According to a recent study published with help from the National Institutes of Health, people who suffer from cardiovascular health issues during their middle aged years have a much higher likelihood of developing dementia when they are older. Over 15,700 people were observed in this massive study, and they were tracked for a period of 25 years. Cognitive functioning and health were observed at least four times for each participant in the study.
This study stands out because dementia is becoming more and more of a concern in our society. As the population ages, and as more and more people need senior care, dementia will be one of the most often cited reasons for that need. Finding a way to help reduce these cases has the potential to reduce the need for care across our communities. The results of this study were published in JAMA Neurology.
The study of dementia, its causes, and potential ways to prevent it, are still a developing field. Although there’s still a lot to learn about how best to help individuals suffering from dementia, this stands as a huge step forward. Hopefully it acts as a springboard for even more advances, but only time will tell.
This is not a cause and effect type thing. If you have cardiovascular disease at age 45, you are not guaranteed to have dementia at age 75. The likelihood that this will happen is higher, yes, but it is by no means a guarantee. Instead of seeing this as a sentence of cognitive decline, this evidence should be viewed as a wake up call of sorts. One of the things that researchers said when concluding their study was that this should show us the importance of controlling the factors that we can when it comes to our health. The vascular health risks that were investigated included diabetes, smoking, blood pressure, and a few others. All of these things can be controlled to a degree, even if it does involve seeing a physician for help.
And that’s good news. Some types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, do not have cures. They might be controllable through medication, but they tend to be degenerative. That means the person suffering from the dementia will get worse and worse as time progresses. Seeing a loved one suffer from dementia is tough on families, but the good news here is that taking steps to control health earlier in life might help prevent the development of dementia later in life. It’s certainly not a guarantee, but it can help improve our quality of life as we age.
If you’re currently helping out with the care of an elderly family member, this could be a good time to help them live a better life. Encourage them to quit smoking, or to eat healthier, or help provide transportation to the doctor’s office for their regular checkup. All of these things, even when done later in life, can help improve the quality of life down the road.
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