HEALTH

from Your Time Brisbane - February 2022

BOOK REVIEW

ARE you doing all you can to optimise your brain and protect it against dementia? Difficulty in tracking personal risk factors for brain health has inspired a Brisbane specialist to develop an app that does it for you.

Psychogeriatrician Dr Kailas Roberts, author of Mind your brain The Essential Australian Guide to Dementia, has developed Brainscan, an app that identifies personal risk factors for cognitive decline and provides advice on how to address them.

“Having worked with many people with dementia over the last decade or so, I am well aware of the difficulties this condition can pose,” Dr Roberts said.

“There is cause for optimism, however, with increasing evidence that you can prevent or at least push back dementia by a number of years.”

The BrainScan app helps give a better understanding of what can be done to optimise brain health, not only reducing the risk of dementia, but improving performance now.

“All sorts of factors affect brain health. Lifestyle choices such as what you eat, how active you are and whether you challenge your brain can all have a profound impact on your brain function,” Dr Roberts says.

“Likewise, health conditions such as vascular disease and sleep apnoea are important to identify and treat if you want your best brain. Then there are a number of medications that can adversely affect your thinking.

“BrainScan helps you quickly work out what might need to address, such as lifestyle choices, medications or other medical conditions, and provides fascinating and up to date advice about keeping your grey and white matter fit and healthy.”

The app also provides a curated selection of videos that look at all things brain-related – how the brain works, how to improve your memory, stress reduction, meditation and physical exercise, as well as tips on how to improve your memory.

BrainScan is now available for download to iPhone and iPad and work is underway on an android version. Visit the app store or yourbraininmind.com

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OVARIAN CANCER SURVIVORS FRONT CAMPAIGN

FOUR ovarian cancer survivors have joined forces to front a new campaign to raise much-needed funds for ovarian cancer, Australia’s deadliest female cancer.

It has a 48 per cent 5-year survival rate.

This month’s campaign showcases the four women modelling Black Pepper clothing including a specially designed scarf, with a portion of sales going to Ovarian Cancer Australia.

The campaign aims to raise $100,000 to support women with ovarian cancer through diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Ovarian Cancer Australia CEO Jane Hill said it would help ease the ongoing toll that ovarian cancer has on women impacted by the disease, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

“While the initial impact of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer is devastating, it’s not well documented that 70 per cent of women diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer will have a recurrence within three years,” she said.

“This creates a number of psycho-social issues for diagnosed women, including depression, anxiety, relationship and sexuality issues.”

The impact of Covid had also been particularly tough. The Ovarian Cancer Helpline has had a 70 per cent increase during the pandemic.

The partnership with Black Pepper will help ensure that more women with ovarian cancer will be supported by an ovarian cancer support nurse, and have access to other services such as social workers, exercise physiologists and psycho-sexual counselling.

Black Pepper will donate $10 from the sale of every scarf and a specially-designed nightie to Ovarian Cancer Australia. Pens and ribbons will also be sold during February which is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Shop online at blackpepper.com.au or in store this month. Visit ovariancancer.net.au