
Can lifestyle changes prevent dementia?
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a group of brain disorders that include memory loss and other thinking and reasoning abilities that are severe enough to interfere with activities of daily living.
It is often linked with those over 65 and seen as an age-related condition. Contrarily, dementia is not solely caused by getting older and research shows that certain lifestyle changes could prevent up to 40% of dementia cases. Such changes include staying active, reducing alcohol intake, socialization, good nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight.
Groundbreaking research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia in late July has now connected untreated vision loss and high cholesterol levels to an increased risk of dementia. Fiona Carragher, the Alzheimer’s Society’s chief policy and research officer and co-sponsor of the study, stated: “It’s never too early or too late to reduce your dementia risk.”
This Lancet Commission Study, partly funded by the Alzheimer’s Society, identified two new risk factors in developing dementia: untreated vision loss and high, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (or “bad cholesterol”). The study also suggested that nearly 50% of all dementia cases across the world could be delayed or prevented.
High cholesterol is already recognized as a risk factor for several other health conditions, including heart disease, stroke and heart attack. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that approximately 71 million Americans suffer from high cholesterol. Cholesterol levels can be reduced by eliminating saturated fats, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking and reducing alcohol intake.
Additionally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 12 million people in the United States over the age of 40 have vision impairment, and one million of those are blind, with the number of individuals with vision impairment expected to more than double by 2050. The aging population in the United States is a major factor in the increase in vision loss, as more people are living with chronic conditions like diabetes that can lead to vision loss.
Carragher stressed that the challenge is a societal one, not just down to individual choices.
“Some dementia risk factors, such as alcohol consumption and physical exercise, can be managed by changing your lifestyle, but many must be addressed on a societal level. Social isolation, education inequalities and air pollution are beyond individuals’ control and require interventions and joint action between government and industry.”