Overview

Did you know that 40% of cases of dementia can be prevented if we look after our brains.

Recommendations

• Learning new things and education, starting as early as possible. More learning helps with brain stimulation so that even as your brain cells start to deteriorate when you get older, you will be less likely to experience dementia symptoms.
• Having plenty of positive social interactions increases and maintains brain activity as well as being good for your mental wellbeing.
• Keeping active means more blood gets to the brain and helps keep a healthy blood pressure (which also prevents heart attacks and strokes). 30 minutes of exercise a day, or 2.5 hours a week, is enough to keep things working well.
• Not smoking – smoking has a negative effect on brain health in several ways. The toxins cause stress to the brain itself and cause increased blood pressure and narrowing of blood vessels in the body and the brain.
• Having a healthy diet, especially if you are diabetic. Moderating sugars and carbohydrates and being a healthy weight helps the brain and the heart’s ability to pump blood and oxygen to the brain.
• Managing alcohol – Too many units of alcohol a week increases your risk of developing dementia and high alcohol intake causes a particular type of brain damage
• Getting enough sleep – Sleep is when your brain does a lot of its own healing and flushes out toxins, so trying to get between 7 and 9 hours a night is a key to keeping a healthy brain.

About the My Brain Health Plan

Think about which of these life-changing things you might want to try. Go to Brain Health Scotland – My Brain Health Plan for a free quiz that will give you tailored tips on what you can do to care for your own brain and prevent dementia.

Dementia

There is no fool-proof way to prevent dementia but taking care of your brain is an essential part of lowering your risks. For more information on brain health basics, visit Alzheimer’s Research UK – Think Brain Health.

Concerns around dementia can be an extremely worrying time. If you or someone you know is worried about becoming increasingly forgetful, particularly if they are older than 65, you can talk to a doctor about the possibility of dementia. To find out more visit the NHS Dementia guide.

For further local support and advice for dementia care, activity and reminiscence training and community projects, visit Reminiscence Learning.

Key messages

• You can keep your brain healthy and reduce the risk of dementia
• It is never too early or late to start thinking about brain health
• Stay connected
• Be kind to yourself and others