Dementia accounted for the deaths of nearly 17,400 Australians in 2023, or 9.5% of all deaths, exceeding the number of deaths from coronary heart disease for the first time, according to new data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
The degenerative condition mostly affects older people. This year, the theme of Dementia Action Week (15-21 Sept) is “nobody can do it alone”.
What is dementia?
Dementia is not a single disease; it is an umbrella term used to describe a whole group of different neurological symptoms that can be caused by a number of conditions.
There are many types of dementia, often involving memory loss, but it can also affect speech, cognition, emotional control, behaviour and the ability to move.
Alzheimer’s disease, a degenerative brain disease caused by nerve cell death, is the most common form of dementia. It is World Alzheimer’s Day on Sunday.
What causes dementia?
While scientists don’t know exactly why people get dementia, the latest research has found that it has something to do with damage to the nerve cells in the brain.
“Your brain, like every other part of your body, is made up of billions of cells called neurons, and they’re all connected to each other in networks,” said neurologist and Alzheimer’s disease expert Dr Emma Devenney.
The brain can be understood as a massive, interconnected network – a bit like a city’s road system. Instead of cars, tiny specialised messengers (neurons) are constantly communicating with each other.
For every function we perform, like remembering a fact or speaking a word, there is a specific network of these neurons working together that stretches across our entire brain.
Researchers believe dementia starts when something disrupts this network.
“The million-dollar question is, what is the very first thing that happens?” Dr Devenney said.
“There are lots of theories around. For some people, they have a genetic risk, so something about those nerve cells are more vulnerable.
“For other people, there may be a whole host of reasons – environmental, epigenetic, etc – but something happens, be that inflammation, be that some other process, that causes damage within these nerve cells.”
There is no cure for dementia but….
The risk of developing dementia can be significantly reduced by living a healthy lifestyle, getting plenty of regular exercise and eating a Mediterranean diet of fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, oily fish and nuts. Avoiding alcohol, avoiding smoking and keeping a healthy weight is also important, as is keeping the brain active as you get older.
Other ways to reduce risk include treating hearing and vision problems and staying connected to friends and family.
What can you do
The best thing to help protect the older people in your life from dementia is to spend time with them. Social connection and happiness are both very important for good brain health and your ageing loved ones will benefit simply from being around you. And while you are with them, why not give them a few reminders?
Encourage exercise – a healthy heart leads to a healthy brain, thanks to better circulation through the brain’s blood vessels
Play brain games – challenging yourself mentally is important, so play games like Chess and Scrabble with them and give them crosswords and puzzles to complete
Check hearing – remind them that staying on top of hearing loss is important for brain health and they should get tested every two years after they turn 50
Book a ‘brain day’ – remind them to schedule a yearly brain health check with their GP. Get them to choose a date that is easy to remember like a birthday. Keeping on top of blood sugar levels and LDL cholesterol is also important to prevent against dementia
Pay attention – there are some common signs like confusion, repeating the same stories, losing things more often and bathing and changing frequency, so if you think you have a grandparent or parent showing any of these symptoms, you could speak to a trusted family member about your concerns
Please be patient and kind – dementia can be very frustrating for the whole family but just try and imagine how scary it must be for the person who has it. Being patient, listening and not disagreeing with or contradicting your loved one who is living with dementia can really help and comfort them.