A lay summary written by Stefan Roman & reviewed by Jodie Keyworth.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has made it increasingly clear that the life expectancy of an individual is rising. We can expect to live longer and more physically and socially enriched lives, though with the burden of increased risk of illness and disease. In 2018, almost 50 million people were affected by dementia, a term used to describe an individual’s rapid decline of memory, language, problem-solving and thinking abilities. In everyday life, dementia may commonly be referred to as Alzheimer’s Disease, a form of this brain disorder. The most significant risk factor for developing dementia is older age, yet there are multiple ways that the overall risk can be reduced through lifestyle changes. For decades, science and medicine have understood this using evidence from large scale studies, that have looked at the different behaviours of the population and how they influence the body. It is found that several lifestyle choices may be able to protect someone from dementia. A discussion of these preventative strategies is the main focus of the current paper, that has accumulated a vast amount of research to review how 2021 should approach dementia.
Maintaining a healthy body is necessary to protect the brain from damage, which may help prevent or delay dementia in an individual. Studies of the population show that unhealthy lifestyle choices that include lack of exercise, poor diet, smoking and alcohol abuse, not only put someone at risk of heart disease and stroke, but also at risk of dementia. Collectively, these factors can lead to an impairment in the way that blood flows to the brain and so how the brain is able to function. Additionally, it is important to understand that stimulating the brain and the way the mind works may also slow the development of dementia. This may include a life that is rich in learning (education and engagement in challenging tasks) and social interaction, that may protect the brain from dementia by enhancing its ability to make new connections and reduce the way it ages. Therefore, by encouraging a healthier and more invigorating way of living, it is possible that the rate or extent that dementia affects the population may be reduced.
The evidence for these strategies to prevent dementia have their foundations in biology, that show that these factors are closely connected to the damage that they cause to the brain and how they contribute to dementia. Degeneration of the brain (decline and damage to brain cells), that is accelerated by cardiovascular diseases (for example, heart disease and stroke), lead to an increased build-up of dangerous cells and plaques that may advance the development of dementia. In particular, these plaques are responsible for causing a type of toxic “clumping”, that prevent brain cells from working properly. Even more, it has been consistently shown that whilst the brain has the ability of resilience (to adapt to stress and damage), and maintenance (to preserve and promote its functions), this varies between individuals and so in how much risk they are of dementia. These biological processes that leave the brain vulnerable to dementia, also extend to damaged blood vessels, of inflammation and oxygen deprivation. Choosing to engage in unhealthy habits has continued to show an increased chance of dementia through these forms of biological consequences.
The evidence for these strategies to prevent dementia have their foundations in biology, that show that these factors are closely connected to the damage that they cause to the brain and how they contribute to dementia. Degeneration of the brain (decline and damage to brain cells), that is accelerated by cardiovascular diseases (for example, heart disease and stroke), lead to an increased build-up of dangerous cells and plaques that may advance the development of dementia. In particular, these plaques are responsible for causing a type of toxic “clumping”, that prevent brain cells from working properly. Even more, it has been consistently shown that whilst the brain has the ability of resilience (to adapt to stress and damage), and maintenance (to preserve and promote its functions), this varies between individuals and so in how much risk they are of dementia. These biological processes that leave the brain vulnerable to dementia, also extend to damaged blood vessels, of inflammation and oxygen deprivation. Choosing to engage in unhealthy habits has continued to show an increased chance of dementia through these forms of biological consequences.