When we talk to you osteoarthritisofosteoporosisof the Alzheimer’s disease… you cross your fingers hoping that your mother or even your grandmother will not be affected by these diseases of age. But you certainly can’t imagine receiving this diagnosis for yourself. However, certain illnesses that are mistakenly believed to be reserved for seniors sometimes strike earlier than we imagine. We tell you which ones.
melanoma
The average age of diagnosis of melanoma is 50 years old but this skin cancer can appear from the age of 20 and, in recent years, the number of aggressive skin cancers in women under 40 has multiplied by 8. An increase which would be explained by the growing use of tanning booths.
In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), based on the analysis of around twenty studies, demonstrated that exposure to artificial solar radiation before the age of 30 increased by 75% risk of melanoma.
What you can do to prevent it:
outlaw tanning booths and never go out in summer without having applied a day cream with sunscreen. Finally, in case of vitamin D deficiency, consult your doctor who will prescribe supplementation but do not use UV rays as a source of vitamin D.
Read also : More and more skin cancers in young men
Osteoporosis
The average age of diagnosis of osteoporosis is 65 years old but osteoporosis can strike us as early as 50 years old. This disease is characterized by the decrease in bone density.
What you can do to prevent it:
Exercise regularly to strengthen bones and build muscle. Avoid cigarettes and alcohol which are toxic to the bones and give up forever cola sodas (including their light version) whose high phosphoric acid content alters the calcium/phosphorus balance, which leads to bone fragility.
On the contrary, prepare menus rich in calcium and vitamin C (which binds calcium).
Read also : The best foods to protect your bones and muscles
The heart attack
Average age of first heart attack is 65 but heart attack can hit you from 20 or 30 years old. In France, there are nearly 40,000 sudden cardiac deaths per year in young people.
What you can do to prevent it:
If you smoke, now is the time to quit because tobacco doubles the risk to have a heart attack. One out of four heart attacks could also be avoided by following simple measures in terms of diet but also physical activity: 10 minutes of walking a day, five times a week, more fresh fruit and vegetables on the menu each day, and reducing daily salt intake sufficient to reduce the risk of heart attack.
Read also : Infarction: what to have for breakfast to avoid it
Alzheimer’s disease
The average age of diagnosis is 65 but Alzheimer’s disease can hit you earlier, in your 40s.
What you can do to prevent it :
Doctors do not yet have enough perspective on Alzheimer’s disease and its causes to be able to develop advice on prevention. But as with all degenerative brain diseases, it is possible to combat cognitive decline by exercising parts of the brain that are usually dormant, by learning a new language for example, or to play a musical instrument.
In addition, what is good for the heart is also good for the brain: adopting cholesterol-lowering food hygiene, fighting against high blood pressure and exercising also keeps the brain fit.
Read also : Alzheimer’s: 5 essential habits to reduce the risk
Diabetes
THE Type 2 diabetes is often diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 50, but diabetes is also affecting more and more children under the age of 15. In France, it is estimated that 10,000 children under 15 (i.e. approximately one in 1000 children) have diabetes. They mostly suffer from insulin-dependent diabetes (type 1 diabetes) but more and more adolescents are affected by type 2 diabetes, due to theobesity epidemic.
What you can do to prevent it:
To fight type 2 diabetes, diet is your best medicine. Teenagers with this type of diabetes are victims of their overly rich and overly sweet diet and their sedentary lifestyle. Most young people diagnosed are overweight and have marked excess weight around the waist. So be sure to avoid foods with a high glycemic index, choose high fiber foodsand to remove from your menus the greatest number ofprocessed foods.
Read also : Lose weight to “cure” type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
In France, 30% of adults suffer from hypertension but alone 1 in 2 people know they have high blood pressure. While the risks increase with age, lifestyle factors (alcohol, tobacco, feed, obesity, sedentary lifestyle) can promote its appearance in young people. Preventing high blood pressure is vital because its symptoms are mostly silent. This chronic disease is often revealed too late by heart problems. This is also one of the major causes ofstroke.
To know : According to a study by theAmerican journal of cardiologypeople affected by high blood pressure before the age of 40 have 37% more risk to develop a heart failure later.
Check your blood pressure regularly with your GP or pharmacy.
What you can do to prevent high blood pressure:
- Reduce your salt intakeenemy number 1 of tension.
- Choose a diet rich in fiber.
- Bet on foods rich in potassium: a new study has revealed that a high potassium diet reduced the risk of hypertension, especially for women.
- Practice regular physical activity.
- Reduce your alcohol consumption.
- Smoking cessation.
colorectal cancer
THE Colon Cancer or colorectal cancer affects more than 45,000 people each year in France. And the number of people affected before the age of 50 continues to increase. In question, an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and a diet favoring the occurrence of tumors called polyps on the wall of the colon and rectum.
What you can do to prevent it:
I’feed plays a key role in the prevention but also the occurrence of colorectal cancer. A diet low in fiber and the consumption of Red meat are behaviors often implicated.
THE overweight (BMI > 25kg/m²) and theobesity (BMI > 30 kg/m²) are also linked to a higher risk of cancer colorectal. It is advisable to practice regular physical activity and adopt a balanced diet to prevent overweight.
