As many as 5 million Americans age 65 and older may have Alzheimer’s Disease. That number is supposed to double every 5 years. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, but there are more. Here are 3 things that surprisingly raise your dementia risk.
3 Things That Surprisingly Raise Your Dementia Risk
1. Anticholinergics Drugs
A recent study published in JAMA Neurology found that a class of drugs call anticholinergics is tied to poorer cognition. Along with changes in the brain’s structure and function.
What kind of drugs are these? They are over the counter sleep aids, sedating allergy meds like Benadryl, and sedating pain meds like Tylenol PM.
There’s also prescriptions medications like antidepressants and urinary incontinence treatments.
The idea is that these drugs block the ability of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to act with the receptors. The study did notice that when people went off of these medications, they return to normal risk levels.
The study didn’t look at the amount each participant took. They did notice a risk increase when someone took 2 or more of these drugs. We will have to wait for more info before we get too worried.
2. Lack of Vitamin D
Researchers found that older adults with starting blood levels of vitamin D that were below 20 ng/ml had an increase risk of cognitive decline in:
- Episodic memory—memory of past autobiographical events
- Semantic memory—memory of specific learned facts or general knowledge
- Visuospatial ability—the ability to orient objects in the space around you, like depth perception and being able to find your way home
- Executive function—reasoning, problem solving, planning, and following directions
It’s not sure yet if vitamin D supplements will slow or prevent cognitive decline. You can try supplements to increase your levels.
You can also try more natural ways like eating fatty fish, food fortified with vitamin D, beef liver, cod liver oil, swiss cheese, and egg yolks.
3. Heartburn Meds
Heartburn medications with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most commonly used drugs worldwide. A German study has found a possible link between older adults with dementia and PPIs. PPIs are like Prilosec and Prevacid.
The study suggests that avoiding PPI medications may prevent the development of dementia. But, we don’t know enough about the relationship to say that PPIs lead to dementia.
Read more here.