Physical exercise & diet
Walking is one of the biggest ways to lower a person's risk factor for the disease, or delay the disease's progression, according to Hines. “We know that if you walk at least two miles a day, those changes in brain functioning can be pushed out many years,” Hines said.
other long-term health problems – dementia tends to progress more quickly if the person is living with other conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, particularly if these are not well-managed.
As the exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is still unknown, there's no certain way to prevent the condition. But a healthy lifestyle can help reduce your risk.
Levels of one neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, are particularly low in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. Over time, different areas of the brain shrink. The first areas usually affected are responsible for memories. In more unusual forms of Alzheimer's disease, different areas of the brain are affected.
Is Alzheimer's passed on by mother or father? Alzheimer's is not passed on by the mother more than the father, or vice versa. A mother or father may pass on an “Alzheimer's gene” or mutation that increases your risk. Even if both your parents pass on a risk gene, your Alzheimer's risk is higher, but not certain.
Introduction: The five-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of aging people and has previously shown its sensitivity and its specificity in identifying patients with AD.
Currently, the only approved drugs for Alzheimer's merely alleviate some of the symptoms — partially and temporarily — but do not stop the disease from progressing. Although it was first officially described 115 years ago, and of course existed long before that, we still do not have a cure for this devastating disease.
The degree of impairment at diagnosis can affect life expectancy. Untreated vascular risk factors such as hypertension are associated with a faster rate of progression of Alzheimer's disease.
The Mini-Cog test.
A third test, known as the Mini-Cog, takes 2 to 4 minutes to administer and involves asking patients to recall three words after drawing a picture of a clock. If a patient shows no difficulties recalling the words, it is inferred that he or she does not have dementia.
As the disease progresses, the person with Alzheimer's will require a greater level of care. During the middle stage of Alzheimer's, the dementia symptoms are more pronounced. the person may confuse words, get frustrated or angry, and act in unexpected ways, such as refusing to bathe.
Physical exercise and diet
Regular physical exercise may be a beneficial strategy to lower the risk of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. Exercise may directly benefit brain cells by increasing blood and oxygen flow in the brain.
The causes probably include a combination of age-related changes in the brain, along with genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. The importance of any one of these factors in increasing or decreasing the risk of Alzheimer's disease may differ from person to person.
The SAGE test is a 12-question exam that measures cognitive functioning and may help a physician determine whether Alzheimer's is present.
Stage 1: Before Symptoms Appear
“This time period — often called 'pre-clinical Alzheimer's disease' — likely begins 10 or 15 years before people have symptoms,” says Dr. Wolk.
The main sign of mild cognitive impairment is a slight decline in mental abilities. Examples include: Memory loss: You may forget recent events or repeat the same questions and stories. You may occasionally forget the names of friends and family members or forget appointments or planned events.
Studies of family history say that if you have a close relative who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease—the most common form of dementia in older adults—your risk increases by about 30%.
In fact, around twice as many women have Alzheimer's disease – the most common type of dementia – compared to men. The main reason for this greater risk is because women live longer than men and old age is the biggest risk factor for this disease.
Certain fruits such as oranges, bell peppers, guava, kiwi, tomatoes, and strawberries, contain high amounts of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps prevent brain cells from becoming damaged and supports overall brain health. In fact, a study found that vitamin C can potentially prevent Alzheimer's.
While sugar consumption does not directly cause dementia, it can affect it. As mentioned earlier, consuming too much sugar can lead to health issues that increase the risk of developing dementia. Diets high in sugar have been linked to reduced cognitive functioning and memory problems in older adults.