Do you know the 12 modifiable risk factors that could help you prevent dementia?
According to the Mayo Clinic there are no proven strategies for Alzheimer’s prevention. However, there are several factors associated with leading a healthy lifestyle that may play a role in prevention.
According to a study by the Lancet presented at the 2017 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference and updated in 2020, 1 in 3 cases of dementia could be prevented if more people looked after their physical and mental health throughout their lives. Researchers identified twelve key factors that can increase your chances of getting dementia.
- Mid-life hearing loss- responsible for 9% of the risk of dementia.
- Failing to complete secondary education- 8%
- Smoking- 5%
- Failing to treat depression early- 4%
- Physical inactivity- 3%
- Social Isolation- 2%
- High blood pressure- 2%
- Obesity- 1%
- Type 2 diabetes- 2%
- Excessive alcohol consumption .8%
- Traumatic brain injury 3.4%
- Air pollution 2.3%
If risk factors can be modified, the evidence suggests that at least one out of every three cases of Alzheimer’s may be preventable”, according to neurologist Dr. Richard Issacson, director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, & Psychiatry. Accordingly there are things one can do to reduce your risk. The most promising interventions are lifestyle related including staying physically and mentally active, eating well, not smoking, managing physical and emotional health, and staying socially engaged. One socially interactive way to help utilize your brain and memory recall skills is with our Rememory Game. Another fun way to exercise your brain is the Light Stax, illuminated construction blocks. Games such as this one can help increase and strengthen the brain's networks which will increase the ability of the brain to function in later life despite any damage that may occur.
