Heads Up Canada!
Make the Connection – Helping to Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
It is never too soon, or too late, to make changes to maintain or improve the health of your brain – changes that may also help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative brain disorder that destroys vital brain cells. Alzheimer’s and related diseases affect an estimated 1 in 13 Canadians over the age of 65, or approximately 450,000 people. It is estimated that 750,000 Canadians will have Alzheimer’s or a related disease by the year 2031 if a cure is not found.
“Heads Up for Healthier Brains”, the Alzheimer Society’s nationwide 2007 Awareness Campaign, is a call to action, focusing on what people can do to help keep their tbrains healthy.
Nationwide poll shows many misunderstandings.
In October 2006, Leger Marketing conducted a public opinion poll on behalf of the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Results from this nationwide public opinion poll showed that while Canadians believe in the importance of a healthy brain, they don’t completely understand what it takes to keep this vital organ working at peak performance. The poll was based on a randomly selected sample of 1,859 adult Canadians.
“Our poll tells us that Canadians aren’t making the connection between healthy living and a healthy brain,” said Scott Dudgeon, chief executive officer of the Alzheimer Society of Canada. “While almost 80% of people surveyed said that brain health was as important as physical health, when asked to describe a healthy person, the overwhelming majority referred to things like physical fitness and good eating habits. Only five per cent associated things like being socially or intellectually active as attributes of a healthy person.”
Physical Health vs. Brain Health.
78% of Canadians said brain health is as important as physical health, with an additional 19% saying it is actually more important. However, when asked to name the first thing that comes to mind when describing a ‘healthy person’, 63% of people said physical fitness, and 32% said healthy eating habits. Only 5% of people answered being socially or intellectually active as attributes of a healthy person.
Keeping Your Brain Healthy
There was no agreed upon notion on what it meant to keep the brain healthy. The most common notion, at 19%, was being mentally active.
When asked what one should do in order to keep the brain healthy, 27% said exercising the brain, while another 20% said reading. Only 15% said eating right and staying healthy, followed by 7% who said staying physically active.
As part of the “Heads Up for Healthier Brains” campaign, the Alzheimer Society is sending the message that healthy living and a healthy brain are very much connected, and that there are things people can do that may help to reduce the risk of developing the disease. The Society recommends the following:
• Challenge your brain – keep your brain active every day. For example, play games, maintain a hobby, or even try doing everyday activities in a different way, such as brushing your hair with the opposite hand.
In terms of brain challenging activities, 38% of Canadians said they participated in hobbies (such as reading, painting or sewing) every day, with an additional 41% doing so one to four times a week.
• Be socially active – socializing with others helps you stay mentally connected. The more engaged you are, the better.
• Choose a healthy lifestyle – a healthy lifestyle is as important to brain health as it is to the heart and the rest of the body. It is important to make healthy food choices, be physically active, reduce stress, and avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
• Protect your head – use a seatbelt and wear a helmet when participating in sporting activities.
96% of Canadians said they always wear a seatbelt, however 31% said they never wear a helmet when participating in activities like riding a bike, skiing/snowboarding or rollerblading.
67% of Canadians said their primary motivation to wear a helmet was to protect their head from injury, but only 6% stated it was because of fear of long term-brain damage. In fact, 78% of people were either unsure or disagreed altogether that brain injuries can be linked to the later development of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Will doing these actions prevent Alzheimer’s disease? There are no guarantees, just like there are some risk factors you can’t control, such as genetics and aging. However, a growing amount of research continues to uncover new and compelling evidence that there are many things we can do to help reduce the risk of developing the disease,” says Dr. Jack Diamond, scientific director for the Alzheimer Society of Canada. “For people already living with Alzheimer’s disease, recent studies suggest that taking care of their brain health may improve their quality of life, and even help slow the progression of the disease.”
What Canadians say about Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is the second most feared disease among Canadians as they age, tied with heart disease (Cancer is the most feared). Canadians that fear Alzheimer’s disease the most are generally over the age of 45. 32% of people said they personally know someone with Alzheimer’s disease. 21% said they have someone with the disease in their family. 71% of people were aware that there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, and 70% of people were also aware that memory loss in itself doesn’t mean Alzheimer’s disease.
“The good news here? There are things people can do, and choices they can make, that might help to reduce their risk of developing the disease.”
The Alzheimer Society is a nationwide, not-for-profit health organization dedicated to helping people affected by Alzheimer’s disease. The Society develops and provides support and educational programs for people with the disease, their families and their caregivers. The Society is also a leading funder of Alzheimer research and training in Canada.
For more information on the “Heads Up for Healthier Brains” Awareness Campaign, or the Alzheimer Society, please visit www.alzheimer.ca or call 1.800.616.8816.
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