Today is World Alzheimer's Day, a time to consider the devastating impact of this terrible disease as well as to get information out that people need to know.
What should they know that they may not? There are several things about which most people are unaware. I try to explain those on this blog and in Beating the Dementia Monster. Here are my top few:
1. Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging. It's a disease, and not everyone will get it.
2. It is far from being purely genetic. Genetics may predisposed someone to Alzheimer's disease, but there are other ingredients as well. Many are controllable.
3. When we see multiple people with Alzheimer's disease in a family, it may have nothing to do with common genetics. It's likely they simply share poor lifestyle habits.
4. Forty percent of Alzheimer's disease cases are preventable. (That's a lot!) This is through good lifestyle choices.
5. Alzheimer's disease begins as much as 20 years before the onset of dementia and fifteen years before the first symptoms.
6. Even after the symptoms become evident (15 years into the disease), research has shown that good lifestyle changes can slow and perhaps temporarily reverse the cognitive deterioration of Alzheimer's disease.
7. Improvements in the following lifestyle domains can help prevent or can significantly slow the progress of the disease. In approximate order of importance:
Physical exercise
Sleep quality
Mediterranean or similar diet
Controlling risk factors for diabetes and heart disease
Maintain or increase social activity
Control stress
So if you are developing symptoms or are otherwise at risk of developing this disease, there are things you can do.
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