How you can reduce your risk
of developing dementia
What is dementia?
Dementia is the name for a collection of
symptoms such as problems with memory,
thinking things through, language and
orientation. These symptoms often start
slowly but they get worse over time and
start to affect daily life more and more.
The most common types of dementia are Alzheimer’s
disease and vascular dementia. Some people have both,
called mixed dementia.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease develops when clumps of protein
called ‘plaques’ and ‘tangles’ form in the brain. They
change the chemistry of the brain and cause brain cells
to die. The most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s
disease is problems with day-to-day memory.
What is vascular dementia?
Dementia is not a natural
part of ageing. It’s caused by
diseases that affect the brain.
Vascular dementia is caused by poor blood supply to the
brain. The brain needs the oxygen and nutrients in the
blood to work. If the blood supply is interrupted, either
by a stroke or the stiffening of small blood vessels deep
in the brain, then brain cells are starved of oxygen and
will die. Early symptoms of vascular dementia can include
problems with planning and slower speed of thought.
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What are the risk
factors for dementia?
A risk factor for dementia is anything that
increases a person’s chance of getting it.
You can’t influence all risk factors – for example,
age is the strongest risk factor for dementia.
Another risk factor that can’t be changed is genetics.
However, having a birth relative with dementia will affect
most people’s chance of getting it only slightly. It’s rare for
dementia to be directly inherited.
There are several dementia risk factors that you can help
to avoid by living healthily, however. Type 2 diabetes or
cardiovascular disease (stroke or heart disease) greatly
increase your dementia risk.
These diseases are linked to high blood pressure, high
cholesterol and obesity. If you have any of these conditions
in middle age, you have a higher chance of developing
dementia later in life.
Another group of dementia risk factors are directly related
to how much we stimulate our brains. Keeping your mind
active can also reduce your chances of getting dementia
later in life.
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By making lifestyle choices
that keep your body healthy –
especially your heart and
blood system – you can reduce
your chances of developing
dementia. In essence,
‘What’s good for your heart
is good for your head’.
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Get physically active
Regular physical exercise is one of the best ways
to reduce your risk of getting dementia. It’s good
for your heart, weight and mental wellbeing.
You don’t have to run a marathon or spend hours in the
gym. You should aim for 30 minutes of exercise at least
five times a week. The exercise should be vigorous enough
to raise your heart rate or get you a bit out of breath.
You can build up to this gradually if you find it easier.
Simple ways to start exercising
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Cycle to work or walk with colleagues in your lunch break.
Get off the bus two stops earlier and walk.
Take the stairs rather than the lift.
Join a class such as yoga or badminton.
Swim once a week.
Exercise for stamina, strength and flexibility
• Stamina – walking, cycling, tennis and dancing.
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Strength – walking uphill, carrying shopping,
climbing stairs, gardening and housework.
You can use a wearable
gadget or smartphone app
to track how active you’ve
been. Set yourself a target
and try to stick to it.
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Flexibility – swimming, yoga, dancing,
t’ai chi and gardening.
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Eat healthily
A healthy, balanced diet will help prevent
dementia, type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart
disease. You should base meals around starchy
foods such as potatoes, bread, rice and pasta.
1 Eat more fruit and vegetables
Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day –
fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables all count.
Choose different colours to get a variety.
2 Eat fish at least twice a week
Fish is nutritious and high in protein. Oily fish like mackerel,
salmon and sardines are a good source of healthy omega-3
fatty acids.
3 Eat less fat
Too much saturated fat puts you at risk of heart attack,
stroke and dementia. Cut back on pies, cakes and biscuits,
sausages, bacon and fatty cuts of meat, and most cheeses.
4 See sugar as a treat
Too much sugar is linked to weight gain and diabetes.
Limit sugary treats such as fizzy drinks and sweets.
5 Look out for hidden salt
Too much salt increases blood pressure and the risk of
developing dementia. Read the labels to see the salt
hidden in bread, pizza and ready meals.
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A ‘Mediterranean’ diet may
reduce your risk of getting
dementia. It has lots of fruit,
vegetables and cereals, olive oil
as the main fat, some fish
and poultry, but only a little
red meat.
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Don’t smoke,
drink less alcohol
Smoking
If you smoke you are significantly increasing your risk of
developing dementia later in life. You are also putting
yourself at risk of other conditions such as type 2 diabetes,
stroke, and lung and other cancers.
If you smoke it’s better to stop sooner, but even if you quit
later in life it’s still good for your health. Talk to your GP or
local pharmacy about how to stop smoking, or call the NHS
Go Smokefree helpline on 0300 123 1044.
Drinking alcohol
If you regularly drink more than 14 units each week – about
five large glasses of wine or seven pints of beer – then
you are probably increasing your chances of developing
dementia. If you often drink a lot more than this then you
are at risk of alcohol-related brain damage.
To cut down, set yourself a limit and track how much you
are drinking. Try low-alcohol drinks or alternating soft and
alcoholic drinks. If you find it difficult to drink less alcohol,
talk to your GP about what support is available.
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Smoking has an extremely
harmful effect on the heart,
lungs and blood system,
including the blood vessels
in the brain.
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Exercise your brain
Keeping your mind active is likely to reduce your
risk of dementia. Regularly challenging yourself
mentally seems to build up the brain’s ability to
cope with disease. Put simply, ‘Use it or lose it’.
Find something you like doing which gives your brain a
‘workout’. Then try to do it regularly and keep it up.
What you do is up to you. Could you learn a new language?
Do you like doing puzzles or crosswords? Are card games,
reading challenging books or writing for you?
If you like electronic ‘brain training’ games then keep
doing them because they’re not going to be harmful.
But there is no good evidence that they will reduce your
dementia risk either.
Being socially active may also reduce your risk. Try to
make the effort to keep in touch with friends and family.
You could volunteer or join a club.
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Keeping mentally active could
help to delay the symptoms
of dementia by several years.
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Take control
of your health
Looking after yourself really will reduce your
chances of developing dementia. This is true
at any age, but middle age is an important
time to start if you’re not doing it already.
If you get invited for an NHS health check by your doctor,
be sure to go. It’s like a mid-life MOT for your body. It might
give you the plan you need to change for the better.
At any time, if you feel that you might be getting
depressed, seek help early. Depression is a probable risk
factor for dementia, but it can be treated. Talk to your
doctor if you often feel low, anxious or irritable. Try to get
a good night’s sleep too – for many people this will be
eight hours. It will help your mental wellbeing and may
reduce your dementia risk.
Some people will be living with a long-term condition such
as diabetes or heart disease, or be at risk of stroke. If this is
you then it’s really important to follow professional advice
about medicines or lifestyle.
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By making small changes
to the way you live, you can
reduce your risk of getting
dementia as you get older.
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Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading support
services and research charity for people with
dementia, their families and carers. We provide
information and support to people with any
form of dementia and their carers through our
publications, National Dementia Helpline,
website and more than 3,000 local services.
Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Helpline
0300 222 1122
Alzheimer’s Society
Devon House
58 St Katharine’s Way
London E1W 1LB
020 7423 3500
[email protected]
alzheimers.org.uk
Reviewed June 2016
Code 202 online
Registered charity no. 296645. Company limited by guarantee and registered in England no. 2115499.