Dementia: Study says THESE activities can cut down risk by 50%

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has predicted that dementia cases will almost triple in the coming years. This estimation on growth in dementia cases has been backed by a study which says that the dementia cases might triple by 2025. The global health agency defines dementia as "an umbrella term for several diseases affecting memory, other cognitive abilities and behaviour that interfere significantly with a person’s ability to maintain their activities of daily living."

Read: Could dementia be a consequence of COVID-19? Here’s what scientists have to say

With around 55 million people worldwide already having this condition, every year 10 million new cases add up to the stats.

As per a study, globally dementia cases are to triple by 2050 which roughly calculates to 153 million people will be having dementia in the next few years.

Dementia hampers the daily activity of an individual. It is the major cause of disability and dependency among older people.

Apart from this, it is also the leading cause of death among all other diseases.

"Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide. It can be overwhelming, not only for people who have dementia, but also for their carers and families, who globally provide the majority of care and support," says the WHO.

The research study has emphasized three activities that can reduce the risk of the dementia. The study which is published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology has identified reading a book, practicing yoga and spending time with family and friends as leisure activities that can lower the risk of dementia.

The study is based on 74,700 people who developed dementia.

The study found that engaging in these leisure activities cuts down the risk of developing dementia by 17%.

However, it found that mental activities like reading books, and writing had the maximum impact. The risk of dementia lowered by 23% when these activities are done on a regular basis.

The researchers have listed the following activities which they found lowers the dementia risk:

• Reading books
• Writing
• Watching television
• Listening to radio
• Playing games
• Playing musical instruments
• Browsing computer
• Using computer for creativity
• Making crafts
• Walking
• Running
• Swimming
• Bicycling
• Playing sports
• Yoga
• Dancing
• Attending a class
• Joining a social club
• Volunteering
• Visiting relatives or friends
• Attending religious activities

The symptoms of dementia should be understood in three stages:

In the early stage the person shows symptoms like forgetfulness, losing track of time and feeling lost in familiar places.

In the middle stage the person may show episodes of forgetfulness even in cases of familiar people and places, become confused at home, increased difficulty in communication, needing help even with basic personal care.

In the late stage, the person shows serious symptoms of dementia like losing track of time and place, unable to recognise near and dear ones, difficulty in walking and frequent behaviour change.

Dementia patients should be handled with extreme care. There is a lack of knowledge regarding the disease because of which these patients often remain in the dark without being diagnosed or given proper medical assistance.

This results in a big gap between the treatment and the onset of the disease. The impact of the disease also affects the family members socially, psychologically and economically due to which it is seen that such patients get neglected and do not get medical assistance.