{"id":9898,"date":"2024-01-23T22:04:57","date_gmt":"2024-01-23T15:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9898"},"modified":"2024-01-23T22:04:57","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T15:04:57","slug":"doctors-tips-if-you-have-a-family-history-of-dementia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9898","title":{"rendered":"Doctors&#8217; Tips if You Have a Family History of Dementia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">A<\/span>ny relationship with a new doctor begins with a dive into your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/family-health-history-kidney-disease\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/family-health-history-kidney-disease\/\">family health history<\/a>. After all, having a close relative with a certain condition can sometimes mean you&#8217;re more likely to have it yourself someday\u2014including dementia.<\/div>\n<p id=\"co197\">A family history of dementia is a risk factor for developing it yourself, according to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/dementia\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20352013\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/dementia\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20352013\">Mayo Clinic<\/a>. With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/living-with-alzheimers\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/living-with-alzheimers\/\">Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a>, for instance, even having an extended relative (like a cousin) with the disease is linked to an increase in your own risk, according to an April 2019 study in\u00a0<i><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30867271\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" class=\"no-underline citation\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30867271\/\"><span>Neurology<\/span><sup>1<\/sup><\/a><\/i><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p id=\"co198\">But if dementia&#8217;s floating around in your gene pool, keep in mind this is just <i>one<\/i> risk factor. Even if you have a family history, you may never have dementia symptoms. And on the other hand, people with zero family history could still develop the condition, per the Mayo Clinic.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\">\n<hr\/>\n<div class=\"experts-in-article noskim py-[24px] px-[40px]\">\n<p>Experts In This Article<\/p>\n<ul class=\"!ml-[18px]\">\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dralexamieses.com\/about\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.dralexamieses.com\/about\">Alexa Mieses Malchuk, MD, MPH<\/a>, a board-certified family medicine physician and District Medical Director at One Medical in North Carolina <\/li>\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.utmb.edu\/fammed\/about-us\/biographies\/samuel-mathis\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.utmb.edu\/fammed\/about-us\/biographies\/samuel-mathis\/\">Samuel Mathis, MD<\/a>, a board-certified family medicine doctor and assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch <\/li>\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/divesh-goel-ab8a3b15b\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/divesh-goel-ab8a3b15b\/\">Divesh Goel, MD<\/a>, board-certified family medicine doctor <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<hr\/><\/div>\n<p id=\"co199\">Think of it this way: Eating saturated fats increases your risk for heart disease\u2014but we\u2019ve all heard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/longevity-tips-from-centenarian\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/longevity-tips-from-centenarian\/\">stories of centenarians<\/a> who habitually begin their day with several slices of bacon for breakfast.<\/p>\n<p>We know we can&#8217;t change our genes (not yet, anyway), but many people want to know what they <em>can<\/em> do to lower their risk of dementia if it runs in their family\u2014we know because we polled our readers about their biggest health questions for our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/real-talk-rx\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/real-talk-rx\/\">Real Talk Rx series<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what our panel of doctors had to say.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"co204\">What should I do if dementia runs in my family?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1150731 js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"Alexa Mieses Malchuk, MD, headshot banner\" width=\"1170\" height=\"195\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Expert-Banner_Alexa-Mieses-Malchuk-MD_falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"co260\">&#8220;The most important thing anybody with a dementia risk can do is develop a relationship with a family medicine physician early on. A family medicine physician provides primary care and takes care of you throughout your whole lifespan. In some instances, we\u2019re taking care of entire families. So I might know your parent or grandparent who has dementia and be able to give you really personalized advice.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline text-h5 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/family-history-of-dementia\/\" current-title=\"You Can\u2019t Change Your Genes, So What *Can* You Do if Dementia Runs in Your Family?\" current-image=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/RealTalkRx_Editorial_What-Should-You-Do-if-Dementia-Runs-in-Your-Family-3-425x285_418x278_true_70.webp\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-07-23\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/family-history-of-dementia\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/family-history-of-dementia\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img decoding=\"async\" :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/family-history-of-dementia\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\" class=\" js-inline-lazy-load\" src=\"\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p id=\"co261\">Once you have that relationship, let your doctor know about your family history. That way they can get into a more nuanced discussion with you about how to protect your brain health and when additional testing might be necessary.<\/p>\n<p id=\"co262\">General wellness habits are the best way to protect your brain. That includes setting a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/consistent-sleep-schedule\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/consistent-sleep-schedule\/\">regular sleep schedule<\/a>\u2014even on the weekend, as tempting as it is to\u00a0sleep in, try to set the same bedtime and same wake-up time every day. Make sure you\u2019re getting a\u00a0sufficient amount of sleep. That\u2019s different from one person to another, but in general it\u2019s six to eight hours.<\/p>\n<p id=\"co263\">In addition to the sleep, you want to make sure you\u2019re eating nutritious foods, and eating a variety of foods, so you know you&#8217;re getting enough nutrients.<\/p>\n<p id=\"co264\">And you want to be physically active. That doesn\u2019t mean you have to run a marathon, but maybe 30 minutes of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/walking-improve-brain-health\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/walking-improve-brain-health\/\">walking outside<\/a> a day. It\u2019s not only good for your brain, your heart, and your bones, but it\u2019s also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/productivity-benefits-walking\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/productivity-benefits-walking\/\">good for your mental health<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"co265\">Finally, you also want to make sure you keep your brain engaged. So you want to engage with people socially and maintain your social networks. And you may want to pick up a hobby that challenges you to think. So maybe that\u2019s doing puzzles, woodworking \u2026 look for things that are in some way challenging your mental capabilities as well as your physical capabilities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Aim to do something new all the time, no matter what age you are.&#8221; \u2014Divesh Goel, MD<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"co256\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1150725 js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"Samuel Mathis, MD, headshot banner\" width=\"1170\" height=\"195\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Expert-Banner_Samuel-Mathis-MD__falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"co257\">&#8220;The best thing you can do if you\u2019re concerned about getting dementia is twofold. Number one, follow the food rules. Try to cut out high-sugar,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-processed-foods-to-avoid\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-processed-foods-to-avoid\/\">highly processed foods<\/a> [think: pastries, desserts, sweetened drinks] that are known to be inflammatory and can negatively affect the body and the brain.<\/p>\n<p id=\"co258\">The second thing that can be very effective to slow down or keep you from developing dementia is to actively work and engage your brain. And that is through either reading or regular interactions and conversations with friends and family members, learning skills, doing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/exercises-for-the-brain\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/exercises-for-the-brain\/\">brain games<\/a>\u2014things that challenge you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"co266\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1150733 js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"Divesh Goel, MD, headshot banner\" width=\"1170\" height=\"195\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Expert-Banner_Divesh-Goel-MD__falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"co267\">&#8220;It really depends. If a lot of people in your family are below the age of 65 and they&#8217;re getting dementia, then I think you could talk to your primary care doctor, and they may like to send you to a specialist for some genetic testing. But it&#8217;s really reserved for a very small sliver of the population.<\/p>\n<p id=\"co268\">Good mental hygiene is what&#8217;s going to prevent dementia for most people if they&#8217;re healthy already, such as physical and mental exercise, which means doing new cognitive tasks. [Aim] to do something new all the time, no matter what age you are. That&#8217;s a challenge: I think we&#8217;re averse to new tasks, especially when we&#8217;re older, because we&#8217;re set in our ways.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind, family members with dementia may have developed it for a whole slew of reasons, such as vascular risk factors, and that doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean you&#8217;ll develop it too.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>The takeaway<\/h2>\n<p id=\"co200\">There\u2019s nothing you can do to change your genetic makeup, but there are many other dementia risk factors\u2014such as your activity level, alcohol intake, and social interactions, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/dementia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/dementia\">World Health Organization<\/a>\u2014that are more within your control.<\/p>\n<p>Research on dementia is still evolving, so there\u2019s no known preventive tactic that can definitely prevent the disease, per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alzheimers.gov\/life-with-dementia\/can-i-prevent-dementia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.alzheimers.gov\/life-with-dementia\/can-i-prevent-dementia\">Alzheimers.gov<\/a>. But anyone can make certain lifestyle adjustments that look promising when it comes to reducing dementia risk, regardless of their family history. These adjustments include the following, according to Alzheimers.gov:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"co202\">\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Eat a healthy diet<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Control high blood pressure and\u00a0manage blood sugar levels<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Maintain a healthy weight<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Avoid smoking<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Reduce alcohol intake<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Stay physically and mentally active<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Treat hearing loss<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Get enough sleep<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Keep up with friendships<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In the end, everyone should take steps to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-keep-your-brain-healthy\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-keep-your-brain-healthy\/\">protect their brain health<\/a>, whether or not they have a family history of dementia. Many of the same habits recommended for overall health and aging well\u2014such as eating nutritious foods, being physically active, and safeguarding your sleep\u2014are also good for your cognitive health.<\/p>\n<p>Our experts also recommend actively engaging your brain. That means prioritizing social interactions as well as doing new things that require your brain to stretch, like learning a new language or picking up a new hobby.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u200cConfused about your health? Get answers to more common questions in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/real-talk-rx\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/real-talk-rx\/\">Real Talk Rx series<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"block-thin post-citations mt-[40px] mb-[30px]\" data-module-init=\"main-2020\/post-citations\" data-module-immediate=\"true\">\n<hr class=\"!border-seafoam-dark mb-[24px]\"\/>\n<div class=\"post-citations-content flex flex-col gap-[24px]\">\n<p>Well+Good articles reference scientific, reliable, recent, robust studies to back up the information we share. You can trust us along your wellness journey.<\/p>\n<div>\n<ol class=\"!ml-[18px] !mt-0\">\n<li>\n              Cannon-Albright LA, Foster NL, Schliep K, Farnham JM, Teerlink CC, Kaddas H, Tschanz J, Corcoran C, Kauwe JSK. Relative risk for Alzheimer disease based on complete family history. Neurology. 2019 Apr 9;92(15):e1745-e1753. doi: 10.1212\/WNL.0000000000007231. Epub 2019 Mar 13. PMID: 30867271; PMCID: PMC6511086.            <\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr class=\"!border-seafoam-dark mt-[24px]\"\/>\n  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Any relationship with a new doctor begins with a dive into your family health history. After all, having a close relative with a certain condition can sometimes mean you&#8217;re more likely to have it yourself someday\u2014including dementia. A family history of dementia is a risk factor for developing it yourself, according to the\u00a0Mayo Clinic. With &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}