World Brain Day: Tips to keep you healthy and avoid disease

Like every Friday, July 22, we celebrate the world brain day. And this year, under the motto brain health for all The aim is to raise awareness about the importance of brain health, the most complex organ of the human being, and to educate about the prevention of neurological diseases.

According to figures from the (SEN), we are talking about diseases that are highly prevalent.

So much so that one in three people in the world is affected by a neurological disorder. And in consequence It is the first cause of disability and the second of mortality.

How do you explain to him? doctor Jose Miguel Lainezpresident of the SEN,:

• “The population has a very low awareness of neurological diseases, despite affecting more than 15% of people.”

In Spain, this type of pathology also leads the ranking of incidence, mortality and/or disability.

More than 7 million Spaniards are affected by some neurological disease. Thus we find that stroke is the second cause of death In our country.

The latest data reveal that the annual incidence of is 187.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This means that each year there are more than 70,000 new cases. And they can be avoided.

A human brain suffering from Alzheimer’s. Fernando Alvarado

The doctor emphasizes that neurological diseases, including stroke, do not understand age groups, sex or socioeconomic level and that the important thing is to “carry out healthy brain habits such as avoiding smoking, hypertension, depression , physical and mental inactivity”.

Also “diabetes, alcohol consumption or air pollution help increase the prevalence and progression of many neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or epilepsy.”

Controlling risk factors, key to avoiding stroke

Although it does not affect men and women in the same way (it is the first cause of death in them), it manifests itself with the same symptoms:

• Confusion

• Numbness

• Weakness of a part of the body

• Difficulty walking or talking.

It is a cerebrovascular disease that affects the blood vessels of the brain.

And statistics indicate that one in six people may suffer a stroke throughout their lives. But how can we avoid it?

1. Healthy diet. Low in salt and saturated fat, without neglecting the adequate protein and caloric intake.
2. Physical exercise. A sedentary lifestyle is associated with obesity, hypertension or an increase in cholesterol. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends physical activity between 150 and 300 minutes. “People with an insufficient level of physical activity have a 20% to 30% higher risk of death compared to people who achieve a sufficient level of physical activity.”
3. Obesity. It is closely related to arterial hypertension, diabetes and increased cholesterol and, therefore, to the development of .
4. Blood pressure. As already mentioned, hypertension is the most important and vital risk factor. In most cases there is no specific cause (95%), as there may be a family predisposition, high stress levels, diabetes or age.
5. Diabetes. This disease damages the arteries and multiplies the risk of suffering a vascular accident.
6. Tobacco. It worsens blood circulation and lung capacity.
7. Alcohol. Excessive consumption can cause alcoholic cardiomyopathy (the heart dilates and cannot pump blood normally).
8. Control of risk factors.

How can Alzheimer’s be prevented?

Some 800,000 people suffer from the disease in Spain. It is one of the leading causes of dementia worldwide and the disease that generates the greatest disability. Every year 40,000 new cases are diagnosed.

However, it is estimated that 80% is still undiagnosed. And a healthy lifestyle, says Dr. José Miguel Láinez, “could prevent its appearance by 50%.”

He Dr. John ForteaCoordinator of the Behavior and Dementia Study Group of the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN) explains that the prevalence of Alzheimer’s “increases exponentially from the age of 65”.

• “Given the progressive aging of the Spanish population, the development of health policies aimed at guaranteeing an adequate diagnosis is urgent.”

“It is estimated that half of Alzheimer’s disease cases can be attributed to 10 potentially modifiable risk factors:

• Mellitus diabetes

• Arterial hypertension in middle age of life

• Obesity in middle age of life

• smoking

• Physical inactivity

• Depression

• cognitive inactivity

• Low educational level

• Hearing loss (decreased hearing ability)

• Social isolation”,

Thus, “a reduction of between 10 and 25% in these risk factors could potentially prevent between 1 and 3 million cases of Alzheimer’s in the world.”