Some tips for preventing dementia

[Compiled and published by New Sancai] With the advancement of medicine and medical technology, human lifespan is getting longer and longer, and the chance of elderly people suffering from dementia is also increasing. According to a recent World Health Organization report, approximately 55 million people worldwide currently suffer from this disease, and it is estimated that the number of dementia patients worldwide will reach approximately 140 million in about 25 years. Dementia is not only one of the top ten causes of death in the world, but also one of the main causes of loss of ability to live.

According to US news media reports, a research report released by a medical association lists more than a dozen potential major risk factors for dementia. However, some of these potential risk factors are preventable and can be self-controlled. improved. These risk factors may also be related to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and memory loss.

Among the dozen potential risk factors that can be improved through self-improvement are:

• drinking too much
• overweight
• Too lazy to do activities and poor physical strength
• Solitary and aloof, doesn't like to interact with others
• Sad and unhappy
• Don’t like to learn new knowledge and new things
• smoke often

Those that are more difficult to improve themselves include:

• hypertension
• diabetes
• hearing loss
• traumatic brain injury
• air pollution

The report points out that about 40 percent of dementia patients worldwide are related to these risk factors, so the report says that in theory, dementia can be prevented or delayed. They suggest that people can reduce their risk of dementia through the following activities:

Take good care of your heart - high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and can have adverse effects on cognitive ability. And there is now enough evidence to prove this fact, so taking care of your heart is equivalent to taking care of your brain.

Protect your body - Pay attention to safety at all times in life to prevent physical injuries or falls. Protect your limbs when exercising, wear a helmet when riding a bicycle, and wear a seat belt when driving, because brain damage may lead to cognitive impairment or dementia.

Exercise – Regular exercise and sweating will help with cardiovascular health and increase blood circulation and metabolism in the brain and body. According to the conclusions of many studies, physical activity can maintain the brain's cognitive abilities in a better state and reduce the speed and risk of decline.

Learning new knowledge or skills – Education and learning at all stages of life can help maintain better cognitive abilities. This is actually a kind of use-it-or-lose-it effect. The more you use your brain, the more flexible it becomes. If you don't use it, it may deteriorate rapidly with age. Middle-aged and elderly people who have left school for a long time can consider going to local community centers or community colleges and other places that provide learning opportunities for middle-aged and elderly people to learn some new knowledge and things, or things that interest them. You can also buy some interesting books to read. Reading more will help you think more and use your brain, which will help maintain your cognitive ability.

Maintain a balanced diet - avoid excessive fat intake and eat more fruits and vegetables, which are good for brain health. The report points out that according to their research, people who follow a diet designed to promote cardiovascular health can maintain stronger cognitive abilities as they age. They found that continued adoption of the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet can reduce cognitive impairment in the elderly by more than 30%. The so-called MIND diet, translated into Chinese as "Made Diet", means "Mediterranean-DASH Interventional Therapy to Delay Neurodegeneration". DASH is the abbreviation of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and Chinese is translated into "Deshu Diet" , so MIND is a mixture of two diets.

Quit smoking - Statistics show that people who have never smoked have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, while smokers are more likely to experience cognitive decline.

Pay attention to the sounds you make while sleeping - Research from the American Alzheimer's Association has found that there is a clear correlation between sleep disordered breathing and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, if you have a sleep disorder, such as a brief cessation of breathing or loud snoring that affects your sleep comfort, you should seek medical examination to find out whether there is any unhealthy physical condition.

Maintain mental health – Studies have found that long-term depression and psychological stress may lead to cognitive decline. Therefore, it is necessary to learn to manage psychological stress and find ways to relieve anxiety to maintain mental health. People of faith can also seek solutions to maintain mental health from Orthodox beliefs.

Play some brain-intensive games - playing crossword puzzles or charades, playing bridge or Go, chess, checkers and other games that require thinking can stimulate your brain's thinking. Just like physical exercise, brain games can exercise the brain, so you should continue to find some activities of this kind in your daily life to keep your brain flexible.

Keep in touch with friends and family - Maintain social activities Maintaining healthy relationships helps with brain health. Experts suggest that maintaining good and happy social activities, allowing yourself to continue to interact with people, and becoming a member of a group you like, will help maintain physical and mental health and promote brain activity.

(Compiled by: Mulian)

(Editor: Jiang Qiming)

(Source of the article: Compiled and published by New Sancai)