Palliative care, a bust?

Insbesondere im ländlichen Raum ist die Palliativ- und Hospizversorgung von Menschen mit Demenz ein wichtiges Thema. Denn es mangelt sowohl an Hospizen als auch an Demenz-Wissen, fanden kanadische Wissenschaftler*innen heraus. Dass es in ländlichen Gebieten oft an leicht zugänglichen Gesundheitsdienstleistungen mangelt, ist seit vielen Jahren bekannt. Was aber nur wenige …

Standardize dementia diagnostics

Eine Studie über Demenzdiagnostik in Schweden kommt zu einem überraschenden Ergebnis. Menschen mit Demenz, die auf dem Land leben, werden häufiger vollständig diagnostisch untersucht als Patient*innen in der Stadt und in mittelgroßen Gemeinden. Das im Jahr 2007 ins Leben gerufene Schwedische Demenzregister (SveDem) verfolgt das Ziel, Menschen mit Demenz ab …

„Striving for fairer measures“

Sterblichkeitsrate, Arztbesuche oder Krankenhausaufenthalte: Inwiefern spiegeln sich Unterschiede in der Qualität der Demenzversorgung auf dem Land und in der Stadt in der wissenschaftlichen Literatur wider? Forschende aus Kanada haben Unterschiede herausgefunden. Kanadische Forschende wollten es ganz genau wissen: Inwiefern spiegeln sich Unterschiede in der Qualität der Demenzversorgung auf dem Land …

Where to go – GP or neurology practice?

People with dementia in rural areas prefer to visit a general practitioner's office. In contrast, people with dementia living in urban areas more frequently consult medical specialists in the fields of neurology or neuropsychiatry. This was the conclusion reached by researchers at the University of Bremen who analyzed the healthcare utilization of 1.7 million individuals with statutory health insurance. In our...

Successful digiDEM Bavaria Dementia Screening in the Upper Palatinate

The first dementia screening day in Amberg, Upper Palatinate was met with enthusiastic response. Many citizens followed the joint invitation from digiDEM Bayern, the Digital Dementia Register Bavaria in Erlangen, and its Amberg cooperation partners Jan Kreusel and Birgit Hübner, to have their own memory performance checked free of charge with the help of a scientific short test. „The interest was present the whole…”

digiDEM Bavaria Study: Quality of Most Dementia Apps is Insufficient

A research team from FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg and the Digital Dementia Registry Bavaria (digiDEM Bayern) has, for the first time, evaluated German-language apps for people with dementia and for caregivers based on scientific evidence and user quality, arriving at two sobering results. For most dementia apps available on the so-called "self-payer market," there is no scientific evidence of their...

Fighting the Taboo

Although the number of people with dementia worldwide is steadily increasing, dementia remains a major taboo in society. Affected individuals are hesitant to talk openly about their illness, which has a negative impact on their health, as well as their willingness to seek help and support. A team of Australian and...

Early detection of dementia with the help of „Deep Learning“

„Deep Learning“ is a special type of machine processing of information. When digital, individual voice recordings are analyzed in this way, for example, conclusions can be drawn and predictions made from the existing data. A study from 2021 comes to interesting results regarding early dementia detection. Increasingly in the early detection of diseases...

Effective Training in Technology

Digital technologies support people in many ways to manage their lives. However, people with dementia can also benefit from tablets and apps. As their cognitive abilities decline, they need support in learning how to use touchscreens and the like. Apps for cognitive training, appointment scheduling, games, leisure activities, or art: In the...

Reducing the risk of dementia, step by step

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An active lifestyle with sufficient exercise not only keeps you physically fit but is also said to have a positive impact on mental performance. British researchers have discovered: Around 4,000 steps a day could help reduce the risk of dementia.

A group of researchers in England has investigated whether and to what extent daily step count acts as a protective factor against the development of dementia. They examined the link between the onset of dementia and the number of steps taken each day. The research findings suggest that there may be a link between daily step count or walking intensity and the onset of dementia. 

Eine Mindestanzahl von rund 3.800 Schritten pro Tag kann zu einer Verringerung des Demenzrisikos um 25 Prozent führen.

A 25 percent reduction in the risk of dementia

There is no minimum number of steps, the authors write. While about 9,800 steps per day appear to be optimal for reducing the risk of dementia, even a minimum of about 3,800 steps per day can lead to a 25 percent reduction in that risk. In addition, both targeted steps and the highest 30-minute step frequency can have a positive effect. At least around 4,000 steps a day could therefore contribute to a reduction in the prevalence of dementia in the general population. 

Based on their findings, the researchers recommend that the optimal daily step count and step intensity be included in the guidelines for dementia prevention.

Large-scale study

A total of 78,430 adults aged 40 to 79 participated in the British study between 2013 and 2015. The participants' daily step count was measured using an activity monitor suitable for study purposes – similar to a smartwatch. Participants wore this on their wrist 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

The researchers tracked different types of steps, such as „random steps“ (fewer than 40 steps per minute) and „purposeful steps“ (40 steps per minute or more). In addition, other personal and health-related data were collected. The researchers monitored the participants until October 2021 to see if they developed dementia following their participation in the study. During this period, 866 participants—just under one percent—developed dementia..

Here is the link to the study:

Association of Daily Step Count and Intensity With Incident Dementia in 78,430 Adults Living in the UK