Embracing an active lifestyle is more than just a health choice; it’s a powerful defense against dementia. Prolonged inactivity is closely associated with significant dementia risk factors, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
A compelling study from 2022, which observed half-a-million middle-aged individuals in Britain over an 11-year period, revealed that those who engaged in regular physical activity had a 35 percent reduced likelihood of developing dementia.
Tara Spires-Jones, a neurodegeneration professor at the University of Edinburgh, emphasizes the remarkable adaptability of the brain: “The brain is amazingly resilient and malleable, which means there is plenty you can do to strengthen it—exercise is one of the most powerful tools we have.”
Engaging in aerobic activities, like jogging or dancing, not only elevates your heart rate but also enhances nutrient delivery to both the body and brain, thereby lowering the risk of vascular dementia.
Additionally, aerobic exercise encourages the production of a crucial protein known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This ‘brain fertilizer’ fosters the development of new brain cells and fortifies existing neurons in the hippocampus, the brain region integral to memory.
It also stimulates production of a ‘brain fertiliser’ protein, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which promotes the growth of new brain cells, and strengthens existing neurons in the hippocampus, the area that involves memory.
Just 30 minutes of activity that leaves you slightly breathless is enough to raise blood levels of BDNF by 30 per cent, shows a 2018 study by researchers in Brazil.
Include exercises to improve your balance, such as yoga, as this can help to avoid falls, advises Dr Lucia Li, an expert in traumatic brain injury at Imperial College London.
A 2022 study tracking half-a-million middle-aged Britons for 11 years found those who regularly exercised had a 35 per cent lower chance of developing dementia
Aerobic exercise, such as jogging or dancing, gets your heart pumping, delivering more nutrients to the body and brain, reducing vascular dementia risk
2. MIND YOUR HEAD
Falls may result in head injuries – these increase your risk of developing dementia later in life by two or three-fold, says Dr Li.
Damage can trigger the production of abnormal tau and amyloid proteins linked to Alzheimer’s – even if the effects aren’t seen for years. So it’s vital to wear a helmet when cycling or skiing.
Around 40 per cent of people aged 60 who have a fall will suffer a head injury, says Dr Li.
Everyone experiences dementia differently. Use this checklist to help you make a note of your symptoms before you talk to your GP.
3. WALK ON QUIETER ROADS
Breathing in polluted air can raise your dementia risk by 10 per cent. Air pollution – from various sources including traffic and wood-burning stoves – contains tiny PM2.5 particles linked to lung conditions and heart disease, both dementia risk factors.
‘There is evidence PM2.5 particles can enter the brain, so avoid walking regularly along busy roads – dropping back a couple of streets can make a big difference to the overall amount you inhale, as can resisting lighting the wood-burner,’ says Gill Livingston, a professor of psychiatry of older people at University College London.
4. PHONE A FRIEND
People who are socially isolated and lonely are 60 per cent more likely to develop dementia, according to Alzheimer’s Society
Drinking too much also damages blood vessels, which transport nutrients around the body, and is linked to stroke and heart disease, as well as weight gain and poor sleep – all dementia risks
Meeting and talking to others is vital to maintaining a healthy brain into later life, says Dr Li.
People who are socially isolated and lonely are 60 per cent more likely to develop dementia, according to Alzheimer’s Society.
‘There is something uniquely beneficial about maintaining a variety of social interactions,’ explains Dr Li. These stimulate different brain networks from those exercised by mental puzzles.
Joining clubs, volunteering and phoning a friend also stimulates the production of ‘feel-good’ chemicals (e.g. serotonin), helping to reduce anxiety and depression, also dementia risks.
5. QUIT SMOKING
Smoking is a big risk factor, increasing your dementia risk by 30 per cent, according to The Lancet Commission researchers.
‘The chemicals in cigarettes contain neurotoxins, which can penetrate the blood-brain barrier [that protects the brain]. This causes inflammation and damage to brain cells, linked to the development of Alzheimer’s,’ explains Professor Livingston. Reduced levels of oxygen increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
The good news? Within two years of quitting smoking, you can reduce your dementia risk to the same as someone who’s never smoked, says Professor Livingston.
Smoking is a big risk factor, increasing your dementia risk by 30 per cent, according to The Lancet Commission researchers
6. DON’T RELY ON AI
Pushing your brain to try new things is a key way to build a stronger brain, says Dr Tom MacLaren, a consultant psychiatrist at Re:Cognition Health clinic in London.
A 2023 study involving 280,000 Britons aged 40-69 found that those who took part in adult education classes had a 19 per cent lower risk of developing dementia five years later.
‘The brain rewires when it learns a skill, improving cell connections and making it more resilient to damage,’ explains Dr MacLaren.
New or different activities and exercises are more beneficial than regularly practising the same crossword.
‘Tempting as it is, try to avoid using AI to do everything for you, your brain needs the workout,’ says Dr MacLaren.
7. MODERATE DRINKING
Alcohol is a toxin that penetrates the brain (crossing the brain’s protective blood-brain barrier in the bloodstream). It can kill off brain cells and damage connections between them, says Professor Spires-Jones.
Drinking too much also damages blood vessels, which transport nutrients around the body, and is linked to stroke and heart disease, as well as weight gain and poor sleep – all dementia risks.
People who regularly drink more than 21 units a week are more likely to develop dementia than those who stick to the NHS guidelines of 14 units a week, according to the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK.
