How to Reduce My Risk of Dementia

Be More Like Generation Alpha

Let's face it, today's generation is more intelligent than previous generations. Generation Alpha is more forward-thinking than my generation. So I need to be doing what they are doing and start doing it NOW.

Let me explain. Generation Alpha is not afraid to speak up and is willing to care for themselves better than previous generations. They epitomize "My Body is My Temple." Generation Alpha will not join the rat race unless it is on their term. They will not destroy their body or lives, driving hard and into exhaustion for excellent grades or that dream job in silicon valley. Instead, Generation Alpha lives in the present, enjoys their life, and makes significant decisions that will ultimately grant them a long and meaningful life.

My generation is living longer and losing their minds at the same time. Cognitive decline is becoming a pandemic in the older population. As it worsens, it becomes dementia; it starts by forgetting the little things like your purse, keys, and cell phones. It gradually worsens as you forget your grandchildren, children, and spouse. Cognitive impairment starts long before you realize it, seventeen years before being diagnosed with dementia. The World Health Organization estimates that 50 million people have dementia, which is growing by 10 Million annually. Four percent of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have Alzheimer's Disease. The incidence jumps to 50% beyond 85 years of age.

Ways To Prevent Dementia

Generation Alpha Lifestyle will suit me fine.

1) Exercise; It does the body good

Exercise is the fountain of youth. It has so many beneficial qualities. It is probably the most important thing we can do to benefit ourselves. Studies have shown that aerobic (cardiovascular) exercises have more of an advantage than resistance exercises. Resistance exercise focuses on definition and increasing muscle mass. The recommendation is a minimum of two to three hours of moderate aerobic exercise. If the weekly aerobic training is more vigorous or high intensity, 75 minutes will reduce your risk of developing dementia.

2) Eliminate Tobacco (All kinds: Cigarettes, cigars, chewing)

People who have a history of smoking one pack of cigarettes per day for at least ten years increase their risk for dementia. Smoking causes atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a fancy word for the slow development of hardening and narrowing of the arteries. Think of an old house with calcium deposits in its water pipes. The calcium collects inside the water pipes, becoming a thick plaster-like consistency that narrows and eventually clogs the pipe. The same thing happens with the blood supply to the brain. Tobacco causes the walls of the arteries to thicken with fatty calcified sludge that hinders the blood from flowing to the brain because the lumen has narrowed significantly. The heart tries to compensate by exerting more effort to pump blood to the brain. Eventually, the flow diminishes because the brain cells are starving for oxygen and blood.

3) Don't Go Overboard with the Alcohol.

There is a lot of debate about low to moderate alcohol consumption. The jury is out on this aspect. One to two drinks per day does have cardiac benefits. But overindulging in alcohol intake significantly contributed to decreased cognitive function and dementia. Overindulgence was defined as greater than twenty-one drinks per week.

4) Nutrition, Diet, and Obesity

"You are what you eat." Eating healthy prevents cognitive decline. The Mediterranean diet encompasses eating more fruits and vegetables, fish, olive oil, and less processed foods and starches. High-fiber and probiotic foods should replace simple carbohydrates and starches. It seems prudent to lower the servings of red meats per week and replace them with chicken, fish, and legumes.

Aristotle once stated that the best means of living is moderation of all things. So eat all different foods, but in moderation, including food portions. Obesity was a factor in cognitive decline. The prevalence of dementia correlated with a BMI (Body Mass Index) greater than 25.

5) Exercise the brain, really exercise it.

Challenge your grey matter with a new skill by enrolling in an online or college evening course. Crossword puzzles and Soduko don't cut it. Start taking musical lessons, and start playing guitar. Active learning of new things stimulates the brain and will prevent dementia. Any new skill will supercharge your brain. A study from UCSF demonstrated that virtual reality video games improved cognitive function to a level that matched young adults. I need to set up a Steam account and play Halo and Grand Theft Auto.

Wais, P.E., Arioli, M., Anguera-Singla, R. et al. Virtual reality video game improves high-fidelity memory in older adults. Sci Rep 11, 2552 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82109-3

6) Get Out and Be Social

Social interaction decreases your risk for cognitive decline or dementia. The more of a social butterfly you are, the lower the risk. So make some friends, lots of friends. Attend those family reunions and remember everyone's name, all 200 of them. And try to put a story behind every person you meet.

The FDA has approved a new drug called aducanumab to treat Alzheimer's Disease. This revolutionary drug clears amyloid plaques that may cause Alzheimer's in the brain. Unfortunately, the FDA granted a license under accelerated approval. The results of the two trials were contradictory, with one showing no benefits and the other showing clearance of the amyloid bodies and suggesting, but not proven, a reduction in cognitive decline at an annual price tag of $56,000. I'm not sure what to make of it. Only time will tell.

BMJ 2021;374:n1682 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1682

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