Balance your cholesterol A growing stack of evidence links high levels of 'bad' LDL cholesterol and low levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol with memory problems. The same steps that protect against heart attacks and strokes guard your little grey cells, too. In a
When to get help
If you (or aloved one) have these warning signs of more serious memory loss, be sure to see your doctor fast.
Sweat a little People who exercise for 20-30 minutes at least twice a week in their late 40s and early 50s more than halve their risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease 2o years later, according to a Swedish study of nearly 1,500 people. In order to be protective,
help your brain to remember
Creating a strong memory is like taking a good holiday snap: you have to focus, capture the image, then store it so that you can easily retrieve it again later. Here's how to work with your brain's natural information-processing and storage machinery to improve your memory.
Focus on one thing (or person) at a time No mutli-tasking. Your brain needs at least 8 seconds of focused attention to 'process' information and successfully send it into long-term storage.
Find - and use - your natural 'learning style' You're a visual learner if you tend to say 'see what I mean in conversation or if you look at the pictures or diagrams most when assembling something (such as a toy or piece of furniture). You're an auditory learner if you prefer verbal or written instructions. Use your natural style when learning new info to send your brain the strongest
signals.
Rehearse Hoping to remember the names of the five new people you met at the party yesterday? Practise them tonight, and again tomorrow morning, as you recall their faces. Brain scientists call this spaced rehearsal and say that it refreshs memory more effectively than trying to recall the names hastily 5 minutes before your next meeting.
exercise must be sufficiently demanding to cause breathelessness and sweating.
What's happening? Scientific studies show that exercise boosts production of a wonder chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)- a sort of cell fertiliser that encourages growth, development, maintenance and function of brain cells, making them stronger and more resistant to damage and disease. Some studies even suggest that exercise can make already daamged brain cells healthier.
Take depression seriously Low mood, lack of interest in everyday activities and lack of pleasure are warning signs of depression. But in older people, depression is often misidagnosed as dementia and may be virtually ignored. If you or a loved one has any signs of depression, regardless of age, alert your GP and ask for help. You deserve to feel well and think clearly.
When to get help
If you (or aloved one) have these warning signs of more serious memory loss, be sure to see your doctor fast.
- A sudden or significant decline in your ability to remember facts or assigned tasks.
- Repeating phrases or stories in the same conversation
- Trouble making choices or handling money
- Not being able to keep track of what happens each day
- Asking the same questions over and over again
- Getting lost in places you know well
- Not being able to follow directions
- Getting very confused about time, people and places
- Not taking care of yourself - eating poorly, not bathing or being unsafe
large study of more than 3,600 British civil servants, those with the lowest levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol were 60 percent more likely to have poor memory skills comapred with people with the highest levels. And five years later, those whose HDL levels had reduced compared with the earlier test were two-thirds more likely to have had a decline in memory than those whose HDL levels remained higher.
Pampering your cardiovascular system - with all the steps outlined earlier - keeps large and small blood vessels in your brain more flexible and free of artery-clogging plaque. This helps to guard against vascular dementia - the loss of memory and thinking skills that develops when brain cells simply don't receive the oxygen and blood sugar that they need to function properly.
Tame high blood pressure Doctors have long suspected a link between high blood pressure and reduced performance on tests of mental ability. Research released by the Alzheimer's society now reveals that people with high blood pressure are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, and six times as likely to develop vascular dementia, the next most common form.
Untamed blood pressure restricts oxygen supply and damages blood vessels in the brain, leading to the formation of tiny blood clots that can cause mini-strokes and strave the brain cells of the nutrition and oxygen they need.
The Alzheimer's society estimates that tackling high blood pressure in mildlife could reduce the number of deaths from dementia by up to 15,000 people annually in the UK.
Control your blood sugar Diabetes doubles your odds of memory problems later in life. Experts aren't sure why, but there is some evidence that the chronic inflammatioin that can help to trigger type 2 diabetes can also contribute to the build-up of brain tangles and
plaques linked to Alzheimer's disease. The same lifestyle steps that lower your blood sugar - a healthy high-fibre, low-sugar diet plus exercise and stress relief - are good for your brain, too.
Maintain a healthy weight Extra weight was found to dim brain power in a study by the Toulouse University Hospital and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in France. Researchers checked the body mass index (BMI) and thinking skills of 2,223 women and men, aged 32-62, twice over five years. People with high BMIs scored lower on memory tests and hand bigger mental declines from the beginning until the end of the study. The cause could be reduced blood flow to the brain.
Pampering your cardiovascular system - with all the steps outlined earlier - keeps large and small blood vessels in your brain more flexible and free of artery-clogging plaque. This helps to guard against vascular dementia - the loss of memory and thinking skills that develops when brain cells simply don't receive the oxygen and blood sugar that they need to function properly.
Tame high blood pressure Doctors have long suspected a link between high blood pressure and reduced performance on tests of mental ability. Research released by the Alzheimer's society now reveals that people with high blood pressure are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, and six times as likely to develop vascular dementia, the next most common form.
Untamed blood pressure restricts oxygen supply and damages blood vessels in the brain, leading to the formation of tiny blood clots that can cause mini-strokes and strave the brain cells of the nutrition and oxygen they need.
The Alzheimer's society estimates that tackling high blood pressure in mildlife could reduce the number of deaths from dementia by up to 15,000 people annually in the UK.
Control your blood sugar Diabetes doubles your odds of memory problems later in life. Experts aren't sure why, but there is some evidence that the chronic inflammatioin that can help to trigger type 2 diabetes can also contribute to the build-up of brain tangles and
plaques linked to Alzheimer's disease. The same lifestyle steps that lower your blood sugar - a healthy high-fibre, low-sugar diet plus exercise and stress relief - are good for your brain, too.
Maintain a healthy weight Extra weight was found to dim brain power in a study by the Toulouse University Hospital and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in France. Researchers checked the body mass index (BMI) and thinking skills of 2,223 women and men, aged 32-62, twice over five years. People with high BMIs scored lower on memory tests and hand bigger mental declines from the beginning until the end of the study. The cause could be reduced blood flow to the brain.
Sweat a little People who exercise for 20-30 minutes at least twice a week in their late 40s and early 50s more than halve their risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease 2o years later, according to a Swedish study of nearly 1,500 people. In order to be protective,
help your brain to remember
Creating a strong memory is like taking a good holiday snap: you have to focus, capture the image, then store it so that you can easily retrieve it again later. Here's how to work with your brain's natural information-processing and storage machinery to improve your memory.
Focus on one thing (or person) at a time No mutli-tasking. Your brain needs at least 8 seconds of focused attention to 'process' information and successfully send it into long-term storage.
Find - and use - your natural 'learning style' You're a visual learner if you tend to say 'see what I mean in conversation or if you look at the pictures or diagrams most when assembling something (such as a toy or piece of furniture). You're an auditory learner if you prefer verbal or written instructions. Use your natural style when learning new info to send your brain the strongest
signals.
Rehearse Hoping to remember the names of the five new people you met at the party yesterday? Practise them tonight, and again tomorrow morning, as you recall their faces. Brain scientists call this spaced rehearsal and say that it refreshs memory more effectively than trying to recall the names hastily 5 minutes before your next meeting.
exercise must be sufficiently demanding to cause breathelessness and sweating.
What's happening? Scientific studies show that exercise boosts production of a wonder chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)- a sort of cell fertiliser that encourages growth, development, maintenance and function of brain cells, making them stronger and more resistant to damage and disease. Some studies even suggest that exercise can make already daamged brain cells healthier.
Take depression seriously Low mood, lack of interest in everyday activities and lack of pleasure are warning signs of depression. But in older people, depression is often misidagnosed as dementia and may be virtually ignored. If you or a loved one has any signs of depression, regardless of age, alert your GP and ask for help. You deserve to feel well and think clearly.
Schedule a daily 'relaxation appointment' with yourself The best time to do it: mid afternoon, when natural body rhythms are likely to make you feel like taking a break. Try 10 minutes of yoga, a cup of herbal tea and a good book, a leisurely stroll with a friend or some hands-on time at your favourite hobby. Relaxation can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol; unchecked, cortisol can damage a brain area called the hippocampus, which is involved with processing information
and, as we've said before, storing memories.
Get the sleep you need Your brain needs sleep in order to organise and store information in the memory so that you can retrieve and use it again, studies show. If you're tired during the day, it will be even more difficult to concentrate and remember important things. Sleep patterns do change with age - read all about how to get a refreshing night's sleep on sleep problems.
Sip cocoa Cocoa and chocolate are rich in antioxidant flavanols, which have beneficial effects on the blood vessels. When researchers at the University of Nottingham scanned the brains of `16 women after they drank flavanol-rich cocoa for five days, they found increased oxygen levels in their brains' blood flow. What's more, just one high dose of flavanol-enriched cocoa flavanols could be used to maintain cardiovascular health and perhaps even to treat vascular impairment in dementia and strokes.
and, as we've said before, storing memories.
Get the sleep you need Your brain needs sleep in order to organise and store information in the memory so that you can retrieve and use it again, studies show. If you're tired during the day, it will be even more difficult to concentrate and remember important things. Sleep patterns do change with age - read all about how to get a refreshing night's sleep on sleep problems.
Sip cocoa Cocoa and chocolate are rich in antioxidant flavanols, which have beneficial effects on the blood vessels. When researchers at the University of Nottingham scanned the brains of `16 women after they drank flavanol-rich cocoa for five days, they found increased oxygen levels in their brains' blood flow. What's more, just one high dose of flavanol-enriched cocoa flavanols could be used to maintain cardiovascular health and perhaps even to treat vascular impairment in dementia and strokes.
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