Dementia Prevention: Dementia, a progressive disease of the brain that affects memory, cognition and daily activity, casts a shadow as the world’s population continues to age. With increased life expectancies in India, more than five million cases of dementia put pressure on respective family members and the health systems. But the empowering fact is that your lifestyle patterns can delay its occurrence by a huge margin. When asked about the role of diet, exercise and mindset, physicians and experts offer insight into what protects the mind, ranging from diet, exercise and mindset not only for your current moment but also for your future brain.
Improvements in neuroscience and epidemiology have evolved dementia care to focus on both biological factors and lifelong health exposures, exploring early, proactive and person-centred interventions. In conversation with The Daily Jagran, Neha Sinha, Dementia Specialist, CEO and Co-founder, Epoch Elder Care, shares some scientific truths about how lifestyle choices can delay dementia.
Modifiable Risk Factors For Dementia
Risk factors are divided across three stages, namely early, mid and later stages of life. In early life, education quality and cognitive stimulation play a foundational role. Research shows that limited formal education, reduced cognitive engagement in childhood and young adulthood, is associated with a higher risk of dementia by their 60s. The brain’s ability to adapt and compensate, termed the “cognitive reserve,” can help even when early dementia sets in. A stronger reserve formed in youth can delay the onset of symptoms.
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The critical risk reduction period for delaying dementia is from ages 40 to 65. Neha Sinha states, “To lower your risk, reduce smoking, high alcohol intake, depression, and treat high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, stress, and a lack of physical activity.” Another significant risk during midlife is untreated hearing loss. It causes the brain to work harder, speeding up ageing.
Lifestyle Choices To Delay Dementia (Image Credits: Canva)
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As people get older, they need more functional and emotional strength. Social isolation, loneliness, losing vision, declining mobility, and avoiding challenging mental activities can speed up decline by weakening the brain’s resilience.
Even though genetics plays a big role in the way diseases or conditions appear, these strategies can give an evidence-based guide for taking action while science continues to look for treatments that can change the course of dementia.