Effectively preventing dementia - Personal lifestyle offers many opportunities
Drug treatment options for senile dementia, especially Alzheimer's dementia, are extremely limited, if not close to zero. We hear time and again that promising new drug approaches fail in clinical trials and have to be abandoned due to proven ineffectiveness. This will probably not change in the near future. The new approaches to drug therapy that have now been identified will need several more years of development work before they can be used in clinical practice. If not, in the meantime, all hopes will be dashed and the developments will have to be discontinued due to ineffectiveness or side effects. In this very unsatisfactory situation, it is therefore very sensible to do everything possible to prevent dementia from occurring in the first place, i.e. to take precautions.
WHO identifies influenceable dementia risk factors
In the absence of alternatives, dementia prevention is of great importance in an ageing society like ours. But here, too, the question to be answered is: what is effective, what is not, and what can the individual do? This is precisely the question that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has addressed and published the results in a first guideline. Unsurprisingly, this shows that the best and most effective dementia prevention consists of avoiding and reducing widespread risk factors. Cardiovascular strengthening factors have the greatest positive impact on an older person's mental capacity.
- Keep moving
Physical inactivity is the biggest risk factor for dementia and other chronic diseases. Conversely, sport and exercise help to strengthen the cardiovascular system and thus indirectly keep the brain fit. - Live smoke-free
Smoking not only damages the lungs. It also leads to circulatory disorders and reduced blood flow to the brain. As a result, the sensitive brain cells are damaged and their performance is reduced. This promotes the development of dementia. - Staying sober
The question of how much alcohol is still healthy and at what point it becomes problematic is discussed again and again. Science cannot yet give a clear answer to this question. The fact is, however, that any intoxication leads to damage and possibly even the death of brain cells. - Avoid excess weight
Keeping body weight within acceptable limits is a problem for many people. Various studies have shown that obesity correlates with widespread diseases, including mental retardation and dementia. Therefore, active dementia prevention also means keeping body weight at a normal level. - Prefer fruit and vegetables
Nutrition is the basis of a healthy lifestyle. Fruit, vegetables, wholemeal products, grains and nuts are healthy and correlate with mental fitness when consumed appropriately. - Keeping blood pressure under control
High blood pressure is a risk factor for dementia. Controlling blood pressure, whether through medication or lifestyle, is therefore very important in preventing dementia in old age. Studies show that people with normal blood pressure levels suffer less from dementia. - Maintaining social contacts
Loneliness promotes mental impoverishment and neuropsychiatric diseases. Maintaining social contacts prevents this and helps to stay mentally fit. - Maintaining mental interests
Reading, discussions and even crossword puzzles help to maintain mental capacity. These are the results of numerous studies on this topic.
Conclusion: Consciously living a healthy life that includes physical and mental activities is the best dementia prevention based on the latest scientific findings and a current WHO recommendation.