How To Prevent Dementia - Dementia

How To Prevent Dementia

Good personal health habits and medical care can prevent some types of dementia, but most causes of dementia cannot be prevented. However, research in this area is very active, and new approaches to prevent the most common causes of dementia are being sought.

Until research produces more specific findings, here are some suggestions on how to protect against dementia resulting from specific causes:

Cause Of Dementia
Preventive Measures

Multi-infarct dementia
Monitor and control your blood pressure.
Exercise daily.
Eat a healthy diet containing plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Consider taking a baby aspirin daily.

Head trauma
Use helmets and other protective equipment.
Always use seat belts.

Alcohol
Limit your alcohol intake.

Infection (for example, syphilis)
Avoid high-risk sexual behavior.

Vitamin deficiency
Your doctor can do a blood test to check your vitamin B12 level.

Hormone deficiency
Ask your health-care provider to test your thyroid function.

Be smart. Keeping your mind active and your body fit may help stave off memory loss or prevent mental decline. A good education and continual mental challenge can help protect the brain by building up neurologic connections. Any brain injury is then less likely to cause devastating functional loss.

Last updated November 07, 2012

Printer-friendly format

Cause Of Dementia	Preventive Measures
Multi-infarct dementia	Monitor and control your blood pressure. Exercise daily. Eat a healthy diet containing plenty of fruits and vegetables. Consider taking a baby aspirin daily.
Head trauma	Use helmets and other protective equipment. Always use seat belts.
Alcohol	Limit your alcohol intake.
Infection (for example, syphilis)	Avoid high-risk sexual behavior.
Vitamin deficiency	Your doctor can do a blood test to check your vitamin B12 level.
Hormone deficiency	Ask your health-care provider to test your thyroid function.