Guest Columnist
by Bret Haake, M.D.
MeritCare Neurologist
Can a healthy brain ward off dementia?
A s a medical student 15 years ago, I came up with what seemed like a terrific idea: a brain spa. It would be a place seniors could go for the sole reason of improving their brain health to prevent dementia (the mental decline often associated with aging). But the more I learned, the more I questioned the very hypothesis that anything could be done. Fast forward to today. Pick up most any magazine and you'll likely see an article about keeping the mind healthy. So based on current knowledge, what can we legitimately recommend?
Engage in brain-power activities
Without a doubt, you will help your brain by engaging in brainstimulating activities such as studying, reading, adult learning, playing games and interacting with other human beings. Two reasons:
- The sharper your mind, the more reserve you'll have should you get dementia. And it appears that the more reserve you have, the longer you'll be able to compensate for a decline in intellectual capacity.
- Even though you don't re-grow nerve cells in your brain, your nerves are constantly forming new connections or pathways – especially when the brain stays active. These new connections may be enough to actually compensate for Alzheimer's physical changes in the brain, at least initially.
Improve your vascular health
After Alzheimer's, the next leading cause of dementia relates to your vascular system. In vascular dementia, blood vessels to the brain get "hardening of the arteries," which can result in a lack of oxygen to the brain or multiple areas of scarring. Both can lead to dementia. Improved vascular health can lessen the chances for dementia. Similar to reducing your cardiovascular risk, the steps toward improved vascular health include:
- Keeping your cholesterol under control
- Keeping your blood pressure under control
- Controlling blood-sugar levels if you have diabetes
- Avoiding tobacco products
- Avoiding obesity
- Exercising regularly
Begin sooner rather than later
All of the above can certainly help people of all ages, but for maximum brain-health benefit, it is important to start early. If a 50-year-old with no signs of dementia came to me and asked what could be done to prevent or hold off dementia, I would have no qualms in telling the benefits of an active brain and risk-factor management. By investing time and energy in these two areas, I think it's entirely possible to positively impact brain health and quality of life for years to come.
To learn more about dementia, visit meritcare.com (keyword: dementia) or call MeritCare's Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Program at (701) 234-4180 or (800) 437-4010.
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