Dementia in Elderly Women: An Issue That Goes Unnoticed

Dementia is one of the leading causes of poor quality of life worldwide. It is an umbrella term used to describe symptoms such as declining memory, cognitive skills, reasoning and thinking quotient. Almost 60-80% of all cases of dementia are caused by Alzheimer’s Disease.

The cases of Dementia are growing every year and is expected to affect almost 130 million global population by 2050. And for many to surprise, the cases are disproportionately higher in women. And still it is not talked about in Women’s Health as much as Breast Cancer which affects equal number of patients every year.

As per the Alzheimer’s Research group in the UK, the risk of developing dementia in women above 60 years is twice as likely as breast cancer. Out of 8,50,000 patients of dementia in UK, 5 lac plus are women. The risk doubles every 5 years after the age of 65.

Although there are many contributors for this higher risk in women, age is one of the most important reasons. Women tend to live longer than men and hence, they live with dementia during their elderly years. The physical workout ratio, changes in the blood pressure and hormonal reasons (estrogen) are also some of the contributing factors in this increased risk in women. One more reason is their role as a caregiver. In most of the low and middle income group nations, almost 90% of the professional and family caregivers for dementia patients are females. They get less support during this time and this isolation is one of the major risk factors leading to decline in their memory and thinking skills.

The aim is to promote Brain Health amongst women and spread awareness regarding dementia in the pink gender. Although there is no cure for this disease yet, some basic lifestyle changes can help lower the chances of developing this disease in women.

1. Healthy DietA balanced diet full of fiber, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein is known to be anti-oxidative and helps in promoting brain health.
2. ExerciseA regular exercise routine of 30 minutes of walk atleast 5 times a week is known to help in blood circulation and prevents cognitive impairment.
3. Obesityall the researchers have found a direct link between hip/waist ratio to dementia. With a healthy lifestyle, especially post pregnancy, women should maintain a normal body weight ti reduce their chances of developing dementia.
4. SubstancesSmoking and excessive alcohol consumption is linked with deteriorating brain health.
5. SleepChronic sleep deprivation is known to cause higher risk of developing dementia and other illnesses. Women must try to achieve 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night.
6. Regular health checkupsIt is known that women are not compliant with their own preventive health check ups. One research even showed that women are 46% less proactive about their own health check up as compared to taking care of their partner / family members. Every woman must see their doctor once a year to rule out any medical condition.

It is imperative to spread awareness on dementia in women, since most of these cases go undiagnosed and when later diagnosed, they are in an advanced state. We must work on strengthening home based care for dementia patients since 52% of the caregivers are family members (and most of them are women) who need physical, psychological and emotional support during this phase. Training the caregivers and involving professional staff helps in releiving the stress of the family members and improve the overall quality of life.