Research shows that adopting six healthy lifestyle habits can reduce your risk of dementia.
Experts also said there are benefits to be gained from just ten minutes of exercise a day – half of what is recommended.
Dementia, a condition in which brain function is affected and the patient loses memory and independence, is becoming increasingly common.
In England alone, the number of diagnoses rose to 487,432 in June this year, a 12 percent increase on January.
The rising numbers are thought to be due to a combination of an ageing population, greater awareness of symptoms leading more people to seek testing, and an increased prevalence of the risk factors that can lead to dementia.
Hundreds of participants were assessed on how healthy their lives were, scoring them between zero and six based on all the different factors. Volunteers who didn’t sweat for at least ten minutes a day for three or four days a week got nothing. The other lifestyle habits were alcohol consumption, smoking status, and sleep quality. Social interaction and having hobbies were the other two factors
It is currently thought that around 900,000 Britons suffer from the memory-robbing disorder. But scientists from University College London estimate that this number will rise to 1.7 million within two decades as people live longer. It is a 40 per cent increase on the previous forecast in 2017.
According to experts, making some small changes to your lifestyle can significantly reduce your risk of developing the condition.
A recent Chinese study looked at how healthy hundreds of participants were living, giving them a score between zero and six based on various factors.
For example, if they exercised at a “healthy” level, they got one point.
In contrast, volunteers who did not sweat for at least ten minutes a day three or four days a week received nothing at all in this category.
The other lifestyle habits were alcohol consumption, smoking status and sleep quality. Social interaction and hobbies were the other two factors.
All 2,537 volunteers who did not have dementia at the start of the study were followed for two years.
Analysis found that participants who scored at least four points total were 29 percent less likely to show signs of cognitive decline at the end of the trial, compared with participants who scored three or fewer points.
And each additional point in the total score was associated with an 18 percent lower risk of cognitive decline, which is considered a precursor to dementia, according to researchers at China’s PLA General Hospital in Beijing.
The benefits were even more evident in participants who had suffered from cardiometabolic diseases, such as stroke or heart attack.
An inactive lifestyle – defined as a score of three or lower – was associated with a threefold risk of early cognitive decline.
According to the authors, 29.98 percent of cases of premature cognitive decline “would not have occurred if all older adults with cardiometabolic diseases had maintained an active lifestyle.”
Participants were 60 years or older and were asked about their daily exercise habits and medical history.
A physical examination also included measurements of height, weight, and blood pressure. Blood samples were also taken to determine blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
The volunteers were then asked about the six lifestyle factors associated with dementia and then monitored to help diagnose the disease.
But they can also be a sign of dementia, the memory-destroying condition that affects nearly 1 million Britons and seven million Americans.
In the study, one point was awarded to volunteers who met each of the following categories:
- Exercise: Being active for more than ten minutes, “almost every day” or “three or four days a week.”
- Smoking status: Never smoked or quit smoking.
- Alcohol use: Rarely per month.
- Social contact: Meeting for social activities more than three times a month or three times a week with others from the neighborhood.
- Leisure activities: Reading a book or newspaper every day, using the internet every day or playing cards at least twice a week.
- Sleep quality: Difficulty falling asleep or not waking up.
The study, published in the Journal of Affective Disordershowever, also had its own shortcomings.
Scientists did not take into account the influence of other sleep factors, such as less than the absolute minimum of seven hours of sleep per night.
About 900,000 people in the UK and seven million in the US have dementia, an umbrella term for several brain diseases that affect memory, thinking and cognition.
Other studies have shown that lifestyle factors also increase the risk of dementia.
In 2020, the Lancet Commission concluded that up to 40 percent of cases could be prevented or delayed by targeting 12 modifiable risk factors, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.
Scientists hope that by becoming aware of risk factors, which change as we age, people can take steps to reduce their chances of developing the disease.
Although the number of diagnosed cases of dementia in England is a record, analysts estimate that this is only 65 percent of the actual number of cases.
This means that hundreds of thousands of Britons are living with the condition but receiving no support whatsoever.
Dementia cannot be cured, but there are medications and therapies available that can slow its progression and manage its symptoms.
Treating dementia already costs the UK £4 billion a year, but this is expected to double to £90 billion in the next 15 years.
It is also one of the biggest causes of death in the country, with one in ten Britons dying from it.
Britain is not the only country facing a rising toll from dementia. Experts predict that the number of cases of the condition will triple worldwide to 153 million by 2050.
Globally, as in the UK, figures are expected to rise due to an ageing population and increasing poor diets and lack of exercise, which increase risk factors for dementia.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
Dementia is a collective term for a range of neurological disorders
A GLOBAL CONCERN
Dementia is a collective term for a range of progressive neurological disorders (disorders that affect the brain) that affect memory, thinking and behavior.
There are many forms of dementia, the most common of which is Alzheimer’s disease.
Some people have a combination of different forms of dementia.
Regardless of what type of dementia is diagnosed, everyone experiences dementia in their own unique way.
Dementia is a global problem, but it is most common in wealthier countries, where people often live to a very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?
The Alzheimer’s Society reports that there are currently more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK, with this number expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting 50 to 75 percent of people diagnosed with it.
There are an estimated 5.5 million Alzheimer’s patients in the United States. A similar percentage increase is expected in the coming years.
As a person gets older, the risk of dementia also increases.
Diagnoses are improving, but it is suspected that many people with dementia still do not have the correct diagnosis.
IS THERE A CURE?
There is currently no cure for dementia.
But new drugs can slow its progression. And the earlier the disease is detected, the more effective treatment can be.
Source: Alzheimer’s Society