Talk about maintaining your cognitive health. Know your risk.
Many things influence cognitive health. Your genes, lifestyle, and environment can all impact your thinking skills and ability to perform everyday tasks. Night shift workers sleep fewer hours and have higher weight, body mass index, and abdominal circumference when compared to day shift workers. Night shift workers have an almost 3-times higher association with abdominal obesity, independent of age and gender, than day shift workers.
Night shift work and the risk of dementia
In recent times, there has been a lot of attention given to Alzheimer’s dementia and its relationship with sleep deprivation. People who sleep six hours or less a night have a higher risk for dementia later in life. They were 30% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than people who sleep seven hours per night.
Some studies show a link between shift work and an increased risk of dementia, but there isn’t a lot of evidence about how night work schedules and the resulting misalignment of the body’s internal clock play a role in the development of disease. Cardio-metabolic disorders, underlying lifestyles, and additional occupational risk factors, including, psychosocial stress, may act as mediators in the shift work-dementia relationship. Overall, this may be affected by the individual’s genetic susceptibility, length of employment in night shift work was also suggested to be responsible for its cognitively damaging effects.
This study doesn’t prove that a lack of sleep increases the risk of dementia. But it adds to others that suggest a connection. More studies are needed to understand why.
“While we cannot confirm that not sleeping enough actually increases the risk of dementia, there are plenty of reasons why a good night’s sleep might be good for brain health,” Dr. Séverine Sabia of Inserm and University College London
Role of social isolation on risk for dementia
Also of concern is the growing awareness of the impact of social isolation on health outcomes, particularly among older adults. Prior research has reported that one in four older adults are considered socially isolated, and that social isolation increases the risk of premature death, dementia, depression, and cardiovascular disease.
Also there has been a lot of correlation between increasing risk of dementia in persons who are hearing or visually impaired.
Certain factors seem to protect against Alzheimer’s dementia and these include aggressive cardiovascular risk factor modification (which seems to have the most impact in midlife, with diminishing returns beyond age 75), good-quality sleep, regular physical exercise, cognitively stimulating activities, avoidance of head trauma, and timely intervention for depression.
Ways you can protect your brain’s health
Good overall health can help you maintain your brain health. These tips can help you stay active and healthier, both physically and mentally:
• Choose healthy foods whenever possible.
• Drink enough fluid
• Limit your use of alcohol.
• Don’t smoke or use tobacco products.
• Get enough sleep.
• Make physical activity part of your routine.
• Keep your mind active with learning, teaching, and volunteering.
• Stay connected with loved ones, friends, and your community.
• Manage chronic health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Conclusion
In conclusion, maintaining cognitive health is essential for overall health. Brain health can be impacted by factors such as night shift work, sleep deprivation, social isolation, and certain health disorders. There are, however, measures to protect the brain, including healthy food, physical activity, mental stimulation, and maintaining social connections. By identifying the risks and taking precautions to protect brain health, you can preserve your cognitive health and well-being as a whole.
Never Lackluster, we are rooting for a Better You!
Best,
Dr. Yel’Ora | #DYLOC