Watching your loved one suffer from dementia are there any changes you make to your lifestyle which you think might help minimise your chances of getting it?

[millymog11]

Do you do anything?/have you given up anything?

My mother has had chronic dementia for 10 years now,her own mother (my grandmother) had it. If like me your loved one's dementia runs in the family is there anything you have tried to do to minimise your chances of getting it?

Laurdo · Today 10:31 I am extremely interested in your post thank you so much for taking the time to post and for that link.

@DappledOliveGroves my sympathies for what you are going through, I completely feel the same. My aunt has Alzheimer’s, she is not the first in the family to die of it and we are concerned about my parent (trying not to be too outing here) as well as one day my generation of the family. It is so cruel that people are forced to go through this hell here in their final years. I absolutely want Dignitas if the time comes, but it is not right that we don’t have a similar system in this country.

Also on the health point, same - I don’t think these lifestyle factors make much difference at least they haven’t in our case.

I agree with this (not so much about the season ticket for Man City, as a Liverpool fan but we can look past that 😉)

I think healthy lifestyle is obviously better than eating shit, being shit and living a bad life however as you explained it can get anyone. Certain people are more likely to get it and I don’t think there is a huge amount that can be done.

that being said, my nan has it, she’s 94 and I have seen the really nasty side of the disease but I have tried to embrace the magical side too to cling on to some hope (she often thinks celebrities are taking her for fancy dinners etc) and for the most part she’s quite content dispute being bedbound and having 0 quality of life.

I suppose it’s hard not to worry about that being a reality and taking lifestyle into account. I’m very healthy conscious anyway and just hope that I can be shipped off to Switzerland if I ever end up in that position. It’s become my biggest fear

lots of hugs to anyone experiencing a loved one going through this

Like cancers, nothing you do can "guarantee" you won't get it, as even the healthiest and most active people can still get dementia, as they can still get cancer. But it's all about probabilities etc. The more you can do to have a healthy, active lifestyle and keep your brain active, the better - it will improve your probability of not getting dementia.

My MIL has it - she ate healthily, but wasn't social, didn't do any exercise and didn't keep her brain active. Literally, all she did all day was read the Daily Mail (I kid you not!), she didn't even do the quiz/puzzle page, and then she'd sit and watch TV, she never read books. She'd not leave the house for days, only to go out once a week to do the shopping and pay her paper bill! She wasn't depressed, that was her life and she was happy with it - just very reclusive.

My DM was the opposite, she was still doing line dancing at the age of 85, was the secretary of a local AmDram group until around 80, still working in the family business until she was around 75, had a dog so out walking 3 times per day, walked to the library every 2 or 3 days to pick up new books to read. Brain constantly on the go, constantly watching TV news and documentaries, etc. It was her body that let her down, not her mind, her brain was as sharp as ever right until the end.

All you can do it put yourself in the best possible position through keeping the brain active, keeping social, keeping physically active, keeping fit and healthy, and yes, hearing aids at the first sign of hearing loss. Trust research and facts rather than anecdotes.

There is a genetic component (particularly for early-onset Alzheimers, eg before about 65 years old). For later-onset Alzheimers, there is a mutation of a particular gene that can increase risk. Everybody inherits two versions of this gene though - one from your mum, one from your dad. If you inherit a mutated copy of this particular gene from one parent (but the "normal" version of the gene from the other parent), that increases your risk slightly. If you happen to inherit the mutated gene from both parents, that increases your risk a bit more. Just to make it more confusing, there is also a different mutation of this same gene that can reduce your chance of developing dementia, and you can inherit this from a parent too. But, none of these mutations mean that you definitely will or won't get dementia - they simply increase or decrease the risk.

The biggest risk factor is getting older, and being female is also a risk factor. We obviously can't do much about these - but there are lots of other things that we can do to reduce our risk. Even if you can't avoid dementia altogether, you may well be able to delay its onset by years, so it's important not to be fatalistic.

