Health expert names 'one of the best' way to reduce dementia risk

An expert has named “one of the best” ways to reduce the risk of developing dementia as we get older.

According to the Alzheimer's Society, around 980,000 people across the United Kingdom are thought to be living with dementia. And this figure is expected to rise to around 1.4 million by 2040.

Around 49 percent of the British public say it is the condition they fear developing the most, reports The Telegraph. And while it is most often diagnosed in people who are in their seventies, scientists say it could have started decades earlier.

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Prof Gill Livingston, the leader of the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, however says there are some things we can do to lower our risk of developing dementia. Prof Livingston says "the best way" to help your brain is by making it "more resilient" by building a "cognitive reserve".

She said: "Continuing with keeping your brain active throughout your life offers a huge protection from dementia. The complexity of your occupation makes a difference.

"People with highly complex, cognitively stimulating occupations have more protection. It's about having a mentally stimulating life."

Prof Livingston says the "cognitive reserve" is not just about sitting down and doing puzzles. She says things like learning and testing your trivia knowledge or comparing different facts also help.

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Cutting back on some unhealthy habits could also help reduce your risks of developing dementia. Prof Livingston says drinking fewer than 14 units of alcohol a week - around six pints or six medium glasses of wine - can also help.

While stopping smoking can also help your brain's longevity. The academic says having a BMI over 30 puts people at an increased risk of developing dementia, as does sustaining any traumatic brain injury.

The professor says un-treated hearing loss can also increase your risk of developing dementia, because it leads to the brain "shrinking". It is a similar issue for people who have eyesight loss but haven't kept up with their tests.

Social isolation, air pollution and high blood pressure, Prof Livingston says, are also contributing factors to increasing your dementia risk.