A Healthy Lifestyle Could Help Prevent Dementia
1/27/2025
Palmer, AK, Jan 2025 – Every three seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with a type of dementia, which is the general term for certain conditions resulting in the loss of memory, language and ability to make decisions, often to the point that it impacts everyday life. Caused by damage to brain cells, dementia is becoming increasingly more common as a leading cause of disability and dependency among older Americans. However, evidence suggests living a healthy lifestyle could help prevent severe cognitive decline and a dementia diagnosis.
“Today, there’s no cure for dementia so our best course of action is to take necessary measures to help prevent the condition from developing,” says Micah D. Renicker, M.D., and board-certified family medicine physician with Mat-Su Medical Group. “Making a lifelong commitment to healthy living is our best bet for reducing the risk of dementia and increasing our quality of life.”
Dr. Renicker recommends these lifestyle changes for preventing dementia and living a healthier life:
- Eat fresh food: A regular diet of processed and packaged foods is associated with a higher risk of dementia according to the American Academy of Neurology. Keep your brain and body healthy with whole fruits, vegetables, nuts and lean protein. Examples of lean protein include fish, poultry and legumes such as peas and beans.
- Learn new things: Continuously challenge your mind with new activities and hobbies. Mental exercises like puzzles, card games or painting can help develop and maintain cognitive function.
- Manage blood pressure levels: High blood pressure, or hypertension, causes damage too many life-sustaining organs of the body, including the kidneys and the brain, and if left unchecked may lead to serious conditions like heart attack and stroke. Natural ways to improve blood pressure include routine cardiovascular exercise, a low sodium diet, and maintenance of a healthy body weight.
- Remain social: Stay active with family and friends, look for ways to get involved in your community through clubs and other organizations. Maintaining a social life can greatly benefit memory, ward off loneliness and improve mental health.
- Exercise Regularly: Cardiovascular exercise increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain and reduces the risk of cognitive decline. Just 30 minutes a day, five times a week of moderate exercise helps to maintain mental sharpness and improve overall health.
“The human body is well-designed to adapt and overcome many physiologic stressors and illnesses,“ says Dr. Renicker. “Wherever you may be on your personal health journey, it is my job and my honor to partner with you and help guide you to health optimization, giving your body the best fighting chance to overcome whatever challenges lie ahead. While certain factors are beyond our control, the health choices we make today determine, in part, the health condition(s) and quality of life we will enjoy-or-endure-in the future.”
An extreme deterioration in cognitive abilities is not a normal part of the aging process. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment often leads to better outcomes. If you or a loved one are experiencing memory issues, visit https://www.matsumedicalgroup.com/family-medicine-care or call 907-861-1460 to book an appointment with Dr. Renicker or one of his colleagues at Mat-Su medical Group Primary Care.
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