Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease through Lifestyle Changes

New Delhi:- Alzheimer’s disease is named after its discoverer German physician Dr Alois Alzheimer. On the basis of the autopsy of a patient, who started experiencing increased inability to care for herself at the age of 51 and died five years afterwards, Dr Alzheimer identified ‘plaques’ and ‘tangles’ that characterize Alzheimer’s disease. He presented his findings in his research paper “particular disease of the cerebral cortex ” in 1906.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia , a group of conditions that gradually destroys brain cells and leads to progressive deterioration of intellectual abilities that is sufficient to interfere with daily life. It takes 15-20 years for the symptoms of the disease to be observed. It is regarded as a syndrome of cognitive decline that is higher than expectation of the age of individual andhis level of education. Alzheimer’s Association has pointed out ten warning signs of this disease. They are: memory loss that disrupts daily life , challenges in planning or solving problems, difficulty in completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place , familiar tasks,  trouble in understanding visual images and spatial relationships, new problems with words in speaking or writing , misplacing things and loosing the ability to retrace steps , decreased or poor judgement, withdrawal from work or social activities , changes in mood and personality.

About 8.8 million Indians older than 60 years live with dementia:-

More than 25 million people in the world are currently affected by dementia, most suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, with around 5 million new cases every year. About 8.8 million Indians older than 60 years live with dementia. As the population ages it is projected that prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease will triple in the next thirty years, urging the need for prevention and treatment.

There is no drug as yet which can cure this disease. Drugs do not affect the underlying brain changes that cause symptoms, nor do they alter the course of the disease. They improve symptoms by increasing the amount of chemicals called neurotransmitters in the brain. Similarly , there are drugs that protect the brain from excessive levels of a neurotransmitter called glutamate which overestimates neurons and can damage them. These drugs may have side effects such as headaches and nausea.

Hence, the old adage “prevention is better that cure”  is applicable in the case of Alzheimer’s disease. For prevention of this disease we have to consider some factors. Age is the biggest risk factor as about 81% of Alzheimer’s patients are aged over 75 years as estimated by Alzheimer’s Association. Besides age, family history, genetic conditions are some factors that cannot be controlled. However, some risk factors – high body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, can be managed by medicines and lifestyle changes.

Hyperhomocysteinemia:-

During the last decade quite a good deal of researches have been undertaken which are important for prevention of Alzheimer’s.One of the new and most prevalent risk factor to emerge is hyperhomocysteinemia (high levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood), which is commonly found in those with B12 or folate deficiencies and much more common in those who consume diets high in meat. This finding highlights the relative importance of including a diet higher in the plant than meat protein for Alzheimer’s prevention, as pointed out by DrSarah C McEwen, director of research and programming of the Pacific Neurosciences Institute in California.

Alzheimer’s disease has a strong genetic component, but lifestyle changes such as exercise,diet,particioation in cognitively stimulating activities can help lower the impact ofsome risk factors.

Diet:

Diet which is good for the heart is also good for the brain. In a study done on mice fed on junk food for nine months showed signs of abnormal brain tangles associated with Alzheimer’s disease. On the basis of her research, the Swedish researcher Akterim pointed out “we now suspect that a high intake of fat and cholesterol in the combination with genetic factors....can adversely affect several brain substances, which can be contributory factor in developing Alzheimer’s”. A balance of amino acids, vitamins and other nutrients is required for the health and maintenance of the brain cells and their chemical messengers. A diet of fruits and vegetables, rich in antioxidants protects nerve cells from the damaging effects in blood stream. Spices like cloves, cinnamon and turmeric are particularly potent sources of antioxidants. Curcumin, a component of turmeric has been found to be effective in preventing the spread of amyloid protein plaques, which are supposed to cause Alzheimer’s.

Chemicals called omega-3 fatty acids also contribute to the well-being of brain cells by protecting it against memory impairments and neural damage.Fatty fish,flax seeds,walnuts,pumpkin seeds,chia seeds are rich sources of omega-3.Flavonoids in tea,resveratrol in red grapes can also protect our memory.Deficiency of vitamin- D—which is produced by the body when sunlight hits the skin – could also cause mental decline and some mental problems.Thus,incorporating vitamin-D rich foods in diet and spending time in sun could also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Physical activity:

A gradual loss of blood flow to the brain over years or decades could be a major trigger for Alzheimer’s. Research conducted by Robert Vassar of North Western University toward the end of 2008 show that reduced blood flow spurs production of the fiber-like knots of amyloid beta protein that form outside neurons and disrupt the ability to send messages, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, high TSH, high fat diet are all basic factors for Alzheimer’s as all these conditions disrupt blood supply in fine brain vessels and hamper impulse transmission between neural cells. In a study done in the University of Pittsburg in 2010 it was found that walking slowed decline in memory skills in people showing early signs of the disease and reduced brain shrinkage , a key sign of AD. In addition to reducing the impact of the risk factors of AD exercise is believed to elevate levels of certain chemicals called Brain Derived Neuronal Factor that enhances growth and regeneration of brain cells. On the basis of his research Barnes(2015) concluded that exercise could be a strategy to prevent or postpone the ageing brain from decline in cognition.

Promoting Social Life and Cognitive abilities :

For prevention of AD it is important to use our brain and keep challenging our mind. Chatting while drinking tea or coffee with friends or family members, listening to radio, playing cards with friends, reading newspapers, working on crosswords puzzle, playing with musical instruments, internet use by the  elderly can slow down the decline of cognitive ability.

Managing stress and encouraging healthy habits :

Stress has become an essential part of our life and to control its damaging effect on our mental functioning use of progressive relaxation, mental imaging, meditation, yoga nidra has been suggested. Studies have shown the positive impact of meditation on greater orderliness of brain functioning, improved ability to focus, improved perception and memory and decrease in stress hormones which promotes mental relaxation and peace of mind. Similarly, rest and 8 hours of sleep every night lowers one’s age-related decline.Keeping the mouth free of infection cuts down mental decline as relationships between diseases and memory loss has been found in a study at West Virginia University. Smoking has also a bad effect on memory, as observed in a s California study. Thus, we can prevent or postpone occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease through lifestyle changes.

Author - Dr G. P. Shrivastava