Highly educated unlikely to get dementia: expert

Express News Service

Chennai:

People who are highly educated are less prone to get dementia than those who lack education, according to an expert.

Delivering the Twenty sixth K Gopalkrishna Endowment Oration here on Saturday, Professor of psychiatry, nuerology and epidemiology at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, Mary Ganguli said if one has a higher level of education, then the person is less likely to get dementia.

She said education can help in the growth of tissue that can stimulate the brain.

However, Prof Mary says the most vulnerable are those who have cardio vascular diseases and high body mass index in the middle age besides high blood pressure and high cholestrol. “brain health depends on heart health,” said the professor.

Interestingly, if one keeps occupied reading books, the person can get a protective effect against dementia than the person who watches television.

The professor said that there is no cure for Alzheimer or dementia. She said the stem cell therapy has been tried in animals and it was successful but when it comes to humans it has failed while advocating the need to protect oneself.

She said the old people are vulnerable to Alzheimer and dementia and no when knows when it will affect you. “the pathology in brain that causes the disease start long before we get the disease,” the professor said.

She also highlighted the challenges faced by doctors as each generation has been exposed to different risk and protective factors.

She said that sports as well as aerobics are good to counter dementia besides eating fruits and vegetables, fish and even having moderate alcohol.

Prof Mary said those who suspect they have dementia or alzhiemer should contact the doctor and should have patience with the tests being conducted by the doctor so that one could know the exact level of cognition or disease.