Dementia, the name given to a group of symptoms associated with brain function, largely affects people aged 65 and above, according to the NHS.

Alzheimer's disease, meanwhile, is the term for a type of dementia - symptoms include memory loss, lapses in concentration, and mood changes.

While there is no cure there are ways to lower your risk of developing it and slowing down its progress, and we have collated some tips on what steps you can take right now.

A guide to dementia by the NHS says: “If you’re becoming increasingly forgetful, particularly if you’re over the age of 65, it may be a good idea to talk to your GP about the early signs of dementia.

“As you get older, you may find that memory loss because a problem. It’s normal for your memory to be affected by stress, tiredness, or certain illnesses and medications.

“This can be annoying if it happens occasionally, but if it’s affecting your daily life – or is worrying you or someone you know – you should seek help from your GP.”

You should remember that memory loss is not the only thing dementia affects, but also how you behave, feel, speak, and think.

It’s also not a natural part of the ageing process.

Below is our list of five tips you can use:

- Exercising regularly

You don’t have to get a gym membership to be active – even just 30 minutes a few times a week, preferably four, can be a big boost.

Try a half hour, four times a week, and you could lower your risk.

- Getting enough sleep

Hitting the hay and getting your eight hours is no secret to aiding in better health, but it’s also important for helping slow the potential risk of having dementia.

Sleeping too little – or even too much – don’t help but aiming for a consistent bed time is a good idea.

- Drinking wine

It is advised that you drink moderately and not so frequently that it becomes one of your most preferable choices of beverage.

What may help is having a little every now and again.

- Cognitively-stimulating activities

There are lots of different activities you can try.

How about playing and singing songs? Watching family videos? Cooking and baking recipes? Even cleaning the house gets things going.

A bunch of things can make a difference to your cognition and aid in the fight against dementia.

- A healthy, balanced diet

Last, but not least, on our list of tips is leading a healthy and balanced diet.

Eating nuts, fish and oil on a relatively frequent basis can have its benefits, alongside fruits and vegetables.

Put in practice with all the other things we have put down could slow down your risk of getting the condition.