SLEEP TO DEFEAT OLD AGE

THE vast majority of people are not doing enough to ward off dementia in later life.

A feared consequence of ageing the number of people expected to suffer from dementia is only set to rise.

Already an estimated 55 million people suffer from it, with more than 60% living in low and middle income countries.

As the proportion of older people increases in nearly every country, this figure is expected to rise to 78 million in 2030 and then 139 million by 2050, according to the WHO.

To remedy the problem Alzheimer’s Research UK has composed a new 12-step checklist to help avoid getting the condition.

The number one factor on the checklist is to get at least seven hours of sleep a night.

This is the optimal amount of sleep for most adults, providing the most benefit for cognitive and mental health.

Step two is to regularly challenge the brain - this could in-

VITAL: A good seven hours solid sleep as a minimum

By Anthony Piovesan

volve anything from frequently doing puzzles, or playing crosswords to learning a new language.

Third is to stay socially active, while the fourth step is to maintain mental well-being.

The fifth and sixth steps recommend people look after their

Slumber Issues

A SURVEY called 'Sleep and Well-being' claims 54% of people in Spain have mood swings caused by a lack of sleep.

It found that 39% of the population endure either poor or very poor quality sleep on a daily basis.

The research was jointly carried out by the Monica Duart Sleep Foundation and Castellon's Jaume I University. Sleep problems are hitting the whole of the population, regardless of age, with 36% of those surveyed admitting to daytime drowsiness.

“These research results are further evidence of the importance of sleep,” said Monica Duart.

“The lack of rest affects all parts of our lives from mental health to work performance," she added. Collaboration between the Sleep Foundation and the university started last year. They are now both promoting rest and well-being, in addition to raising general awareness of sleeping problems.

Over the next year, further analysis will be made over sleep quality and its implications on health.

hearing and eat a balanced diet. Staying physically active comes next, while quitting smoking also helps.

The ninth step is drinking responsibly, while number 10 is keeping a healthy level of cholesterol.

To achieve this, eat oats, barley and other whole grains, as well as beans, eggplant and okra, nuts, vegetable oils, apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruits.

The final two steps are maintaining healthy blood pressure and managing diabetes. Although age is the strongest known risk factor for dementia, it is not an inevitable consequence of biological ageing.

Trials

It also does not exclusively affect older people - young onset dementia occurs when symptoms develop before the age of 65 and accounts for 9% of cases worldwide.

There is currently no cure for dementia.

There are anti-dementia medicines and disease-modifying therapies, but they have limited efficacy and are primarily labelled for Alzherimer’s disease. There are, however, numerous new treatments in various stages of clinical trials.

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