Control Your
Chronic Conditions
Get regular blood-pressure
and cholesterol checks.
You may not actually feel any symp-
toms from high blood pressure and
raised cholesterol levels, but both of
these are risk factors for vascular
dementia, in which damaged blood
vessels can’t deliver the oxygen and
nutrients the brain needs. “In coun-
tries where there are good screening
programs and effective treatment for
cardiovascular disease, we may be
seeing new cases of dementia starting
to level off,” says Dr. Cheryl Welling-
ton, a researcher at the University of
British Columbia’s faculty of medi-
cine. “That’s very promising.”
Look after your diabetes.
If you have type 2 diabetes (another
risk factor), put tighter controls in
place. Take your medications, test
your blood sugar and follow any other
advice your physician gives you. Not
only will this protect the health of your
blood vessels, it reduces inflamma-
tion in your brain.
Don’t ignore depression.
Tell your doctor about persistent symp-
toms like sadness or loss of interest.
“Dementia can sometimes look like
severe depression,” says Sinha, who
adds that the two also share the symp-
tom of poor concentration.
Get a hearing test.
Watch for signs you might need hearing
aids, such as having trouble following
conversations in noisy restaurants. “If
you have hearing loss, getting it treated
can actually prevent the onset of
dementia,” Sinha says. “We rely on a lot
of sources of information to stay ori-
ented. When part of the brain isn’t stim-
ulated by sound, it’s harder to interpret
the world and know what’s going on.”Move Your Body
Take daily walks.
It’s well-established that exercise and
physical fitness are associated with
slower age-related changes in the brain.
Physical activity also helps that organ
compensate for these changes in a
variety of ways, for example by increas-
ing its volume. You’re encouraged to
get at least 150 minutes a week of
moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk
walking. “It should be faster than lei-
surely walking,” says Padmaja Genesh,
a learning specialist at the Alzheimer
Society of Calgary. “Your heart rate is
increasing, but you’re not gasping for
breath. That has been found to have
the most benefit.”Get up and about.
If you’re doing a sedentary activity,
stand up and move around at least
once every hour. “Sitting for too long
has harmful effects,” says Genesh. Her
tip: “Drink water while you’re sitting,rd.ca 31