Lucknow, Sep 20 : Nearly 3.6 per cent of the elderly population in Lucknow suffers from dementia, a chronic neuro-degenerative disease that causes difficulty in remembering. Prof Nisha Mani Pandey, of the department of geriatric mental health, at the King George's Medical University (KGMU), said, "The survey done among people above 60 years of age in Lucknow revealed that 3.6 per cent suffered from dementia." "The survey on more than 3000 elderly persons in Lucknow district, comprising both urban and rural pockets, revealed 2.47 per cent people had Alzheimer's disease (AD)," said Prof Pandey. The survey is part of activities for this year's Alzheimer's Day (September 21). AD is the most common type of dementia. Talking about the preventive measures for AD, Prof Pandey said higher education has been seen as a protective factor along with higher cognitive levels at work. "For the brain, there is one formula for all to follow which is, use it or you can lose it. This means your brain will stop functioning if you do not put it to use even after you cross 60 years of age," she said. "To keep the brain engaged, one should take up some work of their interest. So, if a retired banker is asked to maintain finances of a family business or even other family members and keep a record of their earnings and expenses, their brain will stay focused and its cognitive level will remain high," said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary-general, Association of International Doctors. Among risk factors, doctors said lifestyle diseases and illnesses that involve sensory organs can harm the brain too. "Vascular comorbidity, cholesterol levels, hypertension, heart ailment and even visual impairment can harm brain function. This is because damage to one organ can be reflected upon others, including the brain," said Prof Pandey. Prof Pandey, who has studied non-pharmacological management among patients, said apart from early diagnosis of loss of memory, family support is significant when it comes to treatment. "How a family reacts and how society takes an elderly is important. If they (family and society) can ignore a few things that develop with age, elderly can play a significant role in society for they number almost 10 per cent of the total population," said Prof Pandey. /IANS