Brain cells die following a stroke, or a series of mini-strokes, and this can lead to vascular dementia – the second most common type of brain disease, following Alzheimer’s. How can you reduce this risk?
The NHS stated vascular dementia is “estimated to affect around 150,000 people in the UK”. Mental abilities progressively decline with the brain disease, and symptoms include:
- Slowness of thought
- Difficulty with planning and understanding
- Problems with concentration
- Changes to your mood, personality or behaviour
- Feeling disoriented and confused
- Difficulty walking and keeping balance
- Memory problems
- Language issues
Another fundamental healthy habit to cultivate is to “get plenty of exercise”.
This will help reduce blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels in the long term.
It’ll also help you to maintain a healthy weight, which just happens to be another technique to reduce your risk of stroke and vascular dementia.
If, however, you already have any of the three risky heath conditions, you can still minimise your risk of further health problems by managing them well.
The organisation also added that your overall health can benefit from staying “mentally alert”.
This may include learning new hobbies, reading, or solving crossword puzzles.
Hobbies can include gardening, astronomy, languages, exercise classes, or learning to play a new instrument or to paint – which ones pique your interest?
Another helpful tip is to “stay involved socially”. This might be a bit harder at the moment because of Covid, but online communities can help.
