• Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Body
  • Mind
  • Social
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Dr. Michael Hunter's Wellness

What You Need to Know to Optimize Your Health

  • Body
  • Mind
  • Social
You are here: Home / Wellness / Three Brain Hacks to Outsmart Dementia
funky man with headphones making hearing gesture

Three Brain Hacks to Outsmart Dementia

July 21, 2024 · In: aging, Alzheimers, dementia, exercise, fitness, Wellness

Today, I will share three brain hacks to outsmart dementia.

I am increasingly focused on optimizing my lifestyle.

Not just for looking better.

But for physical and mental well-being going forward.

But can my habits lower my risk of suffering from dementia?

The answer may surprise you.

A person walks as the sun rises in the background. Exercise is assocaited with a lower risk of dementia, inluding Alzheimer’s disease.
Photo by NEOM on Unsplash

While no actions guarantee you will dodge dementia, a healthy lifestyle can significantly lower your dementia risk, especially if you establish a routine in mid-life.

Today, I review three potential dementia risk-reducing maneuvers that you should consider.

1. Three Brain Hacks to Outsmart Dementia: Move

Anyone following my writing would know I would put physical activity first.

I do two forms of physical activity to optimize my heart and circulation, weight, and mental well-being.

Aerobic and strength-building activities are central to keeping me fit.

Doing a combination of aerobic and resistance activities lowers my risk of suffering from dementia.

Exercise & Dementia: Evidence

A comprehensive analysis of 16 studies revealed a significant link between regular exercise and reduced dementia risk. 

Exercise drops dementia risk by a relative 45 percent and Alzheimer’s disease risk by 28 percent.

The research indicates that consistent physical activity can lower the overall risk of dementia by approximately one-quarter (28 percent). 

Even more promising, the analysis found that regular exercise can specifically reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, by an impressive 45 percent.

Finally, several studies on the effect of aerobic exercise (exercise that raises your heart rate) in middle-aged or older adults have also found improvements in memory and thinking.

2. Three Brain Hacks to Outsmart Dementia: Avoid High Blood Pressure

To some degree, heart health is brain health.

I used to have borderline high blood pressure.

I also know that high blood pressure increases my risk of developing dementia, especially if it occurs in mid-life (40 to 65 years old).

A blood pressure monitor. High blood pressure is associated with a higher dementia risk.
Photo by Mockup Graphics on Unsplash

My strategy?

  • Exercise
  • A balanced diet low in added salt
  • Avoiding smoking
  • Not drinking excessively
  • Tracking my blood pressure regularly

I bought a blood pressure monitor.

Here’s why: High blood pressure, often called the “silent killer,” can develop and progress without noticeable symptoms. 

Knowing my numbers is the first step towards managing this condition and preventing potentially serious health complications.

High Blood Pressure & Dementia: Mechanisms

Alzheimer’s Society explains that high blood pressure inflicts damage on the brain in several ways, often starting with arteriosclerosis.

High blood pressure and the risk of dementia
People with persistent high blood pressure are more likely to develop dementia. Taking medication to lower blood…www.alzheimers.org.uk

This condition thickens and stiffens artery walls due to the persistent strain of elevated blood pressure. 

Simultaneously, fats in the bloodstream contribute to narrowing the arteries, which can also occur in the brain. 

Blood vessels (arteries and veins), as visualized microscopically. Alzheimer’s Society explains that high blood pressure inflicts damage on the brain in several ways, often starting with arteriosclerosis.
Photo by FlyD on Unsplash

This reduced blood flow deprives brain cells of vital nutrients and oxygen, hindering their proper function and potentially leading to cognitive decline and other neurological problems.

High Blood Pressure & Dementia: Evidence

A groundbreaking four-year study conducted in rural China demonstrated the significant impact of blood pressure management on dementia risk. 

Trained village doctors, acting as interventionists, implemented a simple treatment protocol involving antihypertensive medications and lifestyle coaching. 

This targeted approach successfully reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 22 mmHg. It lowered the overall dementia risk by just over one-sixth (15 percent) in individuals with high blood pressure. 

By offering affordable medication and empowering patients with knowledge about lifestyle modifications, home blood pressure monitoring, and medication adherence, this program effectively tackled hypertension and its associated dementia risk.

3. Three Brain Hacks to Outsmart Dementia: Watch Your Hearing

If you start having trouble hearing in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, it could be a sign that you’re more likely to develop dementia later in life. 

Hearing loss itself might be an early symptom of dementia.

A man wears hearing aids. Hearing loss itself might be an early symptom of dementia.
Photo by Mark Paton on Unsplash

It’s normal for our hearing to fade as we age, but sometimes, it happens so gradually that we don’t even notice it. 

That’s why it’s important to get your hearing checked regularly.

The good news is that wearing hearing aids might help. Research shows that using hearing aids can lower dementia risk, making it about the same as that of someone with normal hearing.

But don’t panic if you do have hearing loss — it doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get dementia. 

It’s just one of the things that can increase your risk, kind of like how smoking increases your risk of lung cancer.

Hearing Loss & Dementia: Evidence

A landmark 2020 report from the Lancet Commission identified hearing loss as a major risk factor for dementia.

