As the population ages, dementia has become an increasing problem. Worldwide, some 55 million people are living with dementia; in the U.S. about 7 million people suffer some form of dementia. The condition not only affects the sufferers but lowers the quality of life of their caregivers, who are usually family, and costs the healthcare system an enormous sum.
To date, treatment has not proven to be the answer. Neither the older drugs nor the very expensive and dangerous new drugs do more than delay the decline by a few months.
For dementia, as for many health conditions, prevention is much better than treatment.
Good general health habits: regular exercise, not smoking, and treating high blood pressure are known to lower dementia risk. What about training the brain?
We strengthen our muscles by lifting weights and improve our heart and lung capacity by aerobic exercise, so it makes intuitive sense that exercising our brain should ward off dementia. There are many online sites and apps that promise to do just that. Do they work?
We have known for a long time that those with higher education levels have less cases of dementia and get it later, but this may be an artifact: those with better brain capacity may gravitate to fields requiring more education. What about mentally challenging activities such as word games, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, chess, and bridge?
A survey of many studies in different groups of people living in different parts of the world suggests that these activities do indeed lower the risk of dementia and delay its onset. Many activities were studied, both those listed above as well as reading and taking adult education classes.
The effect was not dramatic, but the risk of developing dementia was reduced by anywhere from 10% to 30% depending on the study, and those who did develop dementia did so about 2-3 years later than average. These numbers compare very favorably with existing treatments and have no side effects!
None of the commercial “brain boosters” as yet have any similar data available.
So, take out your pencils and get puzzling. Play mahjong or bridge. Read a challenging book. Not only will you get the social benefits, but you will stay sharp longer.
By the way, another intervention has pretty good data behind it: getting the shingles vaccine seems to also be associated with reduced risk of dementia. As if avoiding that nasty disease was not motivation enough!
Edward Hoffer MD is Associate Professor of Medicine, part-time, at Harvard.
What Does The Doctor Say?
By Dr. Edward Hoffer