The brain controls many sensitive abilities that affect how well we do daily tasks. The ability to think and make decisions depends on cognitive health. Aging brings with it cognitive changes. These changes can affect mental function in older people.
1. The loss of brain functionality with age.
Many changes occur in our body, inclusive of the brain. Research states that myelin shrinks with age. Myelin is the protective sheath that forms around the nerves and allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along with the nerve cells.
Shrinking of the brain causes the brain processing ability to slow down and reduce cognitive function. Studies show that one-third of older people suffer from declarative memory.
The frontal lobes, which are among the last areas of the brain to mature and are responsible for the executive executions such as impulse control, deteriorate with age. Older adults often become anxious due to the link between impaired memory and dementia.
2. What is the main risk of dementia?
As a person gets older, the risk of developing dementia increases. Studies have shown that around 2 in every a hundred people aging 60-65 have dementia, the risk doubling every five years. Dementia is not a natural part of aging. They are symptoms that develop when the brain is damaged by disease.
It is hard to prevent dementia. However, like any other disease, some steps can reduce the risk. These are:
- Watch your blood pressure and cholesterol
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is mainly diagnosed when your blood pressure is consistently above 140/90 mm/hg. Research has proven that people with high blood pressure are at a greater risk of developing heart attack, stroke, cognitive impairment, and dementia.
High blood pressure causes your arteries to strain, thus making them narrower. If the arteries in the brain become narrowed, they hinder nutrients and oxygen from being supplied efficiently, thus causing brain damage and lower brain functionality.
You can reduce your blood pressure through exercising, eating a healthy diet, watching your weight, quitting smoking, and practicing many more healthy habits. High blood cholesterol can also lead to lower bile acid levels which damage the brain’s white matter, thus increasing the risk of dementia.
- Try Anti-aging therapy
Anti-aging therapy is a treatment that delays or stops the aging process. The treatment optimizes your quality of life and takes an adaptable approach to wellness, such as hormone replacement therapy and medical weight loss, to create a complete wellness program.
The pituitary gland produces growth hormones at the base of the brain. Its administration may decrease several important decrements in body composition and functions associated with aging. Further studies of HGH need to be conducted to answer questions concerning HGH tolerance and efficiency before advocating for the elderly.
HGH treatment is approved in the USA. It is recommended for adults who have a growth hormone deficiency and should only be recommended by Anti-aging doctors after conducting a blood test. Selling HGH supplements to bodybuilders should be highly rejected.
- Use of Vitamins and Nutrition
Brains need nutrients to work healthily. Eating a diet rich in nutrients such as vitamins, fruits, vegetables, and Omega 3 oils helps keep your cognitive health in check. Reducing the amount of salt and saturated fat that you consume can significantly reduce the risk of acquiring dementia.
- Stimulate your brain activity
Keeping the brain active helps build a healthy brain cell connection between them. People who exercise daily are less likely to develop heart attack, stroke, and even dementia. Studies have shown that engaging in more mentally stimulating activities reduces cognitive decline and helps achieve better cognitive functions, reducing dementia.
- Stay busy and have a goal for your life
Keeping your mind active helps to improve your cognitive functions. It helps to keep your mind fresh to engage in new experiences easily. It is also important to note that being socially active will help you stay mentally connected.
Advice on what you shouldn’t do
- Poor diet
Eating a diet rich in unhealthy fats and too much sugar can cause you to have an increased risk of dementia. Adulthood obesity can be highly associated with knowledge retention, poor learning ability, and information compression. Therefore it is highly recommended that you stay hydrated and avoid high-calorie food.
- Smoking
Many studies have proven that smoking greatly increases your chances of acquiring dementia. Therefore, smoking damages your arteries, leading to low circulation of oxygen and vitamins to the brain cells, resulting in a damaged brain. Due to the high rate of premature deaths among smokers, they most likely die before reaching the dementia development stage.
- Excess Alcohol
Excessive consumption of alcohol overtime can lead to brain damage, which increases the risk of dementia since it damages the brain’s white matter. White matter helps in transmission of signals between brain regions. Also, excessive alcohol consumption results in Korsakoff’s syndrome and a deficiency of vitamin thiamine B1. Korsakoff’s syndrome is a memory disorder that affects short-term memory.
- Inactive lifestyle
Living sedentary can pose to be a great risk to your health. It can lead to several chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and poor memory. Studies have discovered that an inactive lifestyle has been associated with changes related to the brain structure related to memory formation.
- Retreat
Holiday and wellness retreats are extremely therapeutic for those with dementia. Retreats should be focused on the needs of those who have dementia to help them rejuvenate and relax. Studies have shown that yoga and meditation have helped relieve stress and reduce hypertension and depression, which helps in improving cognitive functions.
Conclusion
Significant advances have been made to understand the condition. Researchers have gone the extra mile to find a cure for the disease. But until that happens, there are external arrangements that have proven to be effective in delaying the onset of dementia and slowing down its progression, thus improving the quality of life for men and women over thirty.
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