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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Interventions to Prevent Age-Related Cognitive Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Clinical Alzheimer's-Type Dementia

About this resource:

Systematic Review

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Last Reviewed: 2020

Workgroups: Dementias, Including Alzheimer's Disease Workgroup, Older Adults Workgroup

In this systematic review, researchers examine evidence from over 260 studies to assess the effectiveness of interventions to prevent or delay age-related cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and clinical Alzheimer’s-type dementia. Researchers found that most interventions showed no evidence of delaying or preventing dementia. They found some evidence that cognitive training can improve cognitive function for some older adults in the short term. Researchers also found that some types of physical activity, as well as vitamin B12 plus folic acid, may benefit cognitive performance in some older adults. 

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Objectives related to this resource (4)

Increase the proportion of older adults with dementia, or their caregivers, who know they have it — DIA‑01
Baseline only
Reduce the proportion of preventable hospitalizations in older adults with dementia — DIA‑02
Baseline only
Increase the proportion of adults with subjective cognitive decline who have discussed their symptoms with a provider — DIA‑03
Baseline only
Increase the proportion of older adults with physical or cognitive health problems who get physical activity — OA‑01
Baseline only

Suggested Citation

1.

Kane RL, Butler M, Fink HA, Brasure M, Davila H, Desai P, Jutkowitz E, McCreedy E, Nelson VA, McCarten JR, Calvert C, Ratner E, Hemmy LS, Barclay T. (2017). Interventions To Prevent Age-Related Cognitive Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Clinical Alzheimer's-Type Dementia. Comparative Effectiveness Review No. 188. Retrieved from https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/cognitive-decline/research-2017.