Healthy Lifestyle Changes Linked to Reduced Risk for Dementia Managing diabetes, quitting smoking, controlling high blood pressure, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk for dementia, even late in life!
Diabetes can increase the risk of dementia by 50%. Obesity and an inactive life style are key risk factors for diabetes and also high blood pressure. It is never too late to make healthy life style changes. While age and genetics are part of dementia’s risk factors, not smoking, eating more healthily, getting some exercise,, and having a good education, together with challenging your brain to be sure it is kept active, can all play a part in minimizing your chances of developing dementia! Those who already have signs of dementia can also do these things, which may help slow the progression of dementia. Quitting smoking has a strong link with a reduced risk for developing dementia.
People with more education are also at a lower risk for dementia. Although education itself doesn’t affect the brain changes that lead to dementia, it can reduce their impact on brain function. Most of the risk factors for dementia overlap with those for the other major non- communicable diseases. In high-income countries, there is an increased focus on healthier lifestyles. Implementing effective public health campaigns may help to reduce the global risk of developing dementia.
