IF WE ADOPT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, WE CAN BE PROTECTED FROM DEMENTIA

A message of hope for all the middle-aged and elderly revealed a new, extensive research which was conducted in Great Britain on approximately 200,000 people. “Almost everyone can reduce the risk of developing dementia if they follow a healthy lifestyle," concluded the scientists - researchers who found out that in this way the risk of developing the disease that threatens dignity in life, is reduced by one third.

The scientific team of the University of Exeter which presented the results of its research at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference said that the participants were graded according to physical exercise, smoking, diet, alcohol consumption and overall lifestyle.

Those who followed a healthy lifestyle had "good" grades in comparison to those who smoked or drank alcohol, had a sedentary lifestyle or chose processed foods. In the study, researchers followed 196,383 individuals from the age of 64 for eight years, during which 18 dementia cases per 1,000 people occurred out of those who had a genetic predisposition and followed an unhealthy lifestyle. The number went down to 11 cases per 1,000 people when people with a genetic predisposition followed a healthy lifestyle.

If the drop in the occurences by 7 people seems small it is because the people who participated were still relatively young. However, the drop in the rates will be huge in older age groups. It may correspond to even hundreds of thousands of people!

It is noted that the research concerns dementia and not Alzheimer's or any other vascular dementia, however, it is confirmed that even in cases of genetic predisposition, lifestyle plays an extremely significant role. Let's think carefully and act accordingly!