Individuals with impaired hearing face an increased likelihood of developing dementia.

Johns Hopkins is leading a National Institute on Aging study to see if hearing aids can protect seniors’ mental processes.

Beer from the tap. Alcohol consumption is assocaited with a higher risk of rementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Photo by Gonzalo Remy on Unsplash

The report also offered this provocative observation:

Modifying 12 risk factors might prevent or delay up to 40 percent of dementias.

https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext

Final Thoughts – Three Brain Hacks to Outsmart Dementia

A healthy lifestyle can significantly drop my dementia risk, especially given I have adopted them in mid-life.

I know that I cannot eliminate my dementia risk. 

Still, by incorporating physical activity, avoiding high blood pressure, and monitoring my hearing, I hope to minimize my chances of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia forms.

Of course, everyone’s profile is different.

And I know that some lifestyle changes may be easier than others.

Get an email whenever Dr. Michael Hunter publishes.
drmichaelhunter.medium.com.

Thank you for reading “Three Brain Hacks to Outsmart Dementia.”

Outsmarting Alzheimer’s

By: Dr. Michael Hunter · In: aging, Alzheimers, dementia, exercise, fitness, Wellness · Tagged: Alzheimer's risk factors, exercise, exercise and dementia risk, fitness, fitness and health, health, hearing loss and dementia, lifestyle, lifestyle and dementia, wellness

you’ll also love

Animated image of a man with glasses intently reading the nutrition label on a food package listing ingredients such as modified starch, maltodextrin, and xanthan gum.The Silent Killer in Your Gut
The Lie at the Heart of Wellness Culture
Four young women stand and laugh. Breast cancer mortality has dramatically improved among young women.The Young Women Beating Breast Cancer

Join the List

Stay up to date & receive the latest posts in your inbox.

Next Post >

How AI Will Impact Rural Healthcare

Primary Sidebar

Meet Dr. Hunter

Meet Dr. Hunter

Your go-to source for all things wellness. I am Michael Hunter. I practice radiation oncology in the Seattle area and have a particular interest in health. I am delighted that you have joined me here. Thank you.

Read More

Connect

join the list

Featured Posts

women looking at cellphone

Longevity: Role for Elders

black cassette tape on top of red and yellow surface

Music and Your Brain: How Music Helps with Mental Health

couple smiling while looking at each other

Sticking With Your Workout Routine

Categories

  • Body
  • Mind
  • Social

Search

Archives

Follow Along

@michaelhuntermd

thebreastcancerdoctor

#Stanford2021 #tyhunter #Stanford2021 #tyhunter
#stanforduniversity #graduation #tyhunter #stanforduniversity #graduation #tyhunter
Hope you too are having a joy-filled weekend! Hope you too are having a joy-filled weekend!
Seattle almost-summer day #hiking #rattlesnakeledg Seattle almost-summer day #hiking #rattlesnakeledge #seattle
I hope you have a joy-filled 2021! I hope you have a joy-filled 2021!
Breathing out of 2020 and into 2021. #hawaii #hiki Breathing out of 2020 and into 2021. #hawaii #hiking #awe #mindfulness
Instagram post 18137289235185551 Instagram post 18137289235185551
Instagram post 17851535831416158 Instagram post 17851535831416158
Instagram post 17889383257655934 Instagram post 17889383257655934
Ah... Ah...
Instagram post 17850799412251973 Instagram post 17850799412251973
www.newcancerinfo.com www.newcancerinfo.com
Exciting new research results... Exciting new research results...
#moma #manhattan #travelphotography #museumofmoder #moma #manhattan #travelphotography #museumofmodernart #cancerdoctor #barnard #newyork #newyorkcity #photography #leicaphotography #blackandwhitephotography #photographylovers #photooftheday
3 ways to lower your colon cancer risk #cancer#col 3 ways to lower your colon cancer risk #cancer#coloncancer#dietandcancer#rectalcancer#wellness#lifestyle
Love the early morning Pike Place Market. Peaceful Love the early morning Pike Place Market. Peaceful, as it opens.
#seattle#spaceneedle#pikeplacemarket#pacificnorthw #seattle#spaceneedle#pikeplacemarket#pacificnorthwest#travelphotography#leicaphotography
#finnriver #finnrivercider #finnriverfarm #PortTow #finnriver #finnrivercider #finnriverfarm #PortTownsend  #olympicpeninsula #BainbridgeIsland #seattlephotographer #travelphotography #cider  #appleciderfestival
#finnriver#olympicpeninsula #porttownsend #seattle #finnriver#olympicpeninsula #porttownsend #seattle #seattlelife #thingstodoinseattle #ciderfestival #ciderhouse #bainbridgeisland
#prostatecancer #cancer#prostate#cancer #wellness #prostatecancer #cancer#prostate#cancer #wellness #prostatecancerawareness #prostateexam #prostatecancerawarenessmonth #menshealth
Follow on Instagram

Footer

On the Blog

  • Body
  • Mind
  • Social

Info

  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact

stay in the know

Copyright © 2025 · Theme by 17th Avenue