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These are the most important factors that increase the risk of developing dementia, according to the Journal of Public Health: The good news is that it is at least partly preventable.
The overall study (a 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 we present the factors that increase the risk of developing dementia and ways to combat them.
1. High blood pressure before age 65. If you take 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. Starting from the age of 65, 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, puzzles, 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 years. An active lifestyle and lack of restrictions within four walls reduce the risk by 4.4%.
5. Diabetes. Unfortunately, its presence affects cognitive functions. Monitoring your diet and physical activity, as well as medical tests 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 family, your risk of developing dementia is reduced by up to 40 times. !
Overall, it seems like they didn't tell us anything new, but the numbers themselves are quite impressive. Now is the time to start learning a foreign language, make dates with friends, and remember to call your parents.
As experts from KP.RU note, the risk of developing dementia is also influenced by heredity and head injuries. Of course, excess weight can cause diabetes and cardiovascular problems. So there is nothing wrong with playing sports and losing weight.
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