The World Health Organization says that globally more than 55 million people are living with dementia, and there are about 10 million new cases each year. In addition, it is the seventh leading cause of death and one of the leading causes of disability and dependence among older people on the planet.
But even more worrying is that in 2019 the Director General of WHO
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported that the number of people with dementia is expected to triple in the next 30 years. He said that everything should be done to reduce the risk and that scientific evidence confirmed that what is good for the heart is also good for the brain.
“We need to do everything possible to reduce the risk of dementia. Scientific evidence confirms that what is good for our hearts is also good for our brains,” the WHO chief said. Meanwhile, there is reassuring news that 40% of dementia can be prevented or delayed if we change our health habits, according to the Lancet.
In line with this, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS UK) reported that there is good evidence that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of developing dementia as a person gets older. Not only dementia, but it has further been linked that a healthy lifestyle can also help prevent heart diseases, such as stroke and heart attack, which are risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia which are the 2 most common There are different types of dementia.
Highlighting that ‘what is good for your heart is also good for your mind’, NHS UK lists some things that can help reduce the risk of dementia and they are:
- eating a healthy, balanced diet
- maintaining a healthy weight
- exercising regularly
- keeping alcohol within recommended limits
- quit smoking
- maintaining a healthy level of blood pressure
There are some other tips and strategies recommended by the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada that look after long-term brain health, reduce the risk of other cognitive and chronic diseases, and protect overall health. Those tips are:
- being socially active
- Cross-training or challenging the brain
- managing stress
- stay active
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