What is good for the heart is also good for the brain - so, regular exercise, a healthy Mediterranean-style diet, and keeping blood pressure within healthy limits. Also, as mentioned above, mental stimulation from continued learning throughout life, keeping up your social life, plenty of sleep and using a hearing aid if you notice deafness is becoming an issue. Air pollution also seems to increase risk.

The research about intermittent fasting is very encouraging.

I think like cancer the older you are the more chance you have of developing dementia. When I started work the life expectancy for men and women was just under 70. Now it’s well above 80.
If you look at the statistics assoc with dementia there has probably been no change in the percentage of older people developing dementia it’s just there are a lot more older people around to develop it.
The increase in life expectancy is not necessarily down to healthier living but the result of more effective health care.

Fil had hearing loss maybe 2years and now referred for altzheimers assessments.
His dad had parkinsons.
But gmil (mil mum ) has had hearing loss maybe 20y and is fine at over 90.
My dad at 80 is starting to lose hearing and im starting to notice he's not understanding or believing what you say regarding tech. Had to check for himself etc when i showed him etc.

I agree really need a dignitas, i wouldnt want to live for years with no memory.

Interesting topic and one I've been looking into.

My dad had had dementia for a few years but his is likely caused by his Parkinson's.

A 23&Me test I did a few years ago revealed I have one of the 'at risk' Apoe4 genes.

Agree with all that's been said Re Mediterranean diet, low upf, staying active, continuous learning, being social.

There's a good documentary on Netflix about the blue zones that sort of fits in with this theme and staying healthy into older age.

I'm hopefully there will be some medical developments in the next decade or 2.

As PP has said, though, no point in wasting energy and creating stress by overly worrying about it.

The hearing thing is huge. Could double or even treble risk of dementia and so frustratingly easy to fix.

https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/a-z-of-services/hearing-and-balance-centre-audiology/hearing-loss-and-dementia/#:~:text=Research%20into%20the%20links%20between,the%20risk%20of%20dementia%20triples

Obviously it’s best to make good food and lifestyle choices as far as poss, but TBH (unless early-onset runs in the family) I’m not sure there’s much you can do. Never mind prominent politicians (Wilson, Thatcher, Reagan) who got it, I’ve also known someone who did all the right things health-wise, and was very active and prominent in the high-flying New York arts scene, who succumbed in her 80s.

Might add that I was seriously upset with an aunt (a lot younger than my DM) who told me it was DM’s own fault that she’d got dementia. Now, if she’d been more like the sprightly 90 year olds at her church…
Some Christian! She’s always been a super-judgemental type though - knows what’s best for everybody and is incapable of keeping her wretched mouth shut.

I too am on the side of those who reject all the advice about healthy lifestyle preventing dementia, mostly. All that stuff about eating a Mediterranean diet, exercising etc. Neither of my parents was ever remotely overweight, both exercised lots, spoke multiple languages, kept working till dementia forced them to stop. Giving reasons seems like blaming the victim: both have Alzheimer's, my mother started showing at 70; we belatedly learn it ran in both families, and still more depressingly, I have the gene from both sides which hugely raises my risk. (I was not stupid enough to ask: an idiot medic giving me the results for something totally different mentioned it.) So I, too, am reckoning on Dignitas or Beachy Head.
To be fair, maybe some of that stuff might delay onset. And some things I think might be true: the strongest non-genetic correlation to dementia is "insult to the brain" ie things like concussion. My mother had no choice but to have surgery at 62 for a tumour on the lining of the brain. So, my chief takeaway here is: be lucky, and don't play tackle sports like rugby.

It's interesting that so many people are saying 'healthy diet' at the same time as 'fasting'. The diet that were recommended as 'healthy' is very high in carbohydrates, and fasting forces the body to live on sources other than carbs (ie sugar) People with such diseases often crave sugar to an enormous extent. I wonder if there's a link.

Those people saying 'My relative had a really healthy diet, and still got it...' Lots of fruit, maybe?

I’m sorry but both my parents did “everything right” to a certain extent (exercise, stick thin, healthy diet, low alcohol, socialising, further and higher education, travelling, learnt languages, medals in sports) apart from my Dad smoking, one got dementia at 50, the other at 62. Meanwhile friends parents of the same generation who didn’t “do everything right” are still living their best lives. As far as I can see it’s bad luck and genetics and there’s really fuck all I can do to avoid it, except hope something quicker gets me first.

Don't forget that there's a lot of evidence now that lack of oestrogen is a potential cause of cognitive decline. That's another plus point for taking HRT which replaces oestrogen.

Try and die young....maybe take up a very dangerous sport or something like that.

And also of course we don't necessarily know if it runs in families because our grandparents generation didn't so often get to 80 or 90 years old. My mum died in her late 60s and it was sad at the time but thinking retrospectively it was probably a good time to go as she was starting to get aches and pains and gripes (aside from the cancer which did for her). I think because we are all getting kept alive so much more often that something has to get you and so chances are it will be something uncurable because the curable things get..... well... cured.

I’m surprised that hearing is considered such a thing - you can always turn up the volume.
I know that it can mean not joining in conversation but many elderly live alone.

Lifestyle factors clearly make an impact at the population level (even if they don't for some individuals). Look at the differences in incidence of dementia by country and they are huge.

Higher prevalence in many countries is attributed to differences in the level of exposure to cerebrovascular risk factors like hypertension, smoking, obesity, and diabetes. Alziemers is now being known as type 3 diabetes. Exercise is also key in prevention as it increases blood flow to the brain.

I think it's important to keep a good grip on facts and reality while you still have your faculties.

Don't allow yourself to fall into delusions, conspiracy theories or what an objective observer might consider irrational partisanship.

Keep an eye on your own biases and prejudices.

So acquaint yourself with the facts about climate change, covid, Brexit, the holocaust, immigration, the asylum system etc and make sure your viewpoint is aligned with the facts.

Your starting point and cognitive reserve is important with dementia. If you let go of logic and facts and allow yourself to wander off into irrationality before you even get there you're already part way there aren't you?

World stats are unexpected -
Uk second highest after Finland and we are a good bit higher than France? ? Who drink and smoke more than us, I think.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/dementia-rates-by-country

Very nearly "world-beating".

All the usual plus the hearing thing - my fil and uncle have hearing issues. They didn’t do anything about it (we told them to get hearing aids) they both now have very early stage dementia. My uncle is married, so hearing aid and eye surgery (had cataracts) have now been paid for privately and he attends memory clinic finally!

FIL continued to sit around all day doing crosswords, smoking, drinking, tv blaring. He’s physically fit, just lazy. Doesn’t like being around family or friends much, wanted to rush home to his tv.

FIL refuses any medical intervention, however we have a G.P friend and she spoke to us about him acquiring a pet. He has always loved dogs. We took him to the local shelter and he was matched with an older JRT. His life is now completely different, he’s up and out with the dog after breakfast, gets the paper, does the crossword. Then back out with the dog, walks to our house for a cuppa, doesn’t stay long but he chats to neighbours along the way, (about the dog) walks to a local pub has a pint and a chat /coffee and a sandwich. He plays ball with the dog in his garden- this means he has to mow his grass, so it’s no longer a jungle. He drinks so much less because he doesn’t want to feel rough and deal with the dog. He’s cut down on smoking as he’s sat around less. He’s finally given in and has a hearing aid, purely so he can hear the dog!

You need a reason to get out of bed, a routine.

Brushing your teeth regularly can help. Sounds odd but it's true.

Saw this last week- poor gum health can contribute to the plaque that gets into the brain which causes dementia getting a “fast track” through the bloodstream due to bleeding gums.