2024-03-30 13:30:00
Amal Allam wrote Saturday, March 30, 2024 03:30 PM
Survey after survey shows that dementia is the disease we fear more than any other, even cancer – but there are simple steps we can take to protect ourselves, experts say, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”.
This has been confirmed in a large study published by the University of Oxford, which found that preventing alcohol consumption, reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and avoiding traffic pollution are the most important factors in reducing the risk of diabetes. Dementia.
Dementia is characterized by the buildup of a protein called amyloid in the brain, and although there are new medications that can reduce it, it is not clear what effect they have on patients’ symptoms and there are potential side effects, including brain swelling.
One expert recommends chewing peppermint to help combat the risk of dementia. Bacteria in the mouth are thought to lead to inflammation in the brain, but what is clear is that many people can avoid or delay the onset of the disease through healthy lifestyle measures and treating risk factors.
The Lancet Dementia Prevention, published in 2020, concluded that up to 40% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by targeting 12 modifiable risk factors. Learn about them…
Frankincense rich in mint
The newspaper said that we must all realize that the processes that cause dementia do not only occur in old age, as explained by Professor Paul Matthews, 67 years old, Director of the Dementia Research Institute in the United Kingdom and Head of the Department of Brain Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London.
He added, “The Finger study, which monitored 1,200 people in Finland at risk of cognitive decline as a result of lifestyle factors such as high blood pressure, found that interventions to help with diet, exercise, and cognitive training significantly improved or maintained cognitive function.”
This has been an important discovery – the first fairly large study in dementia to show that it is possible to reverse the progression of loss of cognitive performance in the early stage, through interventions, and other international centers are looking into lifestyle changes for diabetes, which helps lower sugar levels in the blood.
Experts offer some simple steps to prevent dementia
1. Walk quickly for 33 minutes daily
Sir Muir Gray, 79, a leading figure in public health and screening programs in the UK and founder of the Dementia Risk Reduction Programme, said: To reduce my risk of dementia, I walk briskly for 33 minutes every day – that’s the recommended 30 minutes, plus… An additional minute for every decade after sixty.
He stressed that this type of exercise reduces the risk of atherosclerosis – thickening or hardening of the arteries – which can cause dementia, strokes and heart attacks. Fast walking also directly protects brain tissue.
2. Watch TV for half an hour after work
Dr James Gratwick, 40, a consultant neurologist at St George’s Hospital in London, said: ‘Too much stress, which leads to a sustained rise in the levels of these hormones, can increase the metabolism in brain cells, causing a build-up of by-products. “Toxic byproducts, which damage brain cells.” For this reason, if you have a job or profession where you are frequently exposed to a lot of stress and struggle to disengage, it is important that you find a way to de-stress and relax. My way of doing this is to watch TV. For only half an hour, but it is a good way to relieve cognitive stress, it can be a really useful way for people who find it difficult to get away from the fast-paced activity of their busy working lives, indicating that half an hour of watching TV is enough to absorb you and disconnect your working memory.
Sleeping at 10pm
3. Sleep between 10 pm and 6 am
Make sure you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep, especially in the window between 10pm and 6am. This is the time when the brain clears away proteins lost during sleep, so it’s not just about getting enough sleep, it’s about sleeping during those hours. “The specific window, as the removal of toxic proteins from the brain doesn’t work well outside that time period,” this is because it works in sync with the body’s 24-hour clock.
4. Snack on nuts
Dr Susan Mitchell, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, follows the Mediterranean diet which is thought to protect against brain cell damage.
She added, “I try to follow the Mediterranean diet, as it is generally healthy, and is believed to be beneficial for anti-aging, as its high levels of antioxidants may protect against cell damage, including brain cells. This means that eating a mainly vegetarian diet with Lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, olive oil and seeds are helpful in preventing dementia. “I love lentils and chickpeas, and I often eat nuts or add the seeds to soup, yoghurt or salad. I only eat meat and fish every now and then and try to eat a variety – Dish “Rainbow” – from fruits and vegetables of different colors.
I also realized the importance of learning new things, she said. I recently joined a choir – partly because I wanted to learn a new skill and get better at singing, and also the social interaction that has been shown to protect against dementia.
5. Sleep by 10 p.m
Brain imaging specialist Dr Ian Harrison, from University College London, sticks to a strict bedtime of 10pm every day.
He said, “I used to go to bed later, but now I’m strict about going to bed at 10 p.m. every day, even on weekends. The time I wake up depends on my children, who are aged 5 and 4, but I I set my bedtime early to give my brain the best opportunity to rest and rest during the night, as the brain contains a cleaning system, called the glymphatic system, which removes the accumulation of proteins and waste, adding that studies have proven that the glymphatic system is 70% more active when we sleep, if there is weakness. In the system due to lack of sleep, this may lead to the accumulation of proteins, including amyloid, adding, “Studies conducted on animals have confirmed that exercise enhances the function of the glymphatic system, so I also go running and go to the gym every week, in addition to riding.” Bike to go to work.
