There is a disease that 790,000 people in Korea (as of 2019, over 65 years old) are suffering from. That’s ‘dementia’. With the rapid aging of the population, the number of dementia patients is expected to exceed 3 million by 2050.
What on earth leads us to dementia? WebMD, an American health media, summarized things that increase the possibility of dementia.
1. Aging
Of course, dementia is not a natural phenomenon that occurs with aging. However, in Korea, dementia symptoms are common among the elderly, with one in 10 people over the age of 65 suffering from dementia.
2. Heart disease
People with heart disease may worry about having a heart attack or stroke, but they should be aware that this can also lead to dementia. Heart disease usually blocks the arteries around the heart, slowing blood flow to the brain. This increases your risk of stroke and can make it difficult to think or remember things.
3. Air Pollution
A British study found that older people living in areas with the highest annual air pollution concentrations were 1.4 times more likely to develop dementia than those living in areas with cleaner air. Inhalation of invisible fine dust and nitrogen dioxide is one of the factors that cause dementia.
4. Diabetes
Diabetic patients are more likely to damage blood vessels than the general population. This can block blood flow to the brain and damage areas of the brain, leading to ‘vascular dementia’. Vascular dementia occurs when brain tissue is damaged by cerebrovascular disease.
5. Disorders of smell
Elderly people who have difficulty identifying smells are more than twice as likely to develop dementia than those who have a sensitive sense of smell.
According to a study in the United States, it was found that half of those diagnosed with dementia had experience with an olfactory disorder.
6. High Cholesterol
Cholesterol, which is closely related to obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes, has not been identified as directly related to dementia. However, most of the diseases caused by cholesterol increase the chance of getting dementia.
7. Eating habits
Studies have shown that eating processed meats such as pepperoni and ham with high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes and baked goods increases the risk of developing dementia.
In order to prevent dementia, it is better to eat vegetables together rather than carbohydrates when eating meat.
8. Head Injury
Light bumps do not lead to brain damage, but repeated blows or serious falls increase the likelihood of developing dementia over time.
9. Loneliness
One study found that people under the age of 80 who said they “feel lonely” were twice as likely to develop dementia as those who said they “don’t.”
10. Sleep Insufficient
Lack of sleep, frequent waking while sleeping, or suffering from insomnia also increase the chances of getting dementia, including Alzheimer’s.
There is also a study that found that people who slept less than 6 hours had more beta-amyloid, a toxic substance related to dementia, than those who slept more than 7 hours. [End_mark]