All news
Can We Prevent Dementia? Seven Ways to Keep a Clear Mind
According to the Journal of Public Health, here are the most important factors that increase your risk of developing dementia: The good news is that it can be at least partially prevented.
A global study (meta-analysis involving 130,000 people) was conducted in Italy. The study was based on data from the 2020 Lancet journal, which listed modifiable factors that increase the risk of dementia.
The Italians have refined their data and presented it in a recent study. In general, it is consistent with the US findings. Therefore, it is also suitable for Russians.
So, here are the factors that increase the risk of developing dementia and how to deal with them.
1. High blood pressure before age 65. If you take good care of your health from an early age, the risk of developing dementia is reduced by 6.3%. It can be controlled, for example, through proper nutrition, physical activity and, if necessary, medication.
2. After 65 years, people lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle. Maintaining an active lifestyle reduces the risk of developing dementia by 5.9%.
3. The level of education of young people is low. Higher education reduces the risk of dementia by 5%. Scientists recommend mental exercises (reading, solving crosswords, scanwords, learning new things, hobbies) to older people to maintain brain activity.
4. Depression after 65. With psychological help from loved ones and work with a psychotherapist, depression can be controlled, which means reducing the risk of developing dementia by 4.5%.
5. Social isolation after 65. An active lifestyle and lack of confinement within four walls reduces the risk by 4.4%.
5. Diabetes. Unfortunately, its presence affects cognitive functions. Monitoring your diet and physical activity, as well as medical examination to control blood sugar levels, will reduce your chances of developing diabetes. This reduces the risk of dementia by 3.9%. However, experts say that even if you have diabetes, a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition can be very helpful.
6. Smoking: The most obvious factor is that smoking has a significant impact on blood vessels and overall physical health, with the likelihood of developing dementia increasing by 2.4%.
Bottom line: If you don't smoke, don't have diabetes or high blood pressure, but have a college education, lead a healthy lifestyle, and have lots of friends and relatives, your risk of developing dementia is reduced by up to 40%. !
In general, it seems like they didn't tell us anything new, but the numbers themselves are very impressive. Now is the time to start learning a foreign language, make appointments with friends, and remember that you want to call your parents.
As experts from KP.RU note, the risk of developing dementia is also affected by heredity and head injuries. Of course, excess weight can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular problems. So there is nothing wrong with playing sports and losing weight.
Why Your Eyes Get Tired When You Sit in Front of a Computer for a Long Time (Read More)