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Dementia is a group of diseases with symptoms, which affect the way people think and interact with each other, brain diseases that cause a long term and often gradual illness. 

This seems to be in the news all the time at the moment and there is no question that the number of people suffering from this problem is increasing as the elderly population steadily increases. 

However, all is not doom and gloom although it certainly does get more common with age, four out of five people aged 80 and over still have no significant memory problems.

There can be an inherited tendency towards developing this but it can also occur without any obvious risk factors being present however for many people, altering their lifestyle can reduce or delay the likelihood of it developing.

Keep physically active

For at least 30 minutes, five times a week. It doesn’t matter what you do to keep active, just do what you enjoy whether it’s walking, cycling, swimming or joining an exercise or dance group. Do it at a level that makes you slightly short of breath so you know you are getting the benefit.

Don’t smoke

This is a big one. If you already do smoke, try to stop. By smoking, you are at a greater risk of developing dementia.

Give your brain a daily workout

This could be reading, doing crosswords, puzzles, word searches, and playing cards or learning something new such as another language. If you can keep your mind active you are likely to reduce your risk of dementia. Interestingly, drinking coffee may also slow down memory loss, so you can enjoy your daily cup!

Eat a healthy diet

Eat a diet that’s rich in oily fish, fruit, vegetables, unrefined cereals and olive oil, and low in red meat and sugar. Cut down on cakes, biscuits, and cheese and keep your sugary ‘treats’ to a minimum! Cutting down on the salt in your diet makes a big.

We may not know all the answers to dementia yet, and a cure remains elusive but by following a healthy lifestyle we can all reduce our chances of developing this increasingly common problem