Empowering Patients with Preventive Measures Against Dementia
As a physician, it’s crucial to guide your patients on how their lifestyle choices today can significantly influence their neurocognitive health in the future. Here are some evidence-based tips to help stave off dementia.
HCN Healer Handbook
“Remember, your choices today can greatly impact your cognitive health in the future. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and managing your blood pressure can help prevent dementia. It’s also important to avoid risky behaviors like smoking and excessive drinking.”
Lifestyle Modifications:
- Physical Activity: Regular exercise is a key preventive measure.
- Healthy Diet: A balanced diet can help curb dementia risk.
- Blood Pressure Management: High blood pressure can lead to dementia, so managing it effectively is crucial.
- Risky Behaviors to Avoid:
- Smoking: Smokers are at a higher risk for dementia.
- Excessive Drinking: Heavy drinking is linked to cognitive impairment and dementia.
Roughly 50 million people worldwide live with dementia, and this number is projected to reach 152 million by 2050.
Additional Points
- Neurocognitive health is highly dependent on the decisions made today.
- Around a third of dementia cases are attributable to modifiable risk factors such as physical inactivity, smoking, and hypertension.
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