Cognitive decline is a normal part of aging which includes occasional forgetfulness and slower mental processing.
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is indicated by an increase in cognitive decline beyond that of normal aging. These cognitive issues will be recognised by you or those that know you well who notice: Your health practitioner will perform cognitive testing to determine if this is the case.
Some signs that may be experiencing MCI.
- Frequent forgetfulness
- Getting lost
- Difficulty with decision making
- Forgetting words
Many physiological and psychological conditions can cause MCI symptoms. These causes can be treatable and reduced if they are recognised early and treated. So it’s important you identify and seek medical treatment as soon as become aware of any symptoms.
MCI and Dementia Risk factors
Although there are no current cures for dementia there are known risk factors that can increase the risk of developing MCI and Dementia. In a study conducted by the Lancet it showed a set of risk factors impacting our potential across the lifespan. Starting at early life to later life risk factors. Although this research is not conclusive in the prevention it does show that by acting as early as possible you can reduce the risk and possibly delay the onset.
Risk areas identified in the report:
- Early life education
- Hearing loss
- Hypertension
- Brain injuries
- Alcohol consumption
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Depression
- Social isolation
- Physical activity
- Diabetes
- Air Pollution
At DFM we are focused on delivering as many products as possible that reduce risk across all know risk factors.