If age is the main risk factor for dementia, other variables can also increase the risk: depression, social isolation, high blood pressure, heavy alcohol consumption, being overweight or smoking. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form since it represents 60 to 70% of cases of dementia. To prevent this decline in memory or cognitive skills, Lee A. Lindquist, geriatrician at Northwestern Medicine (United States) advises implementing 3 simple routines.
How to reduce the risk of dementia through healthy habits?
To reduce the risk of suffering from dementia, many lifestyle changes can be considered. A study published in January 2023 in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) notably shared 9 good habits to protect your brain health. The researchers advised adopting a healthy and balanced diet, stimulating your brain, not smoking, not drinking alcohol, taking care of your sleep, taking your blood pressure regularly or even being vigilant with certain medications.
But there are also other good habits to adopt to prevent dementia. Lee A. Lindquist, geriatrician at Northwestern Medicine (United States) put in Before some good reflexes helping to slow down brain aging and combat the risk of dementia. To do this, she was interested in the habits of “SuperAgers”, namely people aged over 80 who have cognitive functions comparable to those of a middle-aged person.
3 tips to adopt every day to fight dementia
Simple lifestyle habits that can be easily applied on a daily basis would reduce the risk of suffering from dementia as we age, according to the expert. She shares 3 tips to adopt to fight against the onset of dementia.
To be active
Lee A. Lindquist recommends staying active as you age. Indeed, she recalls thatregular physical activity, even twice a week, helps reduce the risk of contracting neurodegenerative diseases. She adds that physical exercise also helps maintain a fit body and a healthy body weight, as the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease triples in people with a BMI over 30.
Challenge yourself
While it is important to exercise your body, it is also essential to train your mind according to the expert. Mental activity can take many forms such as reading, games, or even crafts, and helps stimulate the brain, while opening new avenues for it. The geriatrician therefore recommends practicing both physical and cerebral activity.
Socialize
Another factor, crucial for taking care of your cognitive health as you age: socialization. Indeed, Lee A. Lindquist explains that the attention region, located deep in the brain, would be larger in older people with a lower risk of dementia. “Although we cannot guarantee that you will never develop Alzheimer’s disease if you have a strong social network, it is an important part of the lifestyle decisions we can make – such as diet and exercise – and which can contribute to living better and longer“, concludes the geriatrician.
MIND diet: the solution to protect your brain health
Beyond these lifestyle habits to adopt to combat the risks of dementia, the geriatrician also recommends to adopt a diet which protects brain health. It highlights the potential of MIND diet, a plant-based diet that combines the Mediterranean and DASH diets, which has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This combination results in a diet that encourages the consumption of berries, green vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, beans and wine.
Signs and symptoms: when should you consult a specialist?
But despite a healthy lifestyle, changes in cognitive abilities can appear with age and it is often difficult to distinguish between biological aging of the brain and the development of a neurodegenerative disease. If in doubt, the geriatrician therefore advises making an appointment with a specialistbecause it is important to be able to diagnose these disorders at an early stage.
Sources:
- 4 Habits of ‘SuperAgers’, Help Protect Yourself From Dementia – Northwestern Medicine – October 2023
- Dementia – World Health Organization
- Association between healthy lifestyle and memory decline in older adults: 10 year, population based, prospective cohort study – British Medical Journal – January 25, 2023