On 21 July, 2025, we spoke with Dr. Mike Huth, an Executive Board Member of the Neurological Association of South Africa about brain heath. Dementia, in particular, is expected to triple globally by 2050, so our conversation with Dr. Huth about this disease is an incredibly pressing issue of our time.
There are several different kinds of dementia, outside of the Alzheimer's-related dementia that is most widely understood. Dr. Huth mentioned vascular dementia, which is related to a lack of blood supply to the brain, as well as HIV- related dementia where the virus itself attacks the brain. There are other kinds of dementia called pseudo-dementias, which mimic the symptoms of dementias like Alzheimer's but are reversible. These include but are not limited to deficiencies in B12, a low thyroid, and low folic acid.
Dr. Huth spoke about a few key lifestyle changes that could drastically decrease your chances of developing dementia. If people want to have a high quality of life as they age, they can actually take steps now to greatly decrease their risk of developing this terrible disease. The processes that cause dementia start when you are young, so when you change your lifestyle in your 20s and 30s, you can improve your life in your 70s and 80s.
These lifestyle changes aren't dramatic, but allow you to take care of your organs--most importantly your brain.
1) Exercise: if you can get regular physical exercise you will improve your brain health as well as your vascular health, decreasing your risk of both Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. The doctor recommended 150 minutes of mild exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.
2) Diet: eating a healthy diet will keep all of your organs working at full capacity, keeping your body and mind in shape now and as you age. Dr. Huth recommended a Mediterranean diet for its cardiovascular and cognitive benefits.
3) Social engagement: your brain needs exercise too! Keep it healthy and stimulated by involving yourself in social networks, keeping busy through through your career and hobbies, learning new skills, and challenging your mind in different areas of cognition.
4) Sleep: good quality sleep is the only way your brain can flush out the toxins that collect there throughout the day. Sleeping well also means correcting conditions like sleep apnea and refraining from sleeping aids if they are not necessary.
5) Toxins: limit your smoking and alcohol intake, because both of these substances cause a faster rate of organ decline, and therefore cognitive decline.
6) Hearing: protect your hearing. As one ages, it's common to lose some of your sense of hearing. Make sure to treat it with hearing aids, which will decrease your chance of developing dementia.
how to know if someoen is experiencing dementia symptoms and when to seek help: if it affects your quality of life and ability to carry out daily tasks. This is a disease that is not part of normal aging
Alzheimers is an irreversible condition, but dementia like symptoms can come from
general primary care doctors in SA are not well equipped to treat patients with cognitive decline, which means patients often have to be referred to higher levels of care. Often, newer
cultural stigmas where people believe that losing your faculties are a normal part of aging. This means tha people seek help very late or done ever seek help.
"your brain is your most valuable asset and we need to protect it"
"if you make brain health a lifelong goal, and not just something that you think about in old age"
you can contact him through
www.adasa.org.za
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