Prevention of Dementia

  • Dementia
    is a broad term for a range of conditions that involve loss of mental ability and so cause problems with memory, language, behaviour and emotions. Dementia is most common in the elderly. Around five percent of people over the age of 65 are affected to some extent.  According to Alzheimer’s Disease International with increasing life expectancy, this is expected to surge to 75.6 million in 2030. Disease awareness and understanding is a huge challenge  
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 19 September 2015

Managing the following may help:

Cardiovascular risk factors: Your brain is nourished by one of your body's richest networks of blood vessels. Anything that damages blood vessels anywhere in your body can damage blood vessels in your brain, depriving brain cells of vital food and oxygen. 

Blood vessel changes in the brain are linked to vascular dementia. These are often present along with changes caused by other types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. These changes may interact to cause faster decline or make impairments more severe. You can help protect your brain with some of the same strategies that protect your heart. Take steps to keep your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar within recommended limits; maintain a healthy weight; do not smoke.

Hypertension: Hypertension not only causes cardiovascular diseases but is also a risk factor for Alzeimer’s Disease. So proper control of blood pressure is important to prevent dementia. Hypertensive patients should use anti-hypertensive medication to control blood pressure.

Obesity: Obesity in middle age may lead to Alziemer’s disease and dementia in later life. So manage your weight.

Physical exercise: Regular physical exercise may help lower the risk of some types of dementia. Evidence suggests exercise may directly benefit brain cells by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain.

Diet: What you eat may have its greatest impact on brain health through its effect on heart health. The best current evidence suggests that heart-healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, may also help protect the brain. A Mediterranean diet includes relatively little red meat and emphasises whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fish and shellfish, and nuts, olive oil and other healthy fats.

Related reading: http://www.patientsengage.com/healthy-living/what-can-you-do-prevent-dementia

Community
Alzheimer's and Dementia
Condition
Dementia

Stories

  • Try Group Drumming for a Healthy Lifestyle
    The Rhythm Wellness initiative of Global ArtsCare in Singapore conducts group drumming session for the elderly to reduce loneliness, increase energy levels and morale and provide recreational and wellness activities. Tell us about Global ArtsCare and the work it does? At GlobalArtsCare we aim to transform lives-in-care through creative arts engagement. Our activities aim to make creative arts engagement accessible to as many people in care facilities. In the process, residents, care-givers, and…
  • How can Dementia Friends help?
    The Dementia Friends Program of SCARF (Schizophrenia Research Foundation) is a unique initiative aimed to create dementia friendly community in Chennai. Hear from the young volunteers themselves how it not only helps engage persons with dementia but also makes the youth aware and empathetic. Around 4.5 million people in India are suffering from dementia and the figure is likely to double by 2030, according to health experts. Despite the large numbers, only 1 out of 10 people with dementia in…
  • Life Flows on Through all the Tumult
    Vishaal Nityanand, a young filmmaker, ploughed his own money and full commitment to make Life Flows On, a movie on people with dementia and their caregivers, in order to raise awareness and understanding about the condition that he feels is callously neglected and overlooked in India. Read his interview. You have written and directed the film ‘Life Flows On’ that is dedicated to people with dementia and caregivers. Could you tell us a little about it? Life Flows On deals with three dementia…
  • Safety Measures For People With Dementia
    The best way to help a person with dementia is to ensure that they maintain control over as many areas of their life as possible and encourage them to maximise their remaining abilities, recommends Amrita Patil–Pimpale, a dementia care consultant. During my recent home visit to Mr. Dsouza (name changed) who is living with Dementia, I noticed a bottle of floor cleaner kept on his dining table. Usually this isn’t matter of concern. However in Mr. Dsouza’s case, he is in mid-stage of dementia, has…
  • ‘Caring for my wife is my only job’
    Dr (Prof) Nandi, 83 is a full time caregiver for his wife, Dr Gita Nandi, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He shares his experience of a caregiver in this personal account. My wife is a doctor herself and she has been suffering from Alzheimer’s for the last six and a half years. The first symptoms were that she started having breathing trouble. I admitted her to the Railway Hospital. She used to be a senior doctor with the Railways and we also used to live in the Railway quarters in…
  • Tips on Staying Active & Complementary Therapies for people with Dementia
    There are a lot of things you can do especially in the early to middle stages to manage and delay the progression of dementia. Read on to find out more: Staying Active Finding activities that the person with AD can do and is interested in can be a challenge. Building on current skills generally works better than trying to teach something new.  Don't expect too much. Simple activities are best, especially when they use current abilities. Help the person get started on an activity. Break…
  • Caregiver Tips on Bathing, Dressing and Eating for a person with Dementia
    Sometimes the Daily activties like Bathing, Dressing and Eating can be a huge challenge for caregivers looking after a person with dementia. Here are a few useful tips. Let us know which one you find helpful. Tips for Bathing For some people bath time can be a frightening, confusing experience.  Plan the bath or shower for the time of day when the person is most calm and agreeable. Be consistent. Try to develop a routine. Tell the person what you are going to do, step by step, and allow…
  • Stanford Medicine: Arts and Humanities in Medicine
    The world of medicine is beginning to increasingly acknowledge the potential of expressive arts therapies such as art, music, drama, dance/movement, poetry/creative writing and play in the context of healing, treatment, psychotherapy, counselling and rehabilitation. Activities such as drawing, drumming, creative movement and play acting allow individuals of all ages to express deep-seated thoughts and feelings, improve physical, mental and emotional well-being and boost self-esteem and…
  • Dos and Don'ts of communicating with a person with Dementia
    Communicating with a person with dementia can be quite a challenge. There are some tips that can definitely help get the attention of the person and not agitate them. Here are some Dos and Don'ts. DO's DON'Ts Approach from the front, make eye contact and introduce yourself if necessary Don’t wave hand while talking as person’s attention could be distracted Speak slowly, calmly and use a friendly facial expression Don’t talk too fast or shout. Shouting out could have negative effect…
  • Simple Tips for Caregivers of Persons with Dementia!
    Tips for Caregivers Dementia is a general term for decline in a person's mental ability that is severe enough to interfere with his/her daily life. It may involvememory loss, difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. Even though most cases of dementia come from irreversible causes, there is still much that families can do to help their loved ones continue to function as well as possible for as…