00:00For these over 50s, community art classes are a joy.
00:07Most of the people are retired and they're looking for something to improve their mind.
00:14They're forging social connections, learning new skills and thinking about colours and composition.
00:20I don't want to be someone who sits in a chair all day watching telly.
00:25Everybody, circle left.
00:28Next door, square dancing is a challenge for the mind and body.
00:33Promenade your partner.
00:35It's activities like these that can help stave off frailty.
00:39Frailty in someone is a general pattern of age-related changes in multiple domains.
00:46Using studies from the UK and US, Queensland researchers tracked the health data of nearly 30,000 people over 20 years.
00:56They found age-related decline is a very strong risk factor for dementia,
01:01a group of illnesses that affect memory, intellect, social skills and physical function.
01:07For every four to five additional health problems that people accumulated,
01:12their dementia risk increased by about 40%.
01:15The published research also found frailty started to accelerate nine years ahead of a dementia diagnosis.
01:23Frailty may become a marker that we consider a bit more strongly in terms of identifying people
01:29who might benefit from some interventions.
01:32Doctors recommend a healthy diet rich in protein, regular exercise with a focus on strength training,
01:40appropriate use of medication to control chronic conditions and strong social networks.
01:47It's estimated more than 400,000 Australians live with dementia
01:52and that number is expected to almost double in the next 30 years.
01:56Experts say it's never too late to embrace a healthy diet and start building strength.
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