Dementia is triggered by these thoughts - so you should change your behavior now.

Negative thoughts are said to increase the risk of dementia. Researchers speculate about possible healing methods.

• Negative thoughts are said to favor dementia *.
• British researchers have published this result in a new study .
• Other reasons can also lead to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease *.

Update of June 9, 2020: Negative thoughts can lead to dementia - new study

A new study from University College London led by Dr. Natalie Marchant has come to the conclusion that frequent negative thinking can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease  . Over a period of two years, 360 people with an age of at least 55 years were examined. Again and again, the test participants had to answer the question of how they think about negative experiences. The focus was on the intensity and length of how these experiences were thought about, such as lengthy pondering and worrying. In addition, the participants were tested for depression and anxiety symptoms .

GREAT WORK by Drs Natalie Marchant @UCLPsychiatry @UCLBrainScience, Gael Chételat @Inserm, @sylv_villeneuve @mcgillu, et al. "#Mindfulness or #Meditation should be studied to see if these could reduce #Dementia risk." @FiCarragher @alzheimerssoc WEIGHS IN https://t.co/0iATMK1dn4

In evaluating the study, the researchers found that frequent negative thinking can be a stress factor and is responsible for high blood pressure, for example. Stress in turn leads to deposits of the tau and amyloid proteins in the brain , which cause dementia .

The researchers also give the all-clear: Not every short negative train of thought would immediately lead to an increased risk of dementia . The observed risk tends to be the chronically negative thought patterns that can become dangerous.

The next step is to find out whether avoiding negative thinking can really reduce the risk of dementia . Mental health in old age can be decisive for the treatment of dementia and can also play an important role in prevention. Solutions for the researchers include  psychological aids such as meditation and mindfulness .

Long brooding over negative thoughts is not healthy, according to a new study.

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Also read:  meaning of life strengthens body and mind - with simple tricks you lead a fulfilling life

Statement of origin from May 22, 2020: Optimistic partner to reduce risk of dementia

Bad mood rubs off. Whoever has pessimistic people around him runs the risk of internalizing the views and also seeing them black. The other way around: those who surround themselves with optimistic, relaxed people are generally more balanced and less pessimistic. US scientists from Michigan State University and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts have looked at the health effects of "poor" society - with astonishing results.

They derived from a study published in the journal "International Journal of Behavioral Development" that an optimistic partner promotes a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and frequent activity. The partner's positive attitude is even said to be able to reduce risk factors that promote dementia  and thus Alzheimer's .

Factors that promote the development of dementia include:

• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• increased cholesterol
• Smoke
• Overweight
• too much alcohol
• lonliness
• lack of mental challenge
• depressions
• lack of sleep

These risk factors can be prevented or remedied by medical treatment and a change in lifestyle. Even those who only start a healthy lifestyle in middle age * can prevent many diseases .

The right partner should even be able to protect against dementia.

© picture alliance / dpa / Martin Bureau

Read also : These two diets reduce the risk of dementia enormously - says a study .

Positive people should keep your partners mentally fit for a long time

For a long time it was assumed that dementia is mainly influenced by genetic predisposition. But more and more studies are concluding that a person's lifestyle has a huge impact on the development of diseases - social contacts * play an important role here.

The basis for the study by researchers from Michigan State University and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health was the Health and Retirement Study , a national study of US demography with a representative sample of people over 50. Nearly 4,500 heterosexual couples were interviewed, to find out whether the partners of optimistic subjects are cognitively healthier than others. It was striking in the evaluation that the people whose partner was rated as positive had a better memory than those who had rated their partner as pessimistic.

The researchers deduced from their study that a positive partner keeps them mentally fit for a long time . "If your partner is optimistic and healthy, it can also have a positive effect on your health," quotes business insider William Chopik, professor of psychology at Michigan State University and co-author of the study: "Your future with such a partner could actually be rosier look because you probably live longer * and are spared from cognitive diseases. "

Sources : www.businessinsider.de ; onlinelibrary.wiley.com ; www.alzheimer-forschung.de

Read more : Alzheimer's research: Aging disease spreads like infection.

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