10 ways to exercise, lose weight and avoid dementia, according to London scientists

A team of researchers in London has harnessed the power of research to create a simple list of steps anyone can take to reduce their risk of dementia, including getting more physical activity and controlling their blood pressure.

The list of factors that researchers believe contribute to dementia, while not currently unknown, is supported by a new study from the Lawson Health Research Institute, which shows that about half of people with dementia in Canada It was found that this is related to possible lifestyle factors. controlled.

“The best way to treat dementia is to prevent or delay its onset. The good thing about finding these risk factors is that you can change your risk of dementia by changing something in your daily life. That is,” said Slim Song, lead author of the study. PhD candidate at Western University.

In addition to confirming the prevalence of previously known dementia risk factors in the Canadian population, researchers also determined how significant each factor's impact is on dementia risk.

The study looked at 30,000 Canadians over the age of 45 and identified the top 12 controllable risk factors. Many are risk factors that people can address to reduce their risk of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. In order of importance:

1. lack of exercise
2. hearing loss
3. obesity
4. high blood pressure
5. Traumatic brain injury in middle age
6. depression
7. Less education early in life
8. sleep disorders
9. diabetes
10. smoking
11. excessive alcohol intake
12. social isolation

“Nearly half of dementia cases in Canada are related to or affected by these risk factors related to our lifestyles and healthy behaviors,” said Son.

At the top of the list by a wide margin are physical inactivity, hearing loss, obesity and high blood pressure, all of which are highly prevalent among Canadians with dementia.

About 10 percent of dementia cases occurred in people who consistently received less than 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. More than 6% of patients had obesity, hypertension, or hearing loss.

“This is significantly higher than other risk factors. For example, only 3 per cent of dementia cases are associated with low education. In Canada, only 3 per cent of dementia cases are associated with smoking. It's less than 2 percent,” Son said.

Overall, she said, some of the risk factors are incredibly prevalent among Canadians. Research shows that 83% of Canadians don't get enough physical activity, 30% have high blood pressure and 31% are obese.

The study found that some of the risk factors on the list, such as brain damage, diabetes, and hearing loss, cannot be modified once they appear or have progressed to a certain point, but they can be prevented early, slowed, or Significant impact by acting to manage.

There is considerable overlap between the risk factors that are most manageable and those that have the greatest impact. High blood pressure can often be managed with medication, dietary changes, and exercise. Healthy eating and exercise directly address the risks posed by physical inactivity and obesity.

Song said the study has been well received by health authorities.

“The findings of this study were included as part of the national dementia report by the Public Health Agency of Canada to raise awareness,” she said.

Son added that the widespread adoption of healthier habits to prevent dementia could do wonders in reducing the burden on the country's healthcare system.

“More than 700,000 Canadians are living with dementia; [expected] Son said, “Preventing dementia will reduce medical costs and, by extension, the medical burden.''

Son said there has been a lot of interest from the community.

To encourage lifestyle changes that Song's research suggests may lower the risk of dementia, she created a calendar to remind people of the importance of those steps.

She is distributing it to local clinics and even community members who contact her for copies.

“I received a lot of emails asking for copies,” she says.

The calendar, titled “12 Ways to Prevent Dementia,'' lists risk factors identified in research and how to deal with them. This aligns with Son's biggest advice for people who want change.

“If you're looking to change your daily routine, you can probably start with one simple, easy risk factor that you can modify to improve your brain health,” she says.

“We can see that many people are already interested in [lowering] Changing your lifestyle can increase your risk of dementia. ”