Mind Matters: More Than Losing Your Keys

By Ally Loveland, DO

 

Have you ever misplaced your keys and had a fleeting pang that this may be the start to losing one of your most valued assets?  We all dread the possibility of losing our memories, and we harbor the same fears of familiar faces becoming strangers, decreased independence, and inability to care for ourselves or to do things we once loved.  Dementia has long felt like an inevitable, cruel twist of fate causing those affected and their loved ones to feel helpless in its wake, but the future of your brain is not just a roll of the dice.  A growing body of research reveals the power our lifestyles have in preventing dementia and can show us how to stack the odds in our favor – transforming the conversation from fear, vulnerability, and inevitability to prevention, proactive health, and cognitive longevity.

The risk of dementia increases with age, and prevention is the first step in decreasing its prevalence in our community.  Regular exercise has the strongest evidence for reducing the occurrence of dementia, with a minimum goal of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week.  Diet is a crucial factor in supporting a healthy mind; more specifically, the cleverly abbreviated MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, which is associated with slower cognitive decline and up to 53% lower risk of dementia.  Social engagement plays a key role in cognition, as studies have shown that social isolation may increase the risk of dementia by nearly 40%.  Challenging social situations lead to cognitive longevity, so be sure to spend time with friends and family engaging in mentally stimulating activities.  Maintaining cardiovascular health by controlling hypertension and diabetes also impacts cognitive function.  Surprisingly, hearing loss contributes to dementia as well, meaning the use of hearing aids can actually reduce your risk!  Other modifiable factors that impact cognitive function are ensuring you get adequate sleep by following sleep hygiene guidelines, addressing your mental health including depression and stress management, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol use.

If you want to optimize your lifestyle to reduce your chances of developing dementia, consider incorporating some of the above changes into your daily routine.  As always, if you have any concerns regarding your memory, please speak with your primary care provider to discuss your options for evaluation and treatment.