{"id":331,"date":"2021-12-28T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-28T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/?p=331"},"modified":"2021-12-27T18:16:22","modified_gmt":"2021-12-27T18:16:22","slug":"preventing-alzheimers-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/preventing-alzheimers-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Preventing Alzheimer\u2019s Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Five Tips for Preventing Alzheimer\u2019s Disease<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, the biggest tool we have to combat Alzheimer\u2019s disease and other dementias is prevention. While some medical treatments may help slow the progression or ease dementia symptoms temporarily, nearly 90% of Alzheimer\u2019s diseases case are preventable<\/a>. There is no single magic solution, but a holistic approach that starts early can prevent the onset of dementia by keeping the body, mind and brain healthy.<\/p>\n

1) Exercise Regularly<\/span>
Being active not only helps keep the body strong, but maintains brain health. Physical exercise may be the most important factor<\/a> in reducing one\u2019s risk of dementia or Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

Aerobic exercise shows the most benefit, improving memory, thinking, attention and processing speed in older adults. And it doesn\u2019t matter if you have never been very active. Even older adults reduce their risk of dementia when they start exercising, including seniors already showing signs of cognitive decline. Anything that gets your heart rate up for 20-30 minutes is beneficial, including gardening, cleaning and energetic walks.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget to exercise the mind! Playing games, reading, doing puzzles, drawing, painting and playing music all have measurable, positive effects in reducing the risk of dementia.<\/p>\n

2) Eat Well<\/span>
You simply cannot escape it. Eating plant-based foods, whole grains and minimizing animal fats are the key to a longer, healthier life. This means eat your veggies and fruits every day, especially berries, leafy greens, legumes and whole grains. Minimize the amount of saturated fats, sugars and salt you eat and maintain a healthy weight.<\/p>\n

3) Get Enough Sleep<\/span>
It is essential to get more than 6 hours of quality sleep per night, especially for adults in middle age. Studies show a 30% increased risk<\/a> for dementia for adults in their 50s and 60s getting less than seven hours of sleep. Sleeping is when the body goes into repair mode. And during deep sleep, toxins get filtered out of the brain, including the amyloid associated with Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Sleep plays a role in learning, memory and concentration, all aspects of good cognitive health.<\/p>\n

4) Stay Connected<\/span>
Often, as adults age, they become more isolated. Whether it is because we have a harder time getting around, suffer from poor hearing or diminished eyesight, or friends and family have moved away or passed on, our social circle tends to get smaller as we age. Isolation can lead to depression which contributes to the risk of developing dementia<\/a>. Invest in relationships: make phone calls, write letters, start a video chat or say Hi to the neighbor. If diagnosed with depression, seek therapy or group counseling.<\/p>\n

5) Monitor Health Risks<\/span>
Quit smoking. Minimize alcohol intake \u2014 if not cutting it out entirely. And be sure to visit your doctor regularly. Conditions like cataracts<\/a> and hearing loss<\/a> have been shown to increase the risk of dementia. Hearing and seeing well is crucial for a satisfying social experience, lessening the likelihood of depression and anxiety and reducing the risk of dementia. Use hearing aids, visit the eye doctor and practice moderation.<\/p>\n

No one factor will give someone \u2014 or prevent someone from getting \u2014 Alzheimer\u2019s disease or another form of dementia. Making the effort to eat well most of the time, stay active, practice good sleep hygiene, visit the doctor and prioritize communication with loved ones can not only reduce the risk of Alzheimer\u2019s disease but will provide for an overall better quality of life.<\/p>\n

The good news is genetics do not appear to play an outsize role<\/a> in your risk of developing dementia. If your parent or a family member has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, it does not mean you will.<\/p>\n

Practicing moderation and healthy habits are the best ways to prevent Alzheimer\u2019s disease and are largely in our control. It is never too early or too late to prevent dementia or Alzheimer\u2019s. Always speak with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine or changing your diet. Life is a marathon, not a sprint, and small changes can make a big difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New research has shown that many cases of Alzheimer\u2019s disease may be preventable. Eating well, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and socializing all play a part in keeping the brain healthy. The key word is prevention. Develop good habits early to enjoy a better quality of life later.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":330,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alzheimers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=331"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ciminocare.com\/courtyard-terrace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}