Charles Snelling spent six years taking care of his Alzheimer's-stricken wife, Adrienne, helpless as he watched the disease steal his college sweetheart. In March, after six decades of marriage, Snelling killed his longtime partner, and then he killed himself. Both were 81. "After apparently reaching the point where he could no longer bear to see the love of his life deteriorate further, our father ended our mother's life and then took his own life as well," his children said in a statement. "This is a total shock to everyone in the family, but we know he acted out of deep devotion and profound love."
Indeed, Alzheimer's disease unleashes a devastating, sometimes unmanageable burden. It is a leading cause of disability and death, with numbers poised to explode in coming years as the older population grows. (Symptoms typically first appear after age 60.) By 2050, an estimated 16 million people will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's, the most common type of dementia, and roughly 5.4 million Americans are living with the condition, according to a March report by the Alzheimer's Association, a nonprofit advocacy group. One person develops the disease every second. It's the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, and the 5th for those age 65 and older. And there's no cure. "We should be very worried," says Reisa Sperling, director of the Center for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
In 2011, President Obama signed the National Alzheimer's Project Act, a law aimed at raising Alzheimer's profile, increasing funding for research and fighting Alzheimer's with an intensity equal to that in the war against cancer and heart disease. The hope: to wipe out or at least better treat Alzheimer's by 2025. Officials are frustrated that, while death rates from stroke, prostate cancer, breast cancer, heart disease, and HIV declined between 2000 and 2008, the death rate from Alzheimer's jumped by 66 percent.
[See: 6 Ways to Protect Yourself Against Alzheimer's and Dementia]
Unfortunately, there's no concrete evidence that any protective stepâ€"be it brain games or dietary supplementsâ€"lowers the chances of Alzheimer's, according to a 2010 report by the National Institutes of Health. Although observational and animal studies show promise that the disease can be sidestepped, there's a lack of robust clinical studies involving humans, the gold standard in clinical research. "Can I say that exercise or diet will reduce your risk of Alzheimer's or delay onset so you get it at a later age? No, because we don't know for sure at this point," says Laurie Ryan, program director of Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trials with the National Institute on Aging. "But the data we do have suggests that healthy living promotes healthy aging, which can only be good for you, even if it doesn't prevent or slow down onset."
Says Sperling: "It comes down to keeping the brain active mentally, the body active physically, and staying active socially. That combination is important," says Sperling. Here's what science suggests may help, and certainly won't hurt:
Keeping your brain sharp. People who challenge their brains throughout their lifetime by reading, writing, or playing games might be less likely to develop beta-amyloid plaques, abnormal protein deposits that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's. That's according to a small study published in January in the Archives of Neurology. The findings, based on brain-imaging, hint that people who stay mentally engaged from childhood on may lower their risk of Alzheimer's. Study participants who had only recently taken up crosswords or other mental exercises did not see much benefit, suggesting that early engagement is key. "It's interesting data," Sperling says. "It shows that there's no relationship between current activities and protectionâ€"it has to do with early life engagement."
[See: Fight These 4 Causes of Aging]
Eating a healthy diet. To thrive, your brain needs the right combination of nutrients. Diet seems to play a role in Alzheimer's risk: A brain-healthy diet is low in fat and cholesterol, reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and encourages good blood flow to your noggin. Maintaining an appropriate weight may count, too. One study of 1,500 adults found that those who were obese in middle age were twice as likely to develop dementia in later life as their normal-weight peers. Study participants with high cholesterol and high blood pressureâ€"which are both influenced by dietâ€"had six times the risk of dementia. Certain foods may play a role in protecting brain cells: Dark-skinned fruits and veggies, like kale, spinach, broccoli, prunes, raisins, blueberries, and red grapes, are rich in antioxidants thought to protect cognitive function while aiding in the reversal of cognitive decline. Cold-water fish, such as halibut, m ackerel, salmon, trout, and tuna, contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which slow the accumulation of brain-clogging plaques. Other smart choices: almonds, pecans, and walnuts, which contain vitamin E, an antioxidant thought to preserve brain health. What's unclear is how much of these foods you would have to consume to see a benefit.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar