the NeuRA blog

By Professor Kaarin Anstey

We think about our superannuation before retirement, so why don’t we do the same with dementia? 

Almost one in 10 Australians aged over 65 have dementia, but by 85, it is one in three. It was once thought that dementia was a late-life disease that couldn’t be prevented. We now know that we can do a lot to reduce our risk.

You really have to be thinking about protecting your brain across all age groups of your life. It can be hard to think about being 80 when you are only 40, but creating an ageing well life-plan ahead of retirement will support you and your family in the years to come.

Research has shown that there are actions you can take to reduce your risk of dementia, and these need to be incorporated into your healthy living plan as early as possible.

Critically, during your 50-60s, be mindful of:

• Maintaining a healthy weight and keeping fit
• Creating a regular exercise plan
• Keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range
• Modifying your diet to include leafy greens, regular servings of fish, and a mix of fresh berries
• Stopping smoking is a MUST!

To find out more from Professor Kaarin Anstey and other world-leaders in dementia and ageing research download NeuRA’s Ageing Well Toolkit.