Widespread Diseases of the Twenty-First Century

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How Do We Want to Live?
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Abstract

Dementias and depressions are among the major widespread diseases of the twenty-first century, whose significance is constantly growing in ever ageing populations. The most effective measures to prevent them are not therapeutic but prophylactic. At the same time, these measures also increase physical and psychological well-being and they preserve cognitive performance. New estimates suggest that 30% of all dementias are preventable through lifestyle changes. Protective lifestyle factors include education, avoidance of obesity, physical activity, avoidance of smoking, normalization of blood pressure and blood sugar, maintenance of social relationships, and treatment of depression and hearing loss.

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GrĂ¼nder, G. (2022). Widespread Diseases of the Twenty-First Century. In: How Do We Want to Live?. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-64225-2_5

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