“Old age remains the most important factor in the development of dementia,” says Jan Steyaert of the Expertise Center for Dementia Flanders. “But more and more research shows that up to 40% of dementia is related to lifestyle. That’s why we’re launching the ‘2 for the price of 1’ campaign today. We want to make everyone aware that a healthy lifestyle benefits both the heart and blood vessels and the brain.”
“There are still many misunderstandings about dementia,” Steyaert continues. Contrary to popular belief, dementia in itself is not a disease. It is the collective name for about sixty diseases that affect the cognitive skills that are controlled by our brains.” Alzheimer’s is perhaps the best-known example of a condition that falls under the heading of dementia, but there is also Lewy body dementia or vascular dementia. The latter is the result of poor blood flow to the brain due to damage to the blood vessels. A healthy heart and blood vessels will significantly reduce the risk of dementia in general, but certainly also of vascular dementia.
Heredity
That is good news, since we can largely take control of our brain health by living a healthy life. “The idea is often still alive that dementia is mainly hereditary, but that is usually not the case. Especially young dementia is hereditary and therefore difficult to prevent. Fortunately, this is not the case for many other forms of dementia,” says Steyaert.
“Yet the time at which the diagnosis is made is often too late to reverse the disease process. Most forms of dementia have a very slow disease course that started ten to fifteen years earlier. The moment the damage becomes visible, it cannot be repaired. That is why prevention is so important.”
To the market
It is no coincidence that the campaign starts on 9 May. The kick-off coincides with the start of the Week of Care, in which prevention is central this year. Interested parties can find detailed information, tips and even a test about their brain health on the 2voordeprijsvan1.be website. A poster campaign among Flemish GPs and local actions are also part of the campaign.
For example, the regional dementia expertise center in Antwerp, together with Memory Clinic ZNA Hoge Beuken, the district of Hoboken, LOGO Antwerp and Alzheimer Liga Vlaanderen, are visiting the weekly market in Hoboken (Kioskplaats). There they hand out fruit and information brochures.
How do you keep your brain healthy?
“Brain health is much more than just completing crosswords and sudokus”, emphasizes Steyaert. “Doing this often will undoubtedly make you better at it, but your brain needs more challenge and care.
Some tips to keep your brain healthy
– Learn new things: For example, a language or playing an instrument.
– Healthy food: What’s good for your veins is also good for your brain’s blood flow.
– Don’t smoke and limit alcohol: Both have a negative effect on the health of our blood vessels.
– Staying Socially Active: Loneliness can lead to depression and eventually lead to dementia.
– Hearing problems remedy: Decreased hearing leads to fewer communicative stimuli and a higher risk of dementia.
For more tips and information, see www.2voordeprijsvan1.be
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