The 4 pillars of frailty: defence against dementia?

Introduction

Doing what you can to keep strong and healthy could reduce your chances of developing dementia in later years, a new research project has found.

Researchers at the University of Queensland have identified links between frailty in older people and the onset of dementia. Their findings suggest that investing time and energy in maintaining your health, physical strength and mobility will pay you back more than you might think.

In a report on ABC News, Dr David Ward and his team outlined ‘4 pillars of prevention’ to slow the progress of frailty:

• good nutrition — as people get older, their protein requirements increase, so getting adequate protein is vital for maintaining muscle mass and strength

• exercise — all exercise is good, but in terms of preventing frailty, strength-based exercises are the most beneficial

• appropriate medications — any changes to medications should only be made in close consultation with your doctor, but medications that help to control things like chronic conditions should be optimised

• good social connection — having a strong social network to provide emotional support is vital to maintaining healthy brain function

Dr Ward’s team analysed data from studies of 30,000 people in the UK and US and found that a patient’s risk of developing dementia increased by 40% for every 4 to 5 health problems they acquired.

‘To put it simply,’ said Dr Ward, ‘those who maintained better health and function across their mid and later life were more likely to preserve their brain health and prevent dementia.’

Just over 410,000 Australians are living with dementia, a figure predicted to double by the 2050s.

Read the ABC report here

Unsure whether you’re eating well for maintaining health? Read our articles about eating well in your 60s, 70s and beyond and how to know whether you’re eating enough

Exercise isn’t only for the young. Read more about strength-based exercise for over-60s