Dementia can be delayed by 13 years if three common health risks are avoided
Although dementia traditionally affects older people there are still several ways in which we can help to prevent or delay it while we're still young.
Doctors have previously looked into dementia to identify some of the warning signs and it's long been thought that keeping our mind active is a good way of staving it off.
However, as more cases emerge of young people or even children suffering from dementia, it just goes to show that it can strike any person at any time, and therefore it's vital to do all you can to prevent it.
Naturally, looking after our physical health is a great way of keeping our brains happy and now a new study has suggested three things we can do to not only keep our bodies healthy, but also potentially delay or prevent Alzheimer's symptoms altogether.
Advert
Researchers from NYU Langone Health analysed data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (Aric) study, which has been following Americans into their later life ever since 1986, identified a normal blood pressure, not smoking and not having type 2 diabetes as three of the best things to prevent dementia.
Senior investigator Dr Josef Coresh told The Guardian: “Our findings argue that people need to actively avert these factors in midlife as a strategy for preserving brain health for more than a decade.
“Hopefully, these results will encourage people to stop smoking and watch their vascular health closely from age 45 on.”
Although smoking is a choice, which many people find difficult to quit, there are of course things you can do to lower a high blood pressure and also to help prevent type 2 diabetes, and a lot of that stems from what we eat and how much we move, something which is emphasised further by Dr Jacqui Hanley, the head of research funding at Alzheimer's Research UK.
She said: "Rather than focusing only on the chances of developing dementia, this study asks a question that matters to people: how long can we expect to live free from dementia?
“This approach gives a meaningful picture of how midlife health may shape the number of years we spend living free from dementia, while also recognising that high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking are linked to a higher likelihood of dementia as well as a greater risk of dying earlier from other conditions.
“These findings emphasise why it’s so important to look after your heart health as well as your brain health.”
Although she was not involved in the study, she also agreed that it was essential that everyone takes practical steps such as staying physically active, not smoking and managing high blood pressure and diabetes properly as a way of giving yourself the best chance against dementia.
She concluded: “While there is no guaranteed way to prevent dementia, research, including this study, suggests that addressing risk factors for poor cardiovascular health may also help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.”
Sadly, there will always be cruel cases which affect people unexpectedly young, but this study goes to show just how important it is to keep your body active and healthy, as well as your brain, when it comes to delaying dementia.
James Moorhouse