Page 7 - Engage Summer 2023

“Scientists have long known that depression and dementia go hand in hand,” (Harvard Medical School). “If somebody appears to have the beginnings of dementia and they are depressed, it’s very important to treat their depression, and to treat it as aggressively as possible.”
In 2020, The Lancet estimated that about 40 per cent of all dementia cases are preventable through making appropriate lifestyle choices, such as avoiding excessive alcohol use in midlife, staying active and avoiding obesity or diabetes through following a healthy diet.
There is no cure for dementia, the damage to the brain is physical and, so far, cannot be regenerated. Breakthrough medical treatments are starting to appear, such
as the drug donanemab which delays the worsening of symptoms by 35 per cent and by up to 60 per cent if administered early. It will potentially slow the progress of the disease although not reverse it. We know that the signs of cognitive impairment
Making sure your finances are in order can give you peace of mind.
first appear decades before you have
a dementia diagnosis, so prevention through lifestyle modifications is very important.
Any form of regular exercise is known to be a proven way of staving off cognitive decline. While brain size naturally decreases at a rate of about 5 per cent a decade after the age of 40, with the rate of decline increasing once you pass 70, research has shown that this shrinkage slows in those who do regular aerobic exercise. This includes any physical activity that gets
the blood pumping, such as brisk walking, running, swimming and cycling.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) found that people who got six to eight hours of sleep per night on average do better on cognitive-performance
tests. The scientists also noted that
regular exercise could reduce the risk of developing dementia, but not for those who generally slept for less than six hours a night in their 50s and 60s. UCL researchers also identified that short daytime naps
Our Day Centres and Care Support at Home services enable people with dementia to enjoy their day.
www.zesthearing.co.uk Phone: 01327 640063 Email: patientsupport@zesthearing.co.uk
Our Services:
Adult Hearing Assessments Hearing Aid Fitting & Aftercare Ear Wax Removal
Tinnitus Consultations
Noise Protection Consultations
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