There’s been a lot of news around dementia this month with studies being released into new approaches through lifestyle, diet and a former diabetes drug.

At Vytality at Home, we provide home care for many clients who are living with a diagnosis of dementia, helping them and their family caregivers live longer in their own homes. So we are always keen to read about the latest research and thinking around dementia, Alzheimer’s, cognitive decline and memory loss.

“Dementia doesn’t have to be your destiny”

We loved the title of this article before we even read it! According to MSN, researchers at the University of Western Ontario schools of dentistry and medicine found about 50% of dementia cases in Canada can be influenced by 12 lifestyle factors.

The article highlights four “low-cost” actions that Dr. Manuel Montero-Odassa, co-author of the paper, considers top of the list.

• Going outside for a walk
• Keeping moving generally
• Having your hearing tested
• Keeping your blood pressure at healthy levels

As Dr Montero-Odassa says:

“Dementia doesn’t have to be your destiny, even if that’s part of your genetic story. Our result show almost everyone can change their risk factors and improve their cognitive resilience.”

Ditch the hot dogs

A new study from Mass General Brigham research hospital in Boston USA suggested that the more processed red meat the study group ate, the greater their chances were of developing dementia.

The study found that:

• Daily consumption of certain amounts of processed red meats increased dementia risk by 13%

and

• This tied to a 14% higher risk of developing subjective cognitive decline and faster brain aging.

The researchers were keen to stress that it was processed and ultraprocessed meat in particular that carried the most ris., According to Yahoo News:

“The increased risk was seen in people who ate at least one-quarter of a serving of processed meats per day, according to the research article. This equates to around one hot dog, two slices of bacon, or one and a half slices of bologna.”

The chemicals added to popular processed red meats such as bacon and ham could increase the risk of dementia due to neuroinflammation. Equally, eating too much ultraprocessed foods have been linked with various health issues including heart disease, weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes and cognitive decline.

According to research presented at a recent Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago conference:

“More than 20% of daily intake of ultraprocessed foods led to a 28% faster decline in global cognitive scores, including memory and verbal fluency.”

The good news is that just by removing one serving of processed red meat per day and replacing it with a serving of fish could reduce the risk by a massive 28%.

Weight loss drugs and reduced dementia risks

Weight loss drugs are very much in the news at the moment, but in a surprising twist, one of them may help fight dementia. Ozempic can be prescribed in Canada to treat diabetes, but a recent study suggests that the class of medications it belongs to – GLP-1 agonists – may have other health benefits. These type of drugs help curb people’s appetite and cravings for food, and slow the digestion down.

According to a study published in the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association:

“Semaglutide, the scientific name of Ozempic, was associated with a 40% to 70% lower risk of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis over three years compared with other diabetes treatments such as insulin, metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors, and older GLP-1 drugs.”

GLP-1 agonists may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, as there is a link between inflammation of the brain and Alzheimer’s. However, researchers were quick to highlight negative effects that can include an increase in arthritic joint pain, vomiting, low blood pressure, pancreatitis and kidney inflammation.

Empathetic home care for Calgary residents with dementia

If you need help at home as a result of a diagnosis of dementia for yourself or a loved one, call us. We are passionate about improving home dementia care across Calgary and beyond. We offer an in-home consultation and we create a unique personalized dementia care plan for every new client with a diagnosis.

So we can help you and your loved one too.

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