Why people lose memory as they age and how to avoid it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Everyone wants to live life, even its ending, in a sound mind and clear memory. Here are some tips to help you achieve this.

More than 50 million people suffer from mental impairments, including memory impairments. Scientists do not yet reliably know why memory deteriorates with age, but they have several suggestions on how to reduce this risk.

What types of memory loss are there

The main three are: cognitive decline with aging, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia. In general terms, they are similar, but there are also important differences.

Decreased cognitive ability with aging

This is completely normal. With age, all cells of the human body wear out, including neurons. So it's natural for older people to have minor memory problems.

Mild cognitive impairment

It's a cross between cognitive decline and dementia. People who suffer from them forget many things, but can still function on their own.

Dementia

It is a syndrome in which a person loses memory, cognitive abilities, and the ability to perform daily activities. People with dementia also experience problems with vision, spatial orientation, and loss of language skills.

At a later stage, they may forget family and friends, become aggressive for no apparent reason, they may develop paranoia and difficulty in movement. The most common form of dementia (60–70% of cases) is Alzheimer's disease.

There is no exact data on where dementia comes from. In the case of Alzheimer's, amyloid and tau proteins in the brain accumulate and become tangled, interfering with communication between neurons. Because of this, the behavior and thinking of patients begin to change.

It is believed that the parts of the brain responsible for memory are damaged first, and then all the rest. Gradually, a person loses the ability to look after himself, talk and move, and in the end - breathe and swallow.

Who is prone to dementia and memory loss

The main risk factor is age. About half of people over the age of 85 have some form of dementia. Other factors include family history of dementia (the more there are, the more likely you are to develop dementia as well) and mental health problems such as depression.

How to avoid memory impairment

Currently, there is no guaranteed way to counteract the development of cognitive impairment. But you can delay their appearance.

Maintain physical activity

Studies show that exercise does not help preserve memory much, but it does improve other cognitive abilities, such as planning. They are useful in general - especially for keeping the ability to move.

Monitor pressure

A recent study of more than 9,000 people with hypertension found that lowering blood pressure to normal levels (120/80 mm Hg) reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment by more than 20% and dementia by 16%. Also, scientists have found that normalizing blood pressure greatly reduces the risk of death and cardiovascular disease.

Communicate with other people

The most promising way to minimize the risk of dementia today is through social interaction. In one study, older adults, some of whom suffered from mild cognitive impairments, videochat each day for 30 minutes with trained interviewers.

As a result, the subjects improved many of their cognitive abilities, such as fluency and reaction speed. Even those suffering from mild cognitive impairments have shown improvements.

Social isolation increases the risk of dementia by 2%. Scientists suggest that even occasional video chat with family members can reduce this impact.