By Dr Ritesh Kohli, MD
(Internal Medicine Specialist)
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest of tasks. In most people with AD, symptoms first appear after the age of 60.
AD is the most common cause of dementia among older people. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering and reasoning — to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities.
The Alzheimer’s Association has developed the following list of warning signs that include common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals who exhibit several of these symptoms should see a physician for a complete evaluation.
1. Memory loss
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
3. Problems with language
4. Disorientation to time and place
5. Poor or decreased judgment
6. Problems with abstract thinking
7. Misplacing things
8. Changes in mood or behaviour
9. Changes in personality
10. Loss of initiative
It is normal to have some degree of memory loss as you age. In fact, normal individuals at 50 years of age will recall only about 60% as many items on some kinds of memory tests as individuals thirty years younger. Furthermore, everyone forgets, and every twenty-year old is well aware of multiple times he or she couldn’t think of an answer on a test that he or she once knew.
What causes AD
Scientists don’t yet fully understand what causes AD, but it is clear that it develops because of a complex series of events that take place in the brain over a long period of time. It is likely that the causes include genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Because people differ in their genetic make-up and lifestyle, the importance of these factors for preventing or delaying AD differs from person to person.
How AD is diagnosed
AD can be definitively diagnosed only after death by linking clinical course with an examination of brain tissue and pathology in an autopsy. But doctors now have several methods and tools to help them determine fairly accurately whether a person having memory problems has ‘possible AD’ (the symptoms may be due to another cause) or ‘probable AD’ (no other cause for the symptoms can be found). To diagnose AD, doctