November 2021: Health Tips for Memory
Memory issues or cognitive impairment affects more that 16 million people in the United States, with approximately 1 million new cases anticipated every year. Dementia is memory loss that affect how we function in our daily lives. There are several types of dementia with different causes.
People with dementia may have trouble managing their finances, shopping for themselves, or bathing. As we age and watch others develop changes in their memory, it's understandable that we may look for ways to prevent memory loss and dementia. To date, there are no proven ways of preventing dementia. However, there are several things that may lessen our risk of developing memory loss.
Stay Active
Many studies have found that exercising is associated with a lower risk of dementia.
***Association in scientific studies is a funny word. It doesn't mean that one thing causes or prevents another. It just means that they seem to travel together. Imagine you are sitting on a train; you look to you right and see two people sitting next to each other chatting. Just from observing them, there's no way to know if they are strangers, friends, or if one dragged the other on a trip. That's association. Increased exercise and low risk of dementia are observed traveling together but we don't know how/if they are linked.
For our general health, it is still recommended to get at least 150 minutes (2.5 hrs) of physical activity a week.
Train Your Brain
There are a few trials that show formal memory training by a professional can help with memory in the short-term. It's still not clear if they work long term. Unfortunately, while they may be fun, there isn't any strong long-term evidence to support commercial computerized brain training programs.
Control Your Blood Pressure
High blood pressure (hypertension) is associated*** with two types of dementia, Alzheimer's and Vascular. Treating high blood pressure is important for many reasons and how well we control our blood pressure in mid-life can affect our risk for dementia later.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Consuming a high amount of fish oil is associated with a lower risk of dementia. Also, people who follow the Mediterranean diet have a lower rate of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's dementia.
Vitamins have not been shown to prevent or help with memory loss, unless the person has a deficiency that is causing the memory issues. Statin (cholesterol) medication has not been shown to prevent dementia. However, it can help protect against a major cause of dementia - cardiovascular disease. There are no supplements that have been proven to prevent dementia.
It's important to remember that all these interventions can be helpful in many areas of our lives, not just in preventing dementia.
The biggest take-aways are... Stay active. Cardiovascular health is heart health AND brain health. Eat a healthy diet rich in healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables.