Brain ageing can be controlled by healthy lifestyle
Dr AKM Anwarullah of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Bangladesh said the prevalence of dementia, which causes memory impairment by ageing brain, is increased in the ages between 65 and 85 years in developing countries like Bangladesh.
The pre-conference symposium titled 'The Ageing Brian: Use it or lose it' was held at Sheraton Hotel in the city on the occasion of a two-day international conference on 'Mainstreaming Ageing in Health Systems and Rural Development' beginning at the same venue today.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Karolinska Institutet, Sweden organised the pre-conference.
Discussing about the reasons for dementia, Dr Anwarullah attributed damaging of brain cells, changing diet and lifestyle, hormonal imbalance, essential fatty acids deficiencies, poor health habit, smoking, drinking, bad diet and stress as the reasons for causing amentia.
"Brain ageing can be controlled if it is addressed and treated properly, he said, adding that in the developed countries some drugs are used to prevent the disease.
Bengt Winblad of Karolinska Institutet presented a paper on 'Present and Future Treatment Strategies in Alzheimer's Disease', Masatoshi Takeda of Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan presented on ' Early Diagnosis and Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease', Raj N Kalaria of the Institute for Ageing and Health of UK presented on ' Brain Ageing and Dementia in developing world: African perspective' and Miia Kivipelto of Ageing Research Centre of Sweden presented on ' The Effects and Interactions of Vascular and Genetic Risk Factors on Dementia'.
Bengt Winblad of Karolinska Institutet moderated the pre-conference.
The two-day conference is being held under the project 'Primary Healthcare in Later Life: Improving Services in Bangladesh and Vietnam' with the view to improve health and quality of life of elderly people in low-income countries, according to organisers.
In Bangladesh the aforesaid project is being implemented by the Research and Evaluation Division of the Brac.