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Dementia destroys memory, it affects how you speak and how you behave. It is a signal of degenerative changes in the brain. It threatens to lose independence. Is it possible to protect against dementia, reduce its risk, immunize in some way? It turns out so and the simple way it is. Here is a discovery recently reported in the journal “Neurology”. You will be surprised.
- Dementia is a group of symptoms that is associated with deteriorating brain function
- According to estimates, about 50 million people suffer from dementia. In 30 years, this number will triple
- It is known that the risk of dementia can be reduced, including by reducing alcohol consumption, quitting cigarettes or exercising regularly
- Researchers have found that cooking, cleaning and other household chores can also be used as security measures
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
The threat of dementia – “global state of emergency”
Dementia is most often associated with memory loss and old age. Meanwhile, it also influences the way you speak, think, feel and behave. Keep in mind that dementia is not a natural part of the aging processIt is also not one specific disease. Rather, it’s a general term that covers a wide range of specific medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s, responsible for 60-80% of the disease. cases of dementia. In other words, dementia is a group of symptoms associated with a progressive decline in brain function.
As a result of changes that disrupt mutual communication of brain cells, because this is the essence of dementia, people affected by it may lose interest in everyday activities, relationships, and social meetings. Their personality can change, and problems remembering events or understanding situations can give the impression that they are deliberately ignoring problems or not telling the truth.
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Currently, about 50 million people worldwide suffer from dementia. Unfortunately, it is estimated that in 30 years there will be three times more (about 152 million). Already in 2020, The Economist spoke of a “global state of emergency”. Where did these galloping statistics come from? There are two main causes: population growth and aging. “In addition, obesity, diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle are becoming more common in younger people, all of which are risk factors for dementia,” notes Dr. Maria Carrillo, the scientific director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Society.
What can I do to reduce my risk of dementia? A surprising discovery
It is known that the deterioration of the thinking and memory functions is favored by, inter alia, smoking (risk 65% greater), high blood pressure (87% greater) and diabetes (threefold increase). It is estimated that by modifying risk factors for dementia, the likelihood of developing dementia can be reduced by about one-third. But that’s not all.
It turns out that the enemy of dementia are also … household chores, i.e. burdensome and necessary evil, cooking, washing up, cleaning, making the bed, etc. Research published at the end of July in “Neurology” suggests that people who engage in these activities, have more than 20 percent. lower likelihood of dementia.
Scientists analyzed the data of over 500. people aged 40-69 who were dementia-free at the time of recruitment (2006-2010). Researchers followed the participants for over a decade. They found that those who were most involved in housework (but also exercised frequently and maintained intense contact with family and friends) had a lower risk of dementia compared to those least involved in housework. In the case of homework, the risk decreased by 21%. (physical activity: 35%, close relations: 15%).
Why can washing or cooking prevent dementia?
In Psychology Today, science journalist Christopher Bergland points out that “these correlations do not imply causation, but illustrate how simple lifestyle changes can cause major changes in health”.
The blogger and licensed consultant Meg Selig goes a bit further, dealing with, among others questions of motivation: “I wondered why household chores could be a safeguard against dementia, and even more so than visits from friends and family,” she wrote in one of the articles published in “Psychology Today”.
«Maybe – I speculate – because duties like washing dishes, while seemingly simple, require more planning than you might think. And household chores combine physical and mental activity to reduce the risk of dementia. Not to mention that with age, the ability to do household chores is one of the factors that makes us independent, »suggests Selig.