Ways to reduce risk of dementia

There is no cure for dementia and there is no certain way to prevent all types of dementia. However there are lifestyle changes you can make now to reduce the risk in the future.

Leading a social and active lifestyle, both in terms of physical and mental exercise, and sticking to a healthy diet can contribute to reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

What are the risk factors of dementia?

Although old age is the biggest factor in developing dementia, dementia risk accrues over the course of a lifetime and does not start at old age.

Cardiovascular diseases (high blood pressure, stroke, inconsistent supply of oxygen to brain cells) and chronic neuroinflammation due to for example physical trauma, an excessive intake of alcohol or obesity result in a higher risk of dementia.

Regular physical activity paired with an otherwise healthy lifestyle can therefore help you combat the development and build resilience to the effects of the disease, making the symptoms appear later.

Other risk factors which have been identified include:

• Smoking
• Traumatic brain injury
• Hearing loss
• Depression
• Loneliness
• Sitting down for most of the day
• Air pollution (difficult to reduce on an individual level)

Lower levels of education have also been linked to a higher risk of developing dementia.

Four out of 10 dementia cases are preventable

Speaking at The Alzheimer’s Show webinar ‘Risk factors for dementia – and how to reduce them’, Simon Wheeler, Knowledge Officer of Alzheimer’s Society said around four out of 10 cases of dementia are preventable.

“We never actually know what causes an individual to develop dementia, but what we do know from looking at large groups of people, is that these risk factors can be targeted and changed. If we do so, we might, in theory, be able to prevent four cases out of every ten.

“A lot of the risk is accrued during mid-life, so somebody like me, in their mid-40s, needs to be thinking about risk reduction now and not as they approach retirement.

“There are two main sides to reducing the risk of dementia. The one we tend to focus on most is reducing our exposure to harm from unhealthy things. On the other side of the equation, we can build resilience to dementia by developing healthy brains, having lots of social contact and interaction, being well-educated and having cognitive demanding lives.

“All of these things will build up resilience to the effects of the underlying biological disease. The vast majority of people with dementia are getting it in the last few years of their life, when they are in their 70s and 80s. If we can delay getting dementia by five years, that would be huge in reducing the amount of people who ever get dementia.”

Delaying dementia at old age can have a huge impact on your quality of life during later life, as this could mean you can enjoy additional years free from the disease.

How to reduce the risk of dementia

1. Regular physical activity

Physical exercise benefits your heart, blood circulation and mental well-being as well as helping you to keep a healthy weight.

A lack of physical activity on the other hand increases the risk of heart disease, becoming overweight and type 2 diabetes, which are known to increase the risk of developing dementia.

It is recommended to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Moderate activity could be brisk walking or mowing the lawn, while vigorous activity could include jogging or swimming.

Ideally, some activities should involve resistance to activate your muscles.

2. Healthy eating and a balanced diet

A healthy and balanced diet can help prevent some of the risk factors of dementia, such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Starting to eat healthily as early as possible will help you better prepare for older age and build resistance to the risk factors.

Following the NHS Eatwell Guide is a good way to ensure a varied intake of nutrients. Try to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, limit sugar and salt intake and keep hydrated throughout the day.

3. Cognitive stimulation

Regularly challenging yourself mentally helps your brain build up its ability to cope with dementia, which is why it is important to keep your mind active.

This is particularly true during childhood and adolescence as you build up a ‘cognitive reserve’.

Scientists from Exeter University have found reading poetry can stimulate parts of the brain that are linked to memory.

You can listen to author and TV presenter Gyles Brandretth talking about the links between poetry and dementia on carehome.co.uk’s Let’s Talk About Care podcast.

4. Maintaining social contact

Interacting with other human beings is cognitively demanding, even if we do not realise it. Social interaction enhances people’s cognitive reserve through practising and maintenance of these skills.

It can become more difficult to be socially active in later life, which means people are then no longer practising and using their cognitive skills as much.

Hearing loss can be a driving factor in a lack of social interaction, but there are solutions for it.

5. Get hearing aids if you need to

Hearing impairment from mid-life onwards is associated with greater risk of dementia as it increases the ‘cognitive load’.

An increased cognitive load is where someone has to focus hard on processing poor-quality sound, which can in turn make cognitive performance worse.

Hearing aids can greatly help you reduce the cognitive load. You can get a free hearing test through the NHS.

6. Reduce your alcohol intake

Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol over a period of time increases the risk of developing dementia as it can lead to brain damage, which in turn can lead to Alzheimer’s or other forms of the disease.

You should aim to drink no more than 14 units each week. People who drink more than 21 units a week are at around 20 per cent higher risk of developing dementia.

Binge drinking is much more harmful to the brain compared to drinking less and consistently. Additionally, alcohol addiction can cause specific alcohol-related dementias such as Korsakoff’s syndrome.

7. Stop smoking

Smokers are at a higher risk of developing dementia later in life. Smoking does a lot of harm to the circulation of blood around the body, including the blood vessels in the brain, heart and lungs.

The toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke are able to get into the brain and cause oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Stopping smoking even when you are older will significantly reduce the risk of dementia.

8. Keep good dental hygiene

People with poor dental hygiene are 21% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia, according to a recent study. The theory is that if you have bad oral health, it is more likely that you will have oral microbes in your mouth which can cause diseases. These microbes can reach the brain via the bloodstream and destroy nerve cells and damage brain tissue. 

So it is important to properly brush your teeth and floss twice a day.

9. Reducing impacts to the head

This can be difficult to actively do something about but is something to keep in mind. However, repeated Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) can cause neuroinflammation.

For example, there a link has been found between professional footballers and dementia. However, playing football is a form of physical exercise and the risks will have to be balanced against the health benefits.

10. Managing diabetes

Preventing yourself from getting diabetes in the first place is the most important thing, which can be achieved through an otherwise healthy lifestyle. The risk of dementia increases with greater severity and longer duration of having diabetes.

As diabetes increases the amount of sugar in the blood, which is harmful to cells and the nervous system, getting an early check-up can help to reduce the risk of dementia.

11. HRT may cut the risk of dementia in some women

Around twice the number of women have Alzheimer’s disease than men and this is thought to be due to women living longer and old age being the biggest risk factor for dementia. New research has shown HRT (hormone replacement therapy) may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease among some higher-risk women.

Around a quarter of women living in the UK are estimated to carry a gene called APOE4, which heightens the risk of dementia. New studies have found HRT which is used to help control symptoms of perimenopause and menopause was linked with improved memory and larger brain volume for women with the gene.

It is important to bear in mind that evidence from the research seems to show menopause and the reduction of oestrogen it causes are linked to an increased risk of dementia, rather than a loss of oestrogen causing dementia.

Caring for someone with dementia

If you have a loved one who is living with dementia, you may find it overwhelming. Read our article on caring for someone with dementia for useful tips and advice.