How to Reduce the Risk of Dementia Naturally
By Tanya Thakur, MBBS
Dementia is more than just entering a room and forgetting what you came for. It’s about
losing your memories, your identity, your independence, your humor and everything that
makes you “you”. Dementia not only takes away your memories, but it also robs you of
opportunities of creating new ones.
Genetic Factors of Dementia
There are various genes linked to late onset Alzheimer’s disease, which are considered
to augment the risk of disease. For example, Apo genes increase the risk and are
associated with earlier age of disease onset.
There are a couple of questions worth asking:
- Why do many individuals without genetic inheritance develop dementia?
- Why do certain people classified as non-demented but with Alzheimer’s disease demonstrate cognitive resilience?
There is a possibility that there’s more than what meets the eye and many factors,
besides inheritance, play a role in the manifestation of the disease.
According to a report of Dementia Prevention, 12 risk factors are responsible for
approximately 40 percent of dementia cases globally, suggesting that these cases could
potentially be avoided or postponed.
Lifestyle Choices that Increase Risk of Dementia
Dementia risk factors start early in life and persist across the life span. Early in life, not
receiving education is a risk factor. As an adolescent, hearing loss, traumatic brain
injury, hypertension, alcohol consumption, and BMI more than or equal to 30 are all risk
factors. Later in life, additional risk factors include smoking, depression, social isolation,
physical inactivity, diabetes, and poor air pollution. All these factors are documented to
increase the risk and severity of dementia.
Lifestyle Choices that Decrease Risk of Dementia
1) Keep systolic blood pressure at or below 130 mm Hg starting at age 40
Interestingly, antihypertensive treatment for hypertension is currently the sole
recognized effective preventive medication for dementia. Among individuals maintaining
a consistently elevated systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg or higher from ages 45 to
61, the risk of developing dementia is higher compared to those without hypertension.
2) Restrict alcohol consumption
Alcohol misuse (defined as drinking more than 20 alcoholic drinks per week) heightens
the likelihood of developing dementia.
3) Smoking cessation
It’s never too late to stop smoking. Every day without cigarettes is a step towards a
healthier brain and lowers the risk of dementia.
4) Increase physical activity
Increasing the amount of exercise will not only combat dementia but also other risk
factors such as diabetes, depression, sleep disturbance, social isolation, and high BMI.
5) Lower cholesterol
It’s intriguing that genes linked to Alzheimer’s disease are responsible for producing
Apolipoprotein E, a key player in cholesterol transport, absorption, and storage. The
APOE2 variant is typically associated with lower LDL levels. In contrast, individuals with
the APOE4 variant tend to have faster cholesterol metabolism, resulting in higher LDL
and total cholesterol levels, even at lower body mass indexes. Although, the current evidence does not definitively establish high blood cholesterol as a primary risk factor
for dementia as there are many confounding variables between the two diseases.
6) Dietary interventions
In a recent study, 49 patients with early Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive
impairment were observed by Dean Ornish, MD, founder and president of the nonprofit
Preventive Medicine Research Institute. Dr. Ornish is a prominent physician in the US,
recognized for his in-depth research on the health benefits of plant-based diets and the
specially popular “Ornish Diet” in preventing and reversing cardiovascular diseases. He
is often referred to as “the father of lifestyle medicine.”
During the 20-week study, one group consumed a whole, minimally processed plant-
based diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, soy products, seeds,
and nuts. They also engaged in daily aerobic exercise, adopted stress reduction
techniques, and participated in online support groups with an aim to reduce social
isolation. Conversely, the control group did not partake in any of these activities. Upon
completion, individuals who implemented lifestyle adjustments demonstrated statistically
significant enhancements in three out of four standard cognitive assessments. In
contrast, participants in the control group experienced deteriorating scores across all
four tests.
“I’m cautiously optimistic and very encouraged by these findings, which may empower many people with new hope and new choices,” said Dr. Ornish. “We do not yet have a cure for Alzheimer’s, but as the scientific community continues to pursue all avenues to identify potential treatments, we are now able to offer an improved quality of life to many people suffering from this terrible disease.”