6. Turn off the phone at night
For the same reasons related to sleep and brain health, Roger Watson, 68, an honorary professor of nursing at the University of Hull who works in elderly care, always turns off his phone at night.
He stressed that light and potential buzzing can disrupt sleep – and studies indicate that interrupted sleep has an impact on our risk of developing dementia.
Chewing gum is good for your health
7. Chew sugar-free mint
Professor of Psychiatry Chris Fox, from the University of Exeter, uses sugar-free mint gum over artificial sweetener to prevent tooth decay, maintain oral health and prevent the formation of bacteria in the teeth, which is believed to be linked to dementia, because gum reduces tooth decay, and there is evidence to confirm that it Creates a healthier oral microbiome.
8. Avoid walking on crowded roads
Dr Tom Ross, 43, a reader in geriatric psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh, said: ‘I make a big effort to avoid walking along main roads and find back-street routes wherever possible.’
Air pollution was added to the list of modifiable factors for reducing dementia by the Lancet in 2020. It follows studies, including one in Canada of 6.6 million people, that showed living on a main road is associated with an increased risk of dementia.
He added that those who live 50 meters from a main road were 7% more likely to develop dementia compared to people who live more than 300 meters away, as levels of fine particulate matter (pollution particles that can reach the bloodstream) can reach to 10 times lower.
9. Avoid traffic, wood fires and passive smoking
Pollution contributes to brain inflammation, says Jill Livingstone, 64, professor of elderly psychiatry at University College London. Exercise is known to play a role in helping to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, as is avoiding exposure to wood fires and secondhand smoke. Since both produce particles.
10. Learn to play the piano and ride a bike 20 kilometers a day
Dr Pal Athwal, 58, a consultant neurologist at the Royal Free Hospital and Wellington Hospital, both in London. As you get older, I think it’s really important to challenge your brain by learning new skills. I learned to play the piano, and I’m not quite good at it yet, but it’s Something I find mentally challenging, I’m also learning Italian.
He explained, what you are doing when you learn a new skill is strengthening the connectivity between areas and pathways of the brain, in other words, strengthening the connections that are believed to help maintain cognitive function and mental flexibility even if there is some deterioration in the physical structure of the brain, adding, exercise is important. Also for brain health as it improves blood flow and promotes well-being and mental alertness.
11. Conduct a hearing and eye examination every year
It is now well established that hearing loss is a major preventable cause of dementia, and treating this can reduce the risk by 8%, according to the Lancet Dementia Prevention journal. Mild hearing loss doubled the risk of dementia, and moderate hearing loss doubled the risk. The risk of developing dementia is 3 times, and severe hearing loss increased the risk of dementia by 5 times.
The theory is that not being able to hear well and the lack of social stimulation that follows is associated with an increased risk of brain shrinkage and damage.
Research published in JAMA Neurology in 2022 by the University of Michigan found that 1.8% of all dementia cases are vision-related, equivalent to 100,000 cases out of 6 million dementia cases in the United States. The researchers concluded that visual impairment should be considered alongside other risk factors for dementia.
Playing sports
12. Exercise
It’s recognized that exercise plays a role in helping to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This includes short periods of exercise, with lots of instructions to follow. This mental effort can play a role in reducing the risk – which is why I also practice yoga. Which requires concentration, these activities are necessary at all ages.
13. Do not add salt to food
Dr Sarah Naomi James, 33, is a senior research fellow in dementia at University College London. Dementia doesn’t just happen in old age, it starts decades earlier. We now know there’s a link between high blood pressure around 140 /90 of middle age, approximately between the ages of 40 and 50) and dementia.
“I’m in my 30s but I take care of my physical health and I’m especially careful to check the salt levels on packages, and I don’t add salt to food either,” she said, adding, “My blood pressure tends to rise with age, but there’s something about what happens in the middle of the day.” Age seems particularly important, although we don’t know what the mechanism is yet, but one theory is that pulsatile pressure harms the brain.
14. Try speaking and reading another language
Studies have shown that factors such as social involvement, intellectual engagement, having a complex occupation and higher education are associated with a lower risk of dementia, although they do not eliminate it completely, said Carol Breen, 66, professor of public health medicine at the University of Cambridge.
“Our brains change quite a bit as we age, in the ways they’re wired, and I think at the highest level, our brains are supposed to be stimulated. My message is that you need to do things that you enjoy, though. Enrich your life by exercising.” Activities you love and can become better at at any stage of life Personally, I enjoy trying to maintain my French language skills by reading and speaking whenever I can.
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