Is Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease Possible?

Alzheimer's disease develops when multiple risk factors combine and overpower your brain's ability to maintain its normal functioning. Researchers have uncovered many risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Some of these, such as age and genetic makeup, are out of your control. Other risk factors are manageable. Healthy lifestyle choices are the best prevention for Alzheimer's.

Preventable Risk Factors for Alzheimer's Disease

According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, Alzheimer's disease studies on identical twins have shown that 60 percent of the overall risk for sporadic (late-onset) Alzheimer's disease is the result of lifestyle factors; not genetic factors. The following factors have all been identified as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease:

Cell damage from free radicals
Clinical depression
Diabetes
Head injuries
Inflammatory conditions
Low levels of brain stimulation (i.e. low education levels)
Poor cardiovascular health (i.e. high cholesterol and high blood pressure)
Stress
Strokes and mini-strokes.

A Healthy Diet for the Prevention of Alzheimer's

Maintaining a healthy diet is an important part of Alzheimer's disease prevention. The basic components of a healthy diet include:

Fruits and vegetables
Lean meat (i.e. fish and chicken)
Low-fat sources of protein (i.e. beans, nuts, and seeds)
Whole grains.

Prevention for Alzheimer's: Physical Exercise

Moderate daily exercise helps to reduce the medical conditions that are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Physical exercise is also directly involved in the prevention of Alzheimer's by promoting greater blood circulation to the brain. This helps to maintain healthy brain cells and improve cognitive skills.

According to the U.S. National Institute on Aging, adults aged 65 years and up who exercise for 15 minutes at least 3 times a week are 35 to 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's than their peers.

Mental Exercise for the Prevention of Alzheimer's

The "use it or lose it" axiom seems to be true with your brain. Research shows that exercising your brain can help enhance the health of your brain.

Stimulating your brain doesn't mean you have to go back to school to get your phD. There are many simple ways to exercise your brain, such as:

Dialing a phone number with your less dominant hand
Keeping up old hobbies and learning new ones
Learning to play a musical instrument
Playing mind games (i.e. word and number games)
Reading
Staying socially active
Studying a new language
Taking a course on a subject that interests you
Taking a different route when you drive to the store.

Conclusion

Adults who are physically, mentally, and socially active are significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than their peers.

Resources

Alzheimer Society of Canada Staff. (n.d.) Alzheimer's disease and risk factors. Retrieved April 28, 2010, from the Alzheimer Society of Canada Web site: http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/disease/causes-riskfac.htm.

Friedland, R. P. et al. (17 February 2000). Patients with Alzheimer's disease have reduced activities in midlife compared with healthy control-group members. Retrieved April 28, 2010, from the National Academy of Sciences Web site: http://www.pnas.org/content/98/6/3440.full.

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009). Lifestyle and home remedies. Retrieved April 28 2010, from the Mayo Clinic Web site: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzheimers-disease/DS00161/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remedies.

U.S. National Institutes of Health National Institute of Aging Staff. (n.d.) The search for AD prevention strategies. Retrieved April 28, 2010, from the U.S. National Institutes of Health National Institute of Aging Web site: http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/ADPrevented/strategies.htm.