Completely Controllable Risk Factors (Part II – Read part 1 )

4. Smoking: Type in the words “twins smoking study” in any search engine and you’ll likely see photo comparisons of twins. It’s almost like a before-after comparison of the same person in their younger years and older years. There’s a reason why the smoking twin looks older – smoking ages a person. And aging, really, is simply a deterioration of genes. If aging “eggs on” the onset of dementia, what better reason than to quit smoking as a means to prevent brain degeneration? (Don’t worry so much about having smoked for decades; the minute one stops smoking, the brain experiences a decreased risk of unhealthy blood vessels. Healthy blood vessels in the brain is the key to staving off dementia.)

5. Depression: Ever notice how chronically depressed people seem to always have physical complaints like fatigue and susceptibility to colds/flus, as well as an aversion to social gatherings? In a case of chicken-or-the-egg dilemma, the brain that is programmed to be sad will then cause itself to remain sad, which then causes a domino-effect of unhealthy conditions. Of course some people have legitimate reasons to be clinically depressed, and it’s entirely normal to feel sad from time to time – but the willful decision to become and remain dejected all the time means the brain is being suppressed from its full potential. That’s essentially inviting in dementia. Learn to reprogram the brain and prevent dementia by seeking out gratitude and pursuing enjoyment of life.

6. Cognitive inactivity: The brain, aside from its physical state, is a mental muscle. Just like any other muscle, then, it needs exercise to stay in good condition. Anything that causes the brain to concentrate and solve problems is fair game: jigsaw puzzles, word/math puzzles, reading, creating a work of art, etc. The key is to acquire new information or use existing information to accomplish a new task.

7. Physical inactivity: The brain is a complex network of specialized cells and chemicals, but it is also simply a railroad of blood vessels. The healthy delivery of blood (and therefore oxygen) to the brain is directly related to the amount of physical activity of the body. Even mild activity (such as walking) can increase brain volume because the increase blood flow causes positive chemical changes in the brain.

Bonus: Socialization is a booster for any of these risk factors because it motivates us in ways we might find difficult when it’s just ourselves. For example, it’s easier to quit smoking when there is a friend who is also quitting; it’s more fun to walk around the neighborhood when chatting with a friend than plodding along alone.