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How to predict your likelihood of getting dementia using just your fitness tracker
Plus, the signs of dementia and how to reduce your risk of the mind-robbing disease
FROM monitoring your heart rate, measuring the hours you sleep, and tracking your steps - smartwatches and fitness trackers can reveal a lot about your health.
Now, scientists say they might be able to give you a glimpse at your future self - even predicting your likelihood of getting dementia.
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A study of nearly 50,000 Brits who donned fitness trackers for just a week found that these handy devices may be able to predict your risk of developing the disease, by using information such as walking speed and step count.
People who walked more regularly and at a faster pace were 40 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia or cognitive decline, Australian researchers said.
People's bedtimes - also recorded through fitness trackers - were found to be a predictor of dementia too.
People who went to sleep before 9pm and slumbered for over nine hours had a 60 per cent higher risk of the brain-robbing disease.
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Researchers suggested that smartwatches could day be used to screen for dementia.
Dr Lloyd Chan and Dr Maria Teresa Espinoza Cerda, research fellows at Neuroscience Research Australia, said: "This research demonstrates the potential for smartwatches and fitness trackers to be used in dementia screening.
"With their non-invasive and easy-to-use nature, these devices could offer valuable insights into a person's dementia risk through their daily activity and sleep patterns.
"As both gait and sleep have been associated with cognitive decline, collecting these measures automatically from smartwatches may enable cost-effective screening and remote risk monitoring with minimal effort required from the wearers and healthcare professionals."
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It's not the first time gait has been identified as a potential predictor of dementia.
A indicated that changes to someone's pace when they walk could be an early indicator of dementia.
Signs of dementia that might be missed
Meanwhile, another study found that a worsening sense of direction and taking "wrong turns" are a sign of the most common form of the disease, Alzheimer’s.
Prof Gill Livingston, a psychiatrist at University College London, previously told Sun Health why walking habits could be tied to dementia.
"This is because walking requires lots of thinking," she explained.
"You don't just walk, you have to walk in a space filled with things you need to avoid, in a certain direction all while keeping yourself balanced.
"People who suffer from dementia, even in the early stages, can't accurately do all these things at once."
It's estimated that close to a million people are living with dementia in the UK. This is projected to rise to 1.4 million people by 2040.
For their study, published in the journal - researchers used the data of 47,371 participants aged 60 and over who didn't have dementia.
They wore smartwatches for seven days to collect information about their gait, levels of activity and sleep patterns.
Researchers then linked the data to participants' NHS health records.
During a follow up period of up to nine years, 387 participants - less than one per cent of the pool - were diagnosed with dementia.
They found that people who walked more slowly, had lower daily step counts and increased step-time variability - the variation in time it takes to make each step - had a higher likelihood of developing dementia, based on the data.
"Running duration, maximal walking speed and early bedtime were identified as independent and significant predictors of dementia," the study authors wrote.
Is it ageing or dementia?
Dementia - the most common form of which is Alzheimer's - comes on slowly over time.
As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe.
But at the beginning, the symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for normal memory issues related to ageing.
The gives some examples of what is considered normal forgetfulness in old age, and dementia disease.
You can refer to these above.
For example, it is normal for an ageing person to forget which word to use from time-to-time, but difficulting having conversation would be more indicative of dementia.
Katie Puckering, Head of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Information Services team, previously told The Sun: “We quite commonly as humans put our car keys somewhere out of the ordinary and it takes longer for us to find them.
“As you get older, it takes longer for you to recall, or you really have to think; What was I doing? Where was I? What distracted me? Was it that I had to let the dog out? And then you find the keys by the back door.
“That process of retrieving the information is just a bit slower in people as they age.
“In dementia, someone may not be able to recall that information and what they did when they came into the house.
“What may also happen is they might put it somewhere it really doesn't belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.”
Researchers said that for every 4.6cm per second increase in gait speed, participant's dementia risk dropped by 32 per cent.
For every additional 3,200 steps walked, the risk also fell by 30 per cent on average.
Compared to participants with normal sleep duration, those with "excessive sleep" - more than nine hours - increased their odds of a dementia diagnosis by 50 per cent.
And those who went to sleep before 9 pm were 60 per cent more likely to be diagnosed than those with a "normal bedtime".
Researchers explained that a slower gait may be caused by dementia's erosion of parts of the brain tied to movement.
"Neuroimaging investigations have suggested that gait decline is associated with a decrease in hippocampal volume, a brain region that plays a crucial role in cognitive processing," they wrote.
"Similarly, reduced cortical grey matter volume has also been associated with slower gait speed.
"These relationships may contribute to the temporal relationship between daily mobility impairment and the onset of dementia."
They also linked inactivity to a higher risk of the brain robbing disease, as exercising can help cut the risk of conditions linked to dementia - such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
"Thus, promoting sustained moderate to vigorous physical activity, such as running, might offer a practical approach to reducing dementia risk in older populations."
As for why an earlier bedtime might be tied to dementia risk, study authors said this may have to connected to "dysregulated circadian rhythms, [which are] secondary to neurodegeneration".
Researchers suggested that smartwatches could "useful in predicting dementia", seeing as they're already widely worn.
"Identifying dementia-predictive digital biomarkers from wrist-worn devices would further our understanding of the interaction between daily life gait and dementia," they said.
But they noted that their study had certain limitations.
For starters, they didn't take into account whether participants had a history of dementia in their family.
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They also noted that some of the time categorised as sleep may have included periods participants spent in bed reading or watching TV.
Study authors said further research comparing their findings to other data gathered around the world was crucial.
How to reduce your risk of dementia
HERE are a number of things you can do to reduce your risk of developing dementia. Alzheimer's Society offers the following tips:
Do regular physical exercise
Regular physical activity is considered one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia. There are two main types - aerobic activity and strength-building activity. Aerobic activity includes activities like brisk walking, running and swimming. Strength-building include exercises like squats and push-ups. A combination of both types of activity is best.
Drink less alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol exposes your brain to high levels of harmful chemicals. You should avoid drinking more than 14 units of alcohol each week. This is the equivalent of one pint of beer and a small glass of wine each day.
Don't smoke
Smoking harms the circulation of blood around, particularly blood vessels in the brain. The earlier you stop smoking, the more brain damage you'll avoid.
Stay mentally well and socially active
People who have periods of depression and are socially isolated are at higher risk of developing dementia. Engaging in social activities can help build up your brain's ability to relieve stress and improve your mood.
Manage long-term health conditions
Certain health conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes can increase the risk of getting dementia. Going for a health check to see if you have any of these is advised. Eating well and regularly exercising can help prevent and manage these conditions.
Protect your eyesight and hearing
Uncorrected vision loss can increase the risk of dementia. Similarly, hearing loss is tied to increased risk of dementia and could be an early symptom. The use of hearing aids has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia to the level of a person with normal hearing.
Protect your head
Traumatic brain injuries caused by a blow or jolt to the head, particularly when a person is knocked unconscious, can start a process in the brain where the substances that cause Alzheimer's disease build up around the injured area. If you're in a situation where there's higher-than-normal risk of head injury, such as riding a bike or playing cricket, make sure to wear protective headgear.
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