​Dementia Prevention: Tips to Reduce Your Risk

All types of dementia involve decline in mental abilities involving thinking and memory, but the specific symptoms vary depending on the type of dementia. Persons suffering from dementia may have difficulties with:

• Memory loss affecting work
• Difficulty doing daily tasks
• Problems with language
• Confusion about time/place
• Poor/decreased judgement and problems with abstract thinking
• Losing/forgetting things
• Changes in personality
• Loss of initiative
• Changes in mood behaviour

However, there are simple things you can do that may help lower your risk of getting dementia:

1. Eat a healthy, balanced diet

A Mediterranean diet, consisting of plenty of fish like salmon and mackerel, vegetables, grains and nuts, in combination with a low salt diet is beneficial for the brain and heart. 

Another simple way to remember a well-balanced diet is to follow the My Healthy Plate - filling half of your plate with fruit and vegetables, a quarter with wholegrains and a quarter with protein-rich food such as meat, fish, and tofu.

In addition to keeping your brain healthy, reducing salt and sugar intake also helps keep chronic illnesses at bay such as high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus).

2. Be physically active and exercise regularly

Thirty minutes of moderate intensity exercise daily, five times a week, is the recommended minimum. The activity has to be intense enough to raise your heart rate and get you a bit out of breath. You could walk, cycle, swim or join an exercise or dance group. Regular exercise makes your heart and blood circulatory system more efficient, helping to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Exercise is also good for your mental well-being.

3. Maintain a healthy weight

Go for regular health checks to monitor blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Follow your doctor's advice on exercise and diet. Maintaining a healthy weight also helps to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

4. Don’t smoke

Smoking and vaping harms your lungs, heart and blood circulation. If you smoke, try to stop. Stopping smoking at any age can improve your health and lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, and lung disease. Check out this article for tips on how to quit smoking.

If you need help to quit, call Quitline at 1800 438 2000 or visit I Quit at healthhub.sg/programmes/IQuit

5. Drink alcohol in moderation

Some studies have shown that alcohol consumption is linked to dementia. To lower the risk of alcohol-related harm over a lifetime, men should drink no more than two standard drinks per day, and women no more than one standard drink per day. If you must drink alcohol, moderation is key.

6. Give your brain a daily workout

Some studies have shown that keeping mentally active and maintaining strong social connections may lower the risk of cognitive decline.

Activities could include reading, solving puzzles, playing number or word games, playing cards or learning something new. Social engagement can be achieved by visiting family or friends or have them visit you, joining a club or volunteering for a cause you believe in.

It is not possible to reverse our age, change our genes and there is no sure way to prevent dementia. The key to lowering the risk for dementia is to lead a healthy lifestyle, and engage in regular physical and mental activity. It is never too early to develop good habits, and it may be easier to adopt a healthier lifestyle if it is incorporated into your daily routine.

7. Get sufficient good sleep

Some studies show that reduced sleep worsens the clearance of proteins that may be harmful to the brain. This may possibly lead to the accumulation of these toxic proteins, leading to dementia.

Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Consult your doctor if you are not getting enough sleep, sleeping poorly or think you may have a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

8. Be in control of your health

Ensure regular visits to the doctor and keep medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension) and high blood cholesterol (hypercholesterolaemia) in check.

These diseases increase the risk of blockage of blood vessels, which predisposes one to develop vascular dementia.

A strong and healthy heart ensures adequate blood flow to the brain, keeping it well-nourished and healthy.

If you are taking medications for chronic conditions, do it dutifully and seek early treatment to avoid any complications that may result from these conditions.