Investigating Lifestyle Patterns of Sleep, Diet, Exercise, and Mental Health in Adults at Risk of Dementia: A Prospective Observational Case-Control Study for the Prevention of Dementia (CALM-D)

A person’s daily mix of sleep, diet, exercise, and mental health may work together to either protect or erode their memory and thinking skills as they age. This study addresses a gap in dementia prevention research. Most studies look at lifestyle factors in isolation, but people live their lives as a whole pattern—poor sleep might worsen the effects of a bad diet, for example. The researchers will track older adults at risk of cognitive decline, comparing those who maintain healthy routines with those who do not, to see which combinations of behaviours most strongly predict worsening cognition. If the project succeeds, it could identify precise, non-drug targets for future interventions—for instance, whether improving sleep quality first makes dietary changes more effective at slowing decline. That would allow clinicians to personalise prevention plans rather than offering generic advice. The work is observational, not interventional, so it will not prove cause and effect. But it will provide the evidence needed to design the next round of clinical trials, which could eventually delay or prevent dementia onset in older adults.