‘Healthy lifestyle can go a long way in preventing dementia’

‘A Short Handbook on Dementia’ released in Udupi

September 22, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:41 am IST - Udupi:

P.V. Bhandary, psychiatrist, said on Monday that a healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet as well as keeping oneself socially and mentally active could go a long way in preventing dementia.

He was speaking at the World Alzheimer’s Day function organised by the Dr. A.V. Baliga Memorial Hospital here. The theme of this year’s Alzheimer’s Day is ‘Remember Me’.

Dr. Bhandary said that a healthy lifestyle which included exercises such as brisk walking, maintaining a healthy weight and giving up smoking were linked to reduced risk of dementia.

A person should seriously start maintaining a healthy lifestyle in his or her forties.

It was essential that conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol were kept under control. Treating depression early was also important.

A balanced diet, which was low in saturated fat with less salt, and included plenty of fish, fruits and vegetables, reduced the risk, he said.

Being socially active included visiting friends or going to a place of worship, while being mentally active meant indulging in activities such as solving puzzles or reading, he said.

Risk factors

The factors that increased the risk of dementia included blood pressure, blood sugar, genetics, sedentary lifestyle and stress. “Many dementias were progressive, where symptoms start slowly and gradually get worse,” he said. As dementia increased, the person would require increased care by family members, caregivers, friends and institutions. About 3.7 million people are suffering with dementia in the country. The symptoms of dementia included loss of memory of recent events, losing items, getting lost in familiar places, missing appointments, loss of ability for abstract thought, planning and doing complex tasks.

Patients face difficulty in finding common words and names. They might become impulsive, make “thoughtless” comments or indulge in socially inappropriate behaviour.

Often family members and friends are the first detect the problem, Dr. Bhandary said.

Stress for caregivers

Taking care of patients with dementia was a challenge for caregivers. The caregivers were likely to suffer from high stress.

“Dementia should be a public health priority and more public awareness on it is required,” Dr. Bhandary said. Jardin D’Souza, founder and director of Mangalore Alzheimer’s Association, inaugurated the programme and released a booklet ‘A Short Handbook on Dementia’ on the occasion.

‘It is essential that diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol are kept under control’

‘Awareness on dementia is needed and it should become a public health priority’

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