In surveys of our aging people, there is more fear expressed about getting dementia than being diagnosed with cancer. No wonder. We can treat cancer with chemotherapy, surgery, and sometimes radiation. It can be successful and eliminate some kinds of cancer or limit the progress of other kinds. There is remission, or being free of symptoms, with treatment. Not so with dementia.
What Causes Dementia?
Researchers all over the world are searching constantly for answers, in efforts to prevent or cure this brain destroying disease. The term “dementia” is sometimes used interchangeably with Alzheimer’s disease, or other forms of neurocognitive decline. Dementia is actually a description of the symptoms of disease, such as short-term memory loss that interferes with daily life, confusion, and loss of independence. What we do know so far, from many credible sources, is that it likely has numerous complex causes. Among them, scientists believe, is exposure to toxins, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, poor sleep and many others. We do not yet know definitively all the causes, but we do know that prevention is a lot better than trying to cure this complex disease. We have no cure as yet.
Preventive Actions Everyone Should Take
Health experts everywhere tell us that a healthy lifestyle is good protection. But do Americans generally adopt a healthy lifestyle? No. Over two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Most people in our country eat fast food, ultra processed foods, lots of sugar, salt and saturated fat, and altogether too much food. People may hear what’s good for them but “let’s not worry about that now”, they think, and head for the junk food.
Small Changes Matter
If you want to focus on one preventive thing you have the power to change, make it your food. Most people have a pretty good idea of what healthy eating looks like. More lean protein, more fruits and vegetables (organic if possible), a lot less sugar, and less saturated fat. Any little change is a start. Skip sodas, for example. Eat a salad one day instead of half a pizza. It takes time to transform any habit but you can start small and be on your way. Is it hard to give up what you love to eat that’s not good for you? Of course. Who said dementia prevention is easy?
One Other Important Focus
Sedentary lives of Americans don’t just put us at risk for dementia. They certainly also lead to Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes and high blood pressure. You may have one of these conditions already or be heading toward one. So, you’re not likely to turn yourself into an avid gym goer or runner overnight. Nor do you have to do any radical changes. But you do need to move your body more every day. A simple start is a walking program. By that I mean set a goal. Can you walk for 5 minutes? You can go outside when weather permits, go up and down stairs in your own home or building, walk in a mall or on a treadmill. Anything counts. The idea is that after you get used to the first goal, you add. If it’s adding one minute at a time, that’s fine. Work your way up to a half hour, five times a week and you are doing what the American Heart Association recommends: at least 150 minutes a week. As you progress, walk somewhat faster to the point of being a bit breathless. That’s the ideal.
Conclusion
What you eat and how much you move need to be in your awareness if you are truly interested in dementia prevention. If your idea and excuse for not changing anything is that by the time you’re “old” science will have a cure or a pill you can take, you’re dreaming. Millions of dollars are spent on research about dementia every day, across the world. We have no effective nor lasting treatment yet. We definitely do not have a cure for dementia nor are we close to getting one. The preventive action available is within you, not outside you.
Carolyn L. Rosenblatt, RN-Attorney, AgingParents.com
