain among participants was assessed on a scale from 1 to 5. A score of 1 indicates little or mild chronic pain, while a score of 5 indicates severe chronic pain. At the same time, lifestyle habits and psychological characteristics, including smoking status, weight status including waist circumference, sleep quality, stress levels, optimism, and social relationships, were also analyzed.
The researchers calculated a 'protective score' by integrating these factors. This score quantifies how much an individual's lifestyle habits and psychological/social factors protect against brain aging.
Analysis revealed that participants with a high protective score at the start of the study showed a brain age up to 8 years younger than their actual age, regardless of the presence of chronic pain. In contrast, the group with a low protective score showed a brain age older than their actual age.
The same trend was confirmed upon re-evaluation two years later. Participants who maintained the healthiest lifestyle habits continued to have relatively younger brain ages over time, suggesting that positive lifestyle habits may not only have short-term effects but also be associated with long-term brain health.
The five protective factors most closely associated with brain aging in individuals experiencing chronic pain, as presented by the researchers, were: maintaining quality sleep habits, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, effective stress management, and maintaining positive social relationships.
The researchers stated, "Chronic pain is associated with overall brain structure, but social and environmental factors, as well as behavioral and psychological factors, appear to play a more significant role in changes in brain age. Since these factors are modifiable, elements such as improving sleep, quitting smoking, and enhancing social support could be potential clinical intervention targets to reduce brain aging in middle-aged and older adults."
The results of this study align with existing large-scale epidemiological studies. A previous study published in ⟪The Lancet⟫ reported that about 45% of dementia cases may be associated with lifestyle and environmental factors. This study identified risk factors for dementia, including smoking in middle age, obesity in middle age, social isolation in old age, education level, hearing loss, high cholesterol, depression, traumatic brain injury, lack of physical activity, diabetes, hypertension, excessive alcohol consumption, air pollution, and vision impairment.
The researchers evaluated that these results support the idea that managing lifestyle habits can play an important role in maintaining brain health and delaying aging, regardless of chronic pain.
