A Senior Registrar in Psychiatry, Dr Samuel Aladejare, has identified uncontrolled sugar level, hypertension, high cholesterol and smoking, as risk factors for memory loss irrespective of age.
Aladejare, also the President, Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, in Lagos.
Aladejare also said that memory loss can be from genetic or natural causes.
He said that only in a few cases could the causative factors of the memory loss be treated and normal thinking condition restored, adding that in most cases there were no medications to cure memory loss.
“Some degree of memory loss is natural; as people grow old, they are bound to develop memory loss and be forgetting things so easily, while other memory loss condition can be due to brain damage also known as dementia.
“Unfortunately, normal aging forgetfulness has no cure. But there are medications that can help to slowdown that degenerating process of forgetfulness.
“For instance, if it is seven years that a person is meant to lose all his/her memory and probably develop other health conditions that may lead to death.
“With the medication, the pace of developing the memory loss will be slowed down and the person’s life will be further prolonged even with better quality of life.
“But in terms of medications that can totally stop/prevent memory loss, there are no such medication in existence for now; depending on the cause too,” Aladejare said.
The Psychiatrist said that memory loss was more common among men than women, adding that lifestyle adjustments and modifications could help in the management of memory loss.
According to him, memory loss could be better managed if people avoided sedentary lifestyle involving lack of exercise and active activities.
He said that excessive consumption of alcohol, un prescribed medication and fatty foods intake should also be discouraged in the management of memory loss.
Aladejare advised that anyone experiencing memory loss or forgetfulness should see a psychiatrist, who should detect whether the condition was as a result of normal aging forgetfulness or as a result of dementia.