Men’s Health………
Dodging Dementia A RECENT STUDY HAS IDENTIFIED AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN LIGHTINTENSITY PHYSICAL EXERCISE IN OLDER ADULTS AND A REDUCED RISK OF DEMENTIA. THE STUDY, WHICH APPEARS IN “JAMA OPEN NETWORK”, LAYS THE GROUND FOR FURTHER RESEARCH TO DETERMINE WHETHER LIGHT-INTENSITY PHYSICAL EXERCISE CAUSES THE REDUCTION IN RISK.
Dementia is the term used to describe the symptoms of a large group of illnesses which cause a progressive decline in a person’s functioning. It is a broad term used to describe a loss of memory, intellect, rationality, social skills and physical functioning. There are many types of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia and Lewy body disease. Dementia can happen to anybody, but it is more common after the age of 65. Although dementia can affect younger people, it is increasingly common with advancing age and mainly occurs among those aged 65 and over, but is not a normal part of ageing. Dementia is a major cause of disability and dependency among older people. It not only affects individuals with the condition, but also has a substantial impact on their families and carers, as people with dementia eventually become dependent on their care providers in most, if not all, areas of daily living. How common is dementia? The exact number of people with dementia in Australia is currently not known. It is estimated that in 2020 there are between 400,000 and 459,000 Australians with dementia (AIHW 2018; DA 2020), with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for up to 70 percent of diagnosed cases (DA 2018). Risk factors A range of factors are known to contribute to the risk of dementia and may affect the progression of its symptoms. Some risk factors can’t be changed, such as age, genetics and family history. However, several are modifiable,
and can be altered to prevent or delay dementia. High levels of education, physical activity and social engagement are all protective against developing dementia, while smoking, hearing loss, depression, diabetes, hypertension and obesity are all linked to an increased risk of developing dementia (Livingston et al. 2017). Impact Dementia was the second leading cause of death in Australia in 2018, accounting for almost 14,000 deaths (ABS 2019). For females, dementia was the leading cause of death (nearly 9,000 deaths), while it was the third leading cause for males (nearly 5,000 deaths). Australian statistics (January 2022) • Dementia is the second leading cause of death of Australians • Dementia is the leading cause of death for women • In 2022, there are an estimated 487,500 Australians living with dementia. Without a medical breakthrough, the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to almost 1.1 million by 2058 • In 2022, there were an estimated 28,800 people with younger onset dementia, expected to rise to 29,350 people by 2028 and 41,250 people by 2058. This can include people in their 30s, 40s and 50s • In 2021, it is estimated that almost 1.6 million people in Australia are involved in the care of someone living with dementia • Approximately 70 percent of people with dementia live in the community • More than two-thirds (68.1 percent) of aged care residents have moderate to 56 slim magazine Autumn 2022
severe cognitive impairment. Dementia risk reduction Being brain healthy is relevant at any age, whether you are young, old or in between. However, it is particularly important once you reach middle age as this is when changes start to occur in the brain. While we cannot change getting older, genetics or family history, scientific research suggests that changing certain health and lifestyle habits may make a big difference to reducing or delaying your risk of developing dementia. There are 12 recommendations for reducing risk for cognitive decline released by the World Health Organisation: • Be physically active • stop smoking • eat a balanced diet, like the Mediterranean diet • drink alcohol in moderation • cognitive training • be socially active • look after your weight • manage any hypertension • manage any diabetes • manage any cholesterol • manage depression • look after your hearing and manage hearing loss.
More at dementia.org.au and jamanetwork.com
