Want to avoid dementia? Scientists name THREE most effective things you can do to protect ‘weak spot’ in brain from succumbing to memory-robbing disorder (but you might not like one of their tips!)

Drink less alcohol, avoid traffic pollution and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Scientists say these are the three most effective things you can do to reduce your chances of developing dementia.

Researchers have previously identified a ‘weak spot’ in the brain that begins to degenerate earlier than surrounding areas as we age.

Now, a new study has confirmed which modifiable risk factors – things people can do something about – seem to have the most effect on this vulnerable brain region.

A team examined 161 risk factors for dementia and ranked them based on their impact on this brain network.

It comes after Wendy Williams‘ was diagnosed at the age of 59 with an aggressive form of dementia, which her family claims was caused by alcohol abuse.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the same condition that Die Hard star Bruce Willis, 68, suffers from, which causes the personality and behavioral centers of the brain to shrink.

The diagnosis is the same as that of Die Hard star Bruce Willis, 68

They did this by analyzing the brain scans of 40,000 people over the age of 45 in Britain.

The University of Oxford scientists have classified these modifiable risk factors – which can potentially be changed throughout life to reduce the risk of dementia – into fifteen broad categories.

These were blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, weight, alcohol consumption, smoking, depressed mood, inflammation, pollution, hearing, sleep, socialization, nutrition, physical activity and education.

The findings suggest that the ‘weak spot’ in the brain is most vulnerable to alcohol, diabetes and traffic-related air pollution.

Professor Gwenaelle Douaud, who led the study, said: ‘We know that a constellation of brain regions are more likely to degenerate with age, and in this new study we have shown that these specific parts of the brain are most vulnerable to diabetes, traffic-related pollution – increasingly a major player in dementia – and alcohol, among all the common risk factors for dementia.

‘We discovered that several variations in the genome affect this brain network, and that they are involved in cardiovascular deaths, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.’

The study analyzed the unique contribution of each controllable risk factor by looking at them all together to assess the resulting degeneration of this specific weak spot in the brain.

Professor Anderson Winkler, a co-author from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in the US, said: ‘It is with this kind of comprehensive, holistic approach – and once we had taken into account the effects of age and gender – those three emerged as the most harmful: diabetes, air pollution and alcohol.’

Dr. Susan Mitchell, head of policy at the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘With no treatments yet available in Britain that can stop or slow the diseases that cause dementia, there has never been a more urgent need to get a good promote brain health. to gain more insight into how dementia can be prevented.

‘It is widely accepted that up to 40 percent of dementia cases are potentially preventable, so there is a huge opportunity to reduce the personal and societal impact of dementia.

Wendy Williams’ family said in a new documentary on Lifetime that her dementia could have been caused by alcohol

Research published in the Lancet found that 50 percent of French adults with early-onset dementia also had a history of alcohol use disorder

‘These intriguing findings, based on retrospective analyzes of brain scans and other data from 40,000 people who took part in the UK Biobank project, help shed further light on this.

‘The results will need to be confirmed, both in forward-looking studies that follow participants over time, and in a more diverse study population.

‘But they can help explain why certain groups are more vulnerable to dementia, such as people who live in highly polluted areas.

‘As we move towards a general election, we want all political parties to recognize the concept and importance of brain health, and make commitments that will tackle these drivers of dementia risk across Britain.’

The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.

WHAT IS DEMENTIA?

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological conditions

A GLOBAL CARE

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological conditions (affecting the brain) that affect memory, thinking and behavior.

There are many forms of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.

Some people may have a combination of different forms of dementia.

Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience dementia in their own unique way.

Dementia is a global problem, but it is most common in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live to a very old age.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?

The Alzheimer’s Society reports that there are currently more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK. This number is expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 percent of those diagnosed.

There are an estimated 5.5 million people in the US with Alzheimer’s disease. A similar percentage increase is expected in the coming years.

As a person’s age increases, so does the risk that he or she will develop dementia.

The number of diagnoses is increasing, but it is believed that many people with dementia are still undiagnosed.

IS THERE A TREATMENT?

There is currently no medicine against dementia.

But new medications can slow its progression and the sooner it is caught, the more effective treatments can be.

Source: Alzheimer’s Association