01/08/2025
Answer to: What is the biggest risk factor for dementia? 👇🏻
Only 12% of you got this correct which is good news for me because it means I have an opportunity to teach! The answer is AGE!
Surprised?? 😳
First, dementia is somewhat of an umbrella term for a group of symptoms that affects our cognitive abilities. A common misconception about the term dementia is that it means Alzheimer’s Disease. This is false. However, there are multiple subtypes and etiologies of dementia, Alzheimer’s being just one of these.
As we age the likelihood that we develop dementia significantly increases with individuals 65 and older. Some sources even say the risk of developing dementia doubles every 5 years after 65. However, it is important to remember that some cognitive decline associated with aging is NORMAL! Again, some changes are normal! Dementia is typically not diagnosed until it is affecting multiple cognitive domains (or functions) and is impacting the individual’s ability to manage their daily life.
The various subtypes of dementia are often associated with other risk factors such as excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and vascular concerns…. So the other answers weren’t far off!
Unfortunately we are ALL (except me 😉) going to age. So to keep your brain healthy consider these 5 things:
1. Stay socially active and engaged
2. Stay physically active
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate your use of substances, such as alcohol and to***co
4. Manage vascular risk factors such as high cholesterol, obesity, and high blood pressure
5. Engage in cognitively challenging tasks, such as learning a new language, crosswords, puzzles, etc.
Age does not have to define your brain’s health - help it out by engaging in brain healthy behaviors.
