Any relationship with a new doctor begins with a dive into yourfamily health history.
But if dementias floating around in your gene pool, keep in mind this is justonerisk factor.
Even if you have a family history, you may never have dementia symptoms.
Heres what our panel of doctors had to say.
What should I do if dementia runs in my family?
A family medicine physician provides primary care and takes care of you throughout your whole lifespan.
a board-certified family medicine physician and District Medical Director at One Medical in North Carolina
In some instances, were taking care of entire families.
when you land that relationship, let your doctor know about your family history.
General wellness habits are the best way to protect your brain.
confirm youre getting a sufficient amount of sleep.
Thats different from one person to another, but in general its six to eight hours.
And you want to be physically active.
That doesnt mean you have to run a marathon, but maybe 30 minutes ofwalking outsidea day.
Finally, you also want to check that you keep your brain engaged.
So you want to engage with people socially and maintain your social networks.
And you may want to pick up a hobby that challenges you to think.
Aim to do something new all the time, no matter what age you are.
Divesh Goel, MD
The best thing you could do if youre concerned about getting dementia is twofold.
Number one, follow the food rules.
But its really reserved for a very small sliver of the population.
[Aim] to do something new all the time, no matter what age you are.
Our experts also recommend actively engaging your brain.
Confused about your health?
Get answers to more common questions in ourReal Talk Rx series.
Relative risk for Alzheimer disease based on complete family history.
2019 Apr 9;92(15):e1745-e1753.
Epub 2019 Mar 13.
PMID: 30867271; PMCID: PMC6511086.
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