- Poll shows two-thirds have thought about improving health, as new Alzheimer’s Research UK campaign encourages public to Think Brain Health
- Broadcaster Suzi Perry voices campaign film outlining three rules for brain health
More than one in 10 adults in Scotland (15%) believe their brain health has declined since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, new polling by Alzheimer’s Research UK has revealed, with two-thirds (65%) saying the pandemic has prompted them to think about making changes to improve their health.
The news comes as Alzheimer’s Research UK launches Think Brain Health, a bold new awareness campaign to empower people to keep their brains healthy throughout life and ultimately, help reduce their risk of dementia.
The digital campaign is backed by the latest research and focuses on three rules for brain health – looking after heart health, staying sharp and keeping connected.
Think Brain Health is backed by broadcast journalist Suzi Perry, who lost her grandmother Mary to Alzheimer’s disease – the most common cause of dementia. Suzi, known for her work on BT Sport’s Motorsport coverage and F1 coverage for the BBC, has voiced an animation introducing the campaign.
The campaign was developed with the support of Warburtons and parkrun, and is further backed at launch by Alzheimer’s Research UK partner Garmin.
Alzheimer’s Research UK has also worked with the Royal Society for Public Health to launch a joint policy report on brain health, recommending the development of a national brain health strategy to enable everyone to take positive steps to look after their brains throughout life.
The report calls on government and public health bodies to take this opportunity to embed brain health messaging for all age groups, implement cost-effective interventions that promote brain health and fund more research into dementia prevention.
As well as being influenced by our age and genetics, the 2020 Lancet Commission on dementia suggests that up to 40% of dementia cases could be linked to 12 risk factors that we may be able to influence, including high blood pressure, physical inactivity, smoking, low social contact and depression.
With polling showing that people’s awareness of dementia has increased due to the pandemic (11% of Scotland respondents reporting an increased awareness) and a third of people in Scotland (33%) saying dementia is their most feared health condition, the charity believes now is the opportune time to support people to take positive action, particularly with new lockdown measures in place.
Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Think Brain Health campaign aims to increase awareness of three rules for improving brain health:
- Looking after heart health, by exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet and keeping blood pressure, weight and cholesterol in check.
- Staying sharp, by taking part in activities that keep the brain active.
- And keeping connected, by staying socially active and connecting with other people.
Visitors to thinkbrainhealth.org.uk can test their brain health knowledge with a quiz, as well as learning more through expert blogs and articles. The campaign is primarily aimed at people in midlife, who could stand to gain the most from adopting healthy habits that could reduce their risk of dementia.
Having witnessed the decline of her mother with suspected dementia, Mary Sparling is determined to do what she can to maintain her brain health.
The 59-year-old, from Dunfermline, whose mum, Helen, died in November 2019, keeps herself fit playing tennis, doing yoga and walking her black Labrador, Sam. The retired teacher also keeps her brain active by learning Spanish.
Mary said: “Into her 90s my mum was still so sharp. But around April 2019 I realised she was starting to need a lot more support and from there her decline was quite fast.
“It got to the point where she needed 24-hour support, so I decided to retire from work a little earlier than I’d planned to care for her. We were in the process of getting her a formal dementia diagnosis when she died of a presumed heart attack.
“Although in the end it wasn’t a long-drawn out affair, it was still an incredibly difficult and exhausting time. She would have bouts of confusion and delirium that were very distressing and there were times when she didn’t know who I was.
“Having seen what my mum went through it makes me more aware of my own vulnerability. The activities I do provide me with so many benefits, but it also gives me that extra motivation to keep them up by knowing I’m also helping to maintain my brain health.”
Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll in many ways, and it’s deeply worrying that one in 10 of us fear it’s had a negative effect on our brain health.
“But positively, our polling shows that the pandemic has also made people more aware of their health, so we want to take this opportunity to set out some simple steps to help people think about their brain.
“While national lockdown is making many aspects of our lives more difficult, there are still things you can do every day to look after your brain and the Think Brain Health campaign shows you how.
“Our brains control everything we do, from storing precious memories to helping us read and write – they define who we are. Sadly, every year, more and more families experience the devastation caused when physical diseases like Alzheimer’s take hold of the brain.
“The good news is that while there’s no sure-fire way to prevent dementia, research suggests that 40% of cases could be down to factors that we may be able to influence. We must do all we can to capitalise on this powerful opportunity and ultimately, reduce the number of people who will go on to develop dementia in future.
“There is a clear appetite among the public to improve their health and looking after the brain must become a core part of our approach to good overall health. The time is right for a national brain health strategy to enable everyone to keep their brains healthy – and Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Think Brain Health campaign is an important first step.”
To find out more, visit thinkbrainhealth.org.uk
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