A cure has not yet been found for Alzheimer’s and the other forms of dementia that strike at less and less senile age. Neurodegenerative disease is thought of as a fatality against which nothing can be done. Yet this is not the case. Studies reveal that Alzheimer’s risk can be lowered with a healthy lifestyle. Research shows that there are at least 6 major risk factors that could lead to Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
Many experience dementia or Alzheimer’s in a detached way, as if it does not concern them, perhaps because it is a disease associated with old age. Someone, on the other hand, begins to deal with it when a parent or family member is affected by the disease at home. Only then do we realize how terrible a neurodegenerative disease can be. Yet, with a few simple and healthy habits, the risk of falling into it could be removed. For example, many are unaware that this unique practice is effective in combating hypertension, stroke and Alzheimer’s.
6 major risk factors that could lead to Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia
A more balanced lifestyle increases survival and decreases the risk of dementia diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. For prevention, doctors recommend a diet low in salts, fats, animal proteins, sugars, alcohol and no smoking. You also need to exercise regularly.
But is it really that simple? An English study was recently published in the scientific journal Plos One. The research followed 2,235 men between the ages of 45 and 59 for 30 years. The results of the study are clear. Those who followed almost all of the above advice had a lower risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, with a diet low in simple sugars, salt, fats and animal proteins, the risk of falling into neurodegenerative diseases has decreased.
But what are the 6 main factors that can promote dementia?
The first factor is obesity. Each additional point in the body mass index corresponds to a 7-month advance of the onset of Alzheimer’s.
According to some studies, those who smoke cigarettes have a double risk of incurring forms of dementia.
Hypertension is another factor that promotes dementia because it puts cerebrovascular health at risk.
Another little known cerebrovascular risk factor is hyperhomocysteinemia, that is, homocysteine values in the blood higher than normal.
Vitamin D deficiency, as shown by a Scottish study, can also promote the onset of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
An additional risk for dementia is when the arteries that carry blood to the head become narrow. When this happens, cognitive abilities become impaired and you begin to lose memory and reasoning skills.
The first signs can manifest themselves like this
These 6 factors can lead to dementia and the first signs can go almost unnoticed, but the hallmark of Alzheimer’s comes with these signals. It should also be remembered that Alzheimer’s is not the only form of dementia. For example, this very dangerous new form of dementia like Alzheimer’s but little known is advancing fast.