ALZ RISK WARNING
Two main causes of dementia revealed in study – and how you can protect yourself
Plus the tips you can use now to reduce your risk of the disease
A NEW study has suggested the two main causes of dementia.
The memory-robbing disease already affects 55 million people but experts predict a fast rate of growth in diagnoses.
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The new study analysed ancient medical texts, finding that the disease was barely mentioned before modern times.
Analysis of classical Greek and Roman medical texts suggests Alzheimer’s was rare and only developed as cities, air pollution and couch potato lifestyles grew.
Ancient Greeks had noted that ageing brought memory issues, but nothing like a major loss of memory, speech and reasoning as caused by dementia.
Centuries later in ancient Rome, a few mentions sprung up.
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For example, Galen remarked that at 80 years-old, some elderly people struggled to learn new things.
Authors speculate that as Ancient Roman cities grew, pollution increased, creating more cases of cognitive decline.
Furthermore, Roman aristocrats used lead cooking tools, lead water pipes and even added lead into their wine to sweeten it - unwittingly poisoning themselves with the strong neurotoxin.
Therefore, the study suggested dementia is a modern condition and it's two main causes are laziness and pollution, which have grown over centuries.
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The University of Southern California study found low rates of Alzheimer's in a present-day indigenous tribe in Bolivia.
Professor Caleb Finch, from the University of Southern California, said: “The ancient Greeks had very, very few - but we found them - mentions of something that would be like mild cognitive impairment.
“When we got to the Romans, we uncovered at least four statements that suggest rare cases of advanced dementia - we can’t tell if it’s Alzheimer’s.
“So, there was a progression going from the ancient Greeks to the Romans.”
Lifestyle choices
The study sheds new light on how dementia may have grew over thousands of years.
But there are individual choices people can make in their own lives that will help ward off the disease.
The World Health Organization says things that increase the liklihood of dementia - and therefore can be managed - are:
- High blood sugar (diabetes)
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Being overweight
- Smoking
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Being physically inactive
- Being socially isolated (loneliness)
WHO says: "Studies show that people can reduce their risk of cognitive decline and dementia by being physically active, not smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, controlling their weight, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
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"Additional risk factors include depression, social isolation, low educational attainment, cognitive inactivity and air pollution."
Alzheimer’s Disease International predicts there will be 1.5million cases in Britain by 2050 — but 41 per cent of these could be delayed or prevented entirely.
What is the best diet to reduce dementia risk?
Eating healthily can help to reduce the risk of dementia for several reasons, including that it manages weight, blood sugar and blood pressure, and provides key nutrients for the brain.
There is some evidence that suggests eating a diet that protects the heart also protects the brain, the and NHS says.
The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet was created by researchers at Rush University in Chicago, to help prevent dementia and slow age-related loss of brain function.
It’s a combination of two diets already known to reduce risk of heart and circulatory disease:
- The Mediterranean diet (based on wholegrains, fish, pulses, fruits and vegetables)
- The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. The DASH diet is designed to control blood pressure – a risk factor for heart and circulatory diseases and dementia. It’s similar to the Mediterranean diet, but with a greater emphasis on reducing salt intake.
The MIND diet names 10 foods linked to improved, or delayed decline in, cognitive function:
- Wholegrains (three or more servings a day)
- Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, cabbage, spring greens, kale and salad leaves (one or more servings a day)
- Other vegetables (one or more servings a day)
- Nuts (on most days)
- Beans and lentils (three or more servings a week)
- Berries, including blueberries and strawberries (two or more servings a week)
- Chicken or turkey (two or more servings a week)
- Fish (one or more servings a week)
- Olive oil (as the main oil or fat you use)
- Wine (no more than one small glass a day – more than this and it becomes more likely to harm health than help it)
It also lists five foids to avoid:
- Fried or fast food (less than once a week)
- Cheese (less than once a week)
- Red meats (less than four times a week)
- Pastries and sweets (less than five times a week)
- Butter (less than one tablespoon a day)
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