Dementia professor reveals the eight things she does every week to reduce her risk of Alzheimer’s
The figure is shocking: dementia cases are predicted to double by 2060.
Today, around 944,000 in the UK are thought to be living with the condition, with the figure thought to be around 7million in the US. Alzheimer’s Disease affects around six in 10 people with dementia.
But it is not inevitable. The obvious risks are familiar to many people, yet there are other factors which matter just as much, research shows.
There is also growing evidence about the effects of air pollution, untreated gum disease, excessive alcohol, and diets dominated by ultra processed foods.
None of these factors alone will cause dementia, but each of them can make the brain more vulnerable.
According to Professor June Andrews, a dementia care specialist and author of Dementia: The One-Stop Guide, ‘every little helps’.
‘Each positive choice, from walking to the shops to keeping blood pressure under control, builds resilience in the brain,’ she says.
And eight of these choices—some of which are totally free—can achieved monthly, weekly or even daily.
Professor June Andrews OBE FRCN FCGI is an expert in care of older frail people and people with dementia
Maintaining muscle strength
Research has long shown exercise controls weight and reduces the risk of heart disease and other health conditions—including dementia.
‘I’ve had a personal trainer for some time now at my local Nuffield gym. I go once a week on average and we’ve just celebrated our 100th session,’ Professor Andrews says.
‘As I’m an older woman, one of the key things for me is muscle strength because and so that’s why we do squats and weight bearing exercises.
‘For postmenopausal women, these kind of exercises are vital to maintain your bone density and also to maintain your muscle strength.’
But improving balance and muscle strength also improves cognitive function and fitness.
‘For older people, particularly those who have cognitive impairment—one consequence of dementia—if you stumble, your reaction times might be slow, and you’re more likely to fall,’ she adds.
‘So being strong and knowing how to get off the floor without help is a useful thing to start practicing early so it offers some protection.
‘Exercise improves your mood, improves your circulation. Physical fitness is good for helping you maintain cognitive fitness as well.’
Around 900,000 Brits are currently thought to have the memory-robbing disorder. But University College London scientists estimate this will rise to 1.7million within two decades as people live longer. It marks a 40 per cent uptick on the previous forecast in 2017
Take up sign language
Activities that engage your brain also help. Read, write, and play board games. Studies show that such pastimes make a big difference.
‘My local college does a British Sign Language programme and I take evening classes which I love,’ Professor Andrews says.
‘Everyone is concentrated on the same thing. I’m inspired because it’s also cross generational.
‘The age range is at least 60 years from people who are either in school or just about to leave and people like myself.
‘I’m now on my second certificate. It may not sound glamorous, but small practical steps that maintain independence really matter,’ she adds.
‘You can take up anything that interests you. The thing to take up is something that you’ll stick with.
‘Even the simple things like the fact that you have to organize yourself to get there, talking with friends, that’s all intellectual and mental stimulation. It’s also an opportunity to relax.’
According to Professor Andrews one choice you can make is affordable and readily available: fibre
Focus on fibre
Experts have long warned that there is no specific anti-Alzheimer’s diet per se—what is good for your heart is good for your head.
Research shows those with certain conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes—which affect at least 2million Britons—are more likely than those without such conditions to experience age-related cognitive decline.
But evidence shows the risk of these diseases is slashed with changes to your diet.
According to Professor Andrews one choice you can make is affordable and readily available: fibre.
Unlike other carbohydrates such as sugar and starch, it is not absorbed by the body and helps keep the gut healthy.
‘A high fibre diet is not going to prevent dementia,’ Professor Andrews adds. ‘But it may help reduce the risk of symptoms for longer.
‘Once you have some cognitive impairment of any kind, it’s it means that you’re vulnerable to symptoms of dementia.’
‘It may help prevent vascular disease because it’s low fat.
‘I maintain a high fibre diet because it’s good for lowering my blood pressure.
Switching you’d opt for, for brown flour, brown bread, brown rice, seeds and nuts and vegetables. These all help prevent against constipation.
‘Keeping your bowel healthy can reduce the risk of cognitive impairment, as a strong link has been found between gut health and brain function.’
Researchers argue their findings highlight the importance of good oral hygiene, often considered to be brushing teeth twice a day and regular dentist visits
Floss regularly
Oral hygiene is essential for preventing infections and gum disease.
Oral infections can spread to the sinuses, which can then trigger a clot or drainage problems in the brain.
Research has also found a link between gum disease and dementia.
One recent US study, published in Sage Journals, found that people with gum disease and mouth infections were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia.
Work is now under way to check whether bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis help drive the condition, or simply proliferate in people in the early stages of dementia.
Flossing daily or at least regularly flossing, brushing your teeth and visiting the dentist at least every year can keep your teeth and gums healthy,’ Professor Andrews says.
‘All of which can help avert an infection that could lead to future issues.’
Stay social
Studies have long suggested that maintaining an active social life keeps the negative health effects of isolation—such as depression, cognitive impairment or even early mortality—at bay.
Patients who have a strong social support system are typically in better overall health than the ones who don’t.
Some experts believe the enforced isolation during the pandemic, for example, may have contributed to the risk.
‘There’s lots of research that shows if you can find a way of enjoying yourself by helping other people, then that’s good for your brain and it’s good for your mood,’ Professor Andrews says.
‘I work hard to keep up with friends every week, I also volunteer in my local carer’s organisation.
‘Any kind of regular social interaction is good for your brain.’
Alcohol has long been known to exacerbate such health disorders as diabetes, hypertension, stroke and memory deficits, all of which raise the risk of dementia
Ditch alcohol
Alcohol has long been known to exacerbate such health disorders as diabetes, hypertension, stroke and memory deficits, all of which raise the risk of dementia.
‘I’ve given up alcohol altogether now,’ Professor Andrews says.
‘Now that there are so many brilliant zero alcohol beverages, you may find that this is the one transformational change you can make to your diet.
‘Also, drinking too much raises the danger of falls, car crashes and other accidents — which can result in head injuries, another dementia risk factor.
‘Lots of young people think that it’s okay to get wasted but the younger you start moderating your alcohol intake, the better it will be when you’re old.’
Research also shows that the heaviest drinkers are far more likely to develop Alzheimer’s in later life than those who drink the least.
‘I have my hearing checked every single year and advise anyone to follow this routine—as well as anytime in between that they had concerns,’ Professor Andrews says
Get regular hearing checks
A landmark study last year suggested almost half of all Alzheimer’s cases could be prevented by tackling 14 lifestyle factors from childhood.
The factors, ranging from high cholesterol to hearing loss, were identified as increasing the risk a person would suffer dementia.
Experts claimed the study, published in the prestigious journal The Lancet, provided more hope than ‘ever before’ that the memory-robbing disorder that blights the lives of millions can be tackled.
‘I have my hearing checked every single year and advise anyone to follow this routine—as well as anytime in between that they had concerns,’ Professor Andrews says.
‘Cognitive impairment can make it far more difficult to follow conversations and not being able to hear, intensifies the issue.
‘The other theory is that the whatever is going wrong in your brain that’s making you have the cognitive impairment may also be affecting your capacity to hear.
‘Your brain is very important for hearing. It’s not just your ears. Your brain is important for processing auditory input.’
Researchers in London , who assessed the smoking habits of almost 80,000 Britons, found smokers still had 10 cigarettes per day on average in 2024
Quit smoking for good
Research in the early 2000s showed that nurses were more likely to smoke than other women in the same socio-economic groups with the same level of education.
‘One of the things we didn’t do as nurses was look after our own health,’ Professor Andrews says.
‘I’ve not smoked this century, though I smoked a lot as a student nurse. When I gave up, via a smoking cessation service delivered at my local hospital, I felt far better.’
According to the Lancet study, air pollution—including smoking fumes—impacts the risk of developing dementia.
‘It is also something that you’re more sensitive to as you age,’ Professor Andrews says.
‘For an older person to continue smoking is almost more dangerous than it is even for younger people.’
