How can lifestyle changes prevent dementia?

Lifestyle modifications and managing health conditions like high blood pressure, poor sleep, and vision issues can prevent millions of dementia cases, as nearly half could be averted with healthier living.

What health issues increase dementia risk?

Health issues such as uncorrected vision problems, poor sleep, high blood pressure, hearing loss, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnoea, obesity, gum disease, and depression can significantly increase dementia risk.

Can I reduce my dementia risk if I have poor sleep?

Yes, consistently sleeping less than six hours a night in middle-age increases dementia risk by 30%. Improving sleep habits and addressing issues like sleep apnoea are crucial for brain health.

Home / Health / Fight Dementia: Simple Steps to a Healthier Brain

Fight Dementia: Simple Steps to a Healthier Brain

31 Jan

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Summary

Lifestyle changes can prevent millions of dementia cases.
Heart health, sleep, and gum care impact dementia risk.
Addressing vision loss can decrease dementia risk by 50%.

Fight Dementia: Simple Steps to a Healthier Brain

Preventing dementia is possible through lifestyle modifications, as millions of cases could be avoided. Experts highlight that whole-body health is intricately linked to brain well-being, with factors such as heart condition, sleep quality, and gum health directly influencing dementia risk. Addressing common health issues like uncorrected vision problems can reduce dementia risk by 50%.

Poor sleep in middle age elevates dementia risk by 30%, while high blood pressure is identified as the largest modifiable factor for memory loss in Britain. Hearing loss also increases dementia risk by 40%. Fortunately, it is never too late to implement changes, and simple interventions like wearing hearing aids can reduce risk by 17%.

Research from 2024 indicates that nearly half of all dementia cases could be averted with healthier living and management of conditions like high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnoea, obesity, gum disease, and depression. Treatment for depression, for example, has shown to reduce dementia risk by one-third over a decade.