A study has suggested that half of dementia cases could be caused by lifestyle factors that ‘can be changed’.
Dementia is the umbrella term to ‘describe a collection of symptoms that one may experience if they are living with a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease’, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Symptoms include ‘loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life‘.
It is estimated that 982,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, with one in 11 people being over the age of 65.
Lots of research continues to be held to figure out what causes the devastating condition and how it can be treated and prevented, and now, a study has lifted the lid on the potentially avoidable lifestyle habits that could be contributing to dementia developing.
In a new study from the Lund University in Sweden, researchers used a sample size of almost 500 people with an average age of 65 to look into changes in the brain’s white matter and proteins linked to Alzheimer’s over the course of four years.
Around 982,000 people in the UK are living with dementia (Getty Stock Images)
White matter is the nerve fibres often affected by vascular dementia, with the objective being to figure out how risk factors can are linked to changes in the brain.
Risk factors linked to dementia
Isabelle Glans, doctoral student at Lund University, said that the ‘most modifiable risk factors’ were ‘smoking, cardiovascular disease, high blood lipids and high blood pressure’.
The risk factors ‘were linked to damage to the brain’s blood vessels and a faster accumulation of so-called white matter changes’.
“This damage impairs the function of the blood vessels and leads to vascular brain damage – and can ultimately lead to vascular dementia,” Glans said. “Diabetes was associated with increased accumulation of amyloid β, while people with lower BMI had faster accumulation of tau.”
The study concluded that living healthily and changing the risk factors that can be changed may help to delay the onset of symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease.
Lifestyle changes that can lessen risk of dementia
While there are many possible causes of dementia, Professor Catherine Mummery insists that dietary changes can decrease your risk of getting it.
Healthy eating and regular exercise can lessen the risk of developing dementia (Getty Stock Images)
“45 percent of dementia is preventable if you modify your risk factors,” Professor Mummery explained on This Morning.
As well as regular physical and mental exercise, she recommended opting for a diet full of ‘vegetables, lots of fresh food,’ while avoiding ‘processed stuff and too much sugar’.
10 ‘brain healthy foods’
• Leafy greens – high in folate and vitamin K
• Berries – rich in antioxidants
• Nuts – healthy fats
• Whole grains – high in fibre
• Fish – for omega-3 fatty acids
• Beans – for protein and fibre
• Poultry – great protein source
• Olive oil – good for cooking
Sebastian Palmqvist, senior lecturer in neurology at Lund University, adds: “Focusing on vascular and metabolic risk factors can still help reduce the combined effects of several brain changes that occur simultaneously.”