Dr Sarah Jarvis
My Weekly’s favourite GP from TV and radio writes for you
Many people with dementia can live fulfilling lives for years – and these days the NHS is more geared up than it was. There’s more awareness of diagnosing dementia early, so support services can be put in place. But what about prevention?
Importantly, dementia rates aren’t going up as fast as we predicted they would. We know getting older is a risk factor for dementia, and as a population we’re living ever longer. With every 5 years older you get, your risk of dementia doubles. So you’d expect levels to keep on rising. But a 2010 study suggested levels in the UK might be 20% lower than in 1990.
Needless to say, scientists have been delving into this surprisingly positive result for clues to what we’re doing right. Of course, we can’t stop time, as every birthday reminds me, but new research has teased out nine key areas that cut dementia risk. While there are no guarantees, by doing all the right things, you might reduce your risk of dementia by a third. Not smoking is an obvious way to cut your risk of lung cancer (it causes over 90% of cases) and this research suggests we could cut the number of people affected by dementia simply by all smokers over 65s quitting. Education is key to success in many walks of life. We take it for granted we’ll have free education until 18 if we want it, and all of us will be educated until 16. But even in the UK some youngsters drop out earlier. Getting everyone educated until 15 could prevent 1 in 12 cases of dementia. Hearing loss in middle age IF YOU’RE OVER 55, YOU’RE ENTITLED TO A FREE HEARING SCREENING TEST, AVAILABLE FROM MANY HIGH STREET STORES LIKE SPECSAVERS AND BOOTS HEARING CENTRES
is the single most important cause of dementia as untreated hearing loss can lead to social isolation, depression and cognitive decline. It’s estimated 1 in 11 cases could be prevented if everyone with hearing loss had their problem picked up and treated. 11 million Britons have hearing loss, and on average it takes them 10 years to get help, even though hearing aids are free on the NHS.
Diabetes comes in 2 main types – type 1 and type 2. The former is nothing to do with lifestyle; the latter is. It’s estimated ¾ of cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented if we all made healthier choices, kept our weight down and took more exercise. Type 2 diabetes greatly increases your risk of heart attack and stroke – but also, it now seems, dementia.
It’s hardly surprising, then, that being physically active and avoiding obesity can cut your risk. Vascular dementia is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s – it happens when you get multiple tiny strokes, too small for you to notice, but the effect on your brain adds up over time. Regular exercise helps stop these, and cuts your risk of Alzheimer’s too.
High blood pressure affects 1 in 3 men and over 1 in 4 women in the UK, so bringing our BP down to the healthy range could prevent 1 in 50 cases of dementia.
Social isolation and depression, not surprisingly, are closely linked. It’s estimated that between them, they account for 1 in 19 people with dementia. Do you have an elderly neighbour you could pop in on regularly? It could make all the difference.
Even if you are diagnosed with dementia, the outlook is more positive than it was. Of course there are gaps in our services, and resources are being squeezed year on year – but we are working on it. Next week: Vaginal mesh implants update
CURRENT MEDICATIONS ONLY WORK ON ALZHEIMER’S, BUT THESE DAYS WE CAN START THEM EARLIER AND THEY CAN SLOW DOWN PROGRESSION