Lifestyle changes could prevent or delay dementia: Guardian 31 July

kindred

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Apr 8, 2018
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canary

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Feb 25, 2014
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South coast
This story is in several papers along with the headlines that 40% of dementia cases are preventable (or at least, delayable). I agree with kindred - it is shifting the blame onto the victims.

I have several angry thoughts about this, but I wont post them as it would probably be removed.
 

Rosettastone57

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Oct 27, 2016
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I read this as well. In fact,my mother in law had 7 of these factors, the hearing loss ,social isolation ,depression, high blood pressure , poor education, smoker, obesity. She also had other mental health issues especially OCD, whether these preexisting conditions are a factor isn't clear
 

Starbright

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Apr 8, 2018
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This story is in several papers along with the headlines that 40% of dementia cases are preventable (or at least, delayable). I agree with kindred - it is shifting the blame onto the victims.

I have several angry thoughts about this, but I wont post them as it would probably be removed.
Oh yes !!!!! Me tooooo @canary
 

Melles Belles

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Jul 4, 2017
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South east
I agree up to a point. This has been in the news previously.
My dad had Alzheimer’s. He had hearing problems for several years but wouldn’t wear a hearing aid, and was socially isolated. Both his choice. (It did mean he didn’t have too listen to mum though.)
Therefore I will be getting my hearing checked and will wear an aid if needed In the future.
If traffic pollution is a potential risk factor that should give us all another push to improve our air quality.
 

Soroptimist

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Jun 10, 2018
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I was so angry about this article!! Dementia is not a lifestyle choice. What I don't understand is why the medical profession can't be honest about the fact they do not yet understand dementia. Yes healthy living can help delay the onset sometimes, and yes they have identified genetic cases in a small percentage of cases, but that leaves the majority of cases where they still have NO CLUE why it develops.
My mum's mum had dementia, my mum had dementia, and they had very healthy lifestyles, so it's likely I will get it. All the rubbish about "well that's anecdotal" cuts no mustard with me. There is clearly a hereditary factor that is not understood. A senior health professional fobbed me off with "follow the mediterranean diet" when I pointed this out. They make me so mad!!!!
 

Jaded'n'faded

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Jan 23, 2019
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High Peak
These diet and lifestyle changes are great and could well make you live longer. But what is by far the biggest risk factor for getting dementia?

Being very old.... :(
 

Canadian Joanne

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Apr 8, 2005
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Toronto, Canada
I still firmly believe that the causes of AD are multifactorial. Still, the main factor appears to be aging.

I do find these articles very frustrating. Is it not obvious that having a good diet and keeping fit will help in many other ways, such as fending off diabetes and heart disease? There is an element of blaming the victim here.
 

Bunpoots

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Apr 1, 2016
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Nottinghamshire
My mum and dad and my aunt all lead healthy lifestyles. Their diet was traditional British meat and two veg for the most part, with fish twice a week. They had the odd glass of wine with dinner but I never saw them drunk. They were probably slightly overweight- but still slim by today’s standards - dad was the fattest and drank the most and he was the last to succumb by at least a decade, in spite of being the eldest by a couple of years. Mum and aunt (twins) both had type 2 diabetes by 60 as did their older brother who also had VasD.

None of my grandparents had dementia but one grandad (mum’s side) died, at work, of a heart attack aged 59. My gran, his wife, lived to 95 - no dementia. Presumably they lived similar lifestyles.

I think genetics play a large part. I also think I’m doomed!

It seems unfair to blame people’s choices when nobody really knows the cause.
 

Max68

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Aug 21, 2018
178
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Sussex
My mum's sister was a heavy drinker and was diagnosed at around 70. Mum liked her wine but I never saw her drink in excess and was diagnosed at 83. However she played golf for over 20 years and ate very well and kept mind active by reading, crosswords and sudoku, so not sure what more she could have done! Maybe it was the polluted air on the golf courses of Sussex that did for her!! Their mum died of a stroke in her 60's and both mum and her sister had an Alzheimer's/vascular mix, so would their mum have had dementia if she had survived the stroke?!. We will never know!

Articles like this are never helpful. Lots of paper talk about footballers with dementia recently and those fellas got plenty of exercise but headed footballs. Mum never headed any footballs! Were those footballers big drinkers when they were younger?! So many variables that you can't "blame" a person for their dementia. Plenty of "healthy" people get ill and many "unhealthy" people don't!
 

lollyc

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Sep 9, 2020
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Mum has never drunk, smoked, been overweight. She was well eductated, knitted, sewed, cooked etc., did crosswords, quizzes and ate healthily. It annoys me that there is a suggestion that PWD have somehow brought this on themselves. I firmly believe that her dementia is due to poorly diagnosed and treated delirium, following a hip fracture, and in fact found an article from Cambridge University (dated 2012), that suggests this as a likely cause.
 

Max68

Registered User
Aug 21, 2018
178
0
Sussex
Mum has never drunk, smoked, been overweight. She was well eductated, knitted, sewed, cooked etc., did crosswords, quizzes and ate healthily. It annoys me that there is a suggestion that PWD have somehow brought this on themselves. I firmly believe that her dementia is due to poorly diagnosed and treated delirium, following a hip fracture, and in fact found an article from Cambridge University (dated 2012), that suggests this as a likely cause.
Interesting that you say that. Mum was a bit confused for a while but we thought well she is in her 80's. Then her sister and best friend died on the same day and she fell off a cliff mentally and the GP brushed it off as depression for months,. Then she became ill, ended up in hospital where she got delirium and didn't recover enough to go back home. Shock, delirium, too much of a coincidence maybe?!

I would also be interested to see how IQ and intelligence relate to dementia. Many sufferers seem to be very well educated and have had intellectual jobs and continue to do crosswords, puzzles, sudoku etc before diagnosis.
 

jennifer1967

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Mar 15, 2020
22,983
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Southampton
vascular dementia can be caused by lifestyle as its caused by narrowing of the blood vessels to the brain which stops enough oxygen going to the brain therefore damaging it. my husbands was caused by a clot in the heart which traveled so had mini stroke. it can lead to further stroke and heart attack. but if you live your life worrying about what you are eating/ doing/ drinking / wondering what illnesses we will get when we are older, we wouldnt live and be worried all the time which would be a waste of a life and no enjoyment. if its going to happen, its going to happen.
 

nae sporran

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Oct 29, 2014
9,213
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Bristol
I think my partner's vascular dementia was related to lifestyle as she was badly overweight and it was a stroke which sent her into dementia. That was also related to her irregular heartbeat which she had since she was young and she was quite slim then. The Guardian is one of the better papers and their medical / scientific coverage is pretty good, but journalists rarely understand science or appreciate how complicated these things are.
 

Melles Belles

Registered User
Jul 4, 2017
1,208
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South east
According the The Daily Mirror today, cheese and red wine can help to prevent dementia.
if it wasn’t for COVID we could have a cheese and wine party.
Almost every week the media come up with something to prevent dementia.
 

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