This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Amanda Overstreet about reducing risk of dementia. Dr. Overstreet is a geriatrician and Interim Medical Director of Geriatrics at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the Radio Studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Research is increasingly showing that there are things we can do to help reduce our risk of developing dementia. Doctor Amanda Overstreet is here to talk about the details. Doctor Overstreet is a geriatrician and Interim Medical Director of Geriatrics at MUSC. Doctor Overstreet, give us a brief summary of what the latest research shows about possibly reducing our risk of developing dementia.
Dr. Overstreet: There are several different types of dementia, and Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia are the most common types. To reduce the risk of vascular dementia, we need to control medical problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and it's also very important to stop smoking if you are someone that smokes.
Conner: And what about Alzheimer's? What can be done to try and reduce the risk of that type of dementia?
Dr. Overstreet: To reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, the evidence is a little less clear. There is consistent evidence that exercise reduces the risk and also slows progression of any cognitive impairment. There is some evidence that we should avoid using certain sedating medications long term. These are medications like benzodiazepines or sedative hypnotic medications like Ambien. Drinking little to no alcohol may also reduce the risk of developing dementia.
Conner: Tell us more details about vascular dementia and the importance of controlling medical problems. What is the connection there?
Dr. Overstreet: So conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking increase your risk of vascular disease throughout your body. Vascular disease essentially means hardening of your arteries. And so, if you can develop hardening of the arteries in your heart or in your legs, then you also develop hardening of the arteries in your brain. So even if you don't develop a frank stroke, the small blood vessels in your brain can become hardened. And this increases your risk of vascular dementia.
Conner: And what can someone do perhaps differently if they have a family history of dementia?
Dr. Overstreet: Well, you certainly can't change your family history, and that does make you predisposed and at slightly higher risk of developing dementia. But I would recommend that patients try to control any of their other risk factors. So, for example, someone should stop smoking. They should try to increase their daily exercise and control things like high blood pressure.
Conner: And when it comes to exercise, what really makes a difference? How much exercise? What are we talking about as a routine?
Dr. Overstreet: In general, the recommendation is for the average adult to get 150 minutes of exercise per week. This isn't always feasible for everyone, and so I would say that it's best to start slow and gradually increase your endurance over time. Remember that walking is actually great exercise both for your mind and body.
Conner: Doctor Overstreet, thanks for this information about reducing the risk of dementia.
Dr. Overstreet: You're welcome.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
