The Washington Post (7/14, Natanson) reports researchers “found that combining five lifestyle habits…can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 60 percent.” The researchers “assessed study participants’ lifestyles on five metrics,” including eating, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, “and their ‘engagement in cognitive stimulation activities.’” The research found that those who “pursued four or five healthy behaviors over the period studied – were 60 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s” than those who pursued one or none of the behaviors. The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. The AP (7/14, Marchione) reports the findings were also published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers also found that “a healthy lifestyle can cut your risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia even if you have genes that raise your risk for these mind-destroying diseases.”     Additional coverage is provided by: CNN (7/14, Christensen), NBC News (7/14, Carroll), Reuters (7/14, Kelland), TIME (7/14, Park), and MD Magazine (7/14, Campbell). Mentally Stimulating Activities May Be Associated With Lower Risk Of MCI In Older People, Researchers Say Psychiatric News (7/12) reported, “Mentally stimulating activities like using a computer, playing games, crafting, and participating in social activities were associated with a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment [MCI] in older people,” researchers concluded after analyzing “five-year data from 2,000 participants in the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging.” The findings were published online July 10 in Neurology.(SOURCE: APA Headlines)