How to Lower Your Risk for Age-Related Dementia

The human brain is often considered an amazing machine, despite being far more complex and efficient than any computer could dream of being. Technology is constantly behind this essential organ, this mass of tissue, fats, and 100,000 miles of blood vessels. It’s the only thing capable of self-reflection, runs on enough electricity to operate a 25-watt light bulb, and has the consistency of a gelatinous treat.

It also undergoes numerous changes in its development into adulthood and throughout your life, building over a million new connections a second as kids, and starts to shrink in our 30s and 40s. With those changes also comes the increased risk of many illnesses that affect cognition and other basic brain functions, like dementia. This becomes a bigger problem in your senior years, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk of dealing with dementia.

Riverside, California, residents looking to reduce their chances of dementia and manage other medical problems can seek help from Melanchton A. Mangoba, MD, and his dedicated medical staff.

Defining age-related dementia

Rather than merely describing one illness, dementia covers a range of conditions that increase difficulties in memory, speech, coordination, behavior, mood, cognition, reasoning, and personality. The age-related connotation comes from the fact that it’s a common problem in people over 65 (5 million adults), and an estimated 50% of people 85 and older have some form of dementia.

Causes of dementia

There are three types of dementia people struggle with: primary, where it's the main illness, secondary, where it’s a result of another condition, and reversible, where other causes can be treated to reverse its impact. Several illnesses cause dementia, such as:

Alzheimer’s disease: abnormal proteins that interrupt communication between nerve cells in your brain
Vascular dementia: strokes and hardening of the arteries damage the brain’s blood vessels
Lewy body dementia: clumps of proteins called Lewy bodies that damage nerve cells
Parkinson’s disease: the latter stages of this illness include dementia

Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia are the two most common types, with the former being the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the fifth leading cause in those over 65.

Tips to reduce your risk

The good news is that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 45% of all dementia cases can be delayed or avoided altogether. Here are some things you can do right now to keep your chances of dementia as low as possible:

Physical activity

Many people get less and less active as they age, and that can play a significant role in developing dementia. Regular exercise is the key to maintaining great heart and brain health.

Managing your blood sugar

Diabetes can also damage the blood vessels in your brain over time, so keep your glucose levels under control, because many cases of diabetes go unnoticed until it starts hurting the body.

Monitor your blood pressure

High blood pressure (hypertension) raises the risk of numerous cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, which can lead to vascular dementia. Keep track of your blood pressure and get medications if your levels are consistently too high.

Treat hearing loss

According to research, losing your hearing makes your brain overwork at the expense of memory and thinking. Additionally, the lack of engaging others when you can’t hear them makes you more isolated, which raises your risk.

Reduce or avoid smoking and drinking

Both habits are dangerous for your health, and smoking in particular already has a laundry list of medical problems it leads to. Excessive drinking, however, also raises your blood pressure and increases the chances of brain injury.

These fundamental changes in your life can make a world of difference in your cognition as you age. For more help staying healthy and fit in your senior years, call 951-357-6032 or use online booking to schedule an appointment with Dr. Mangoba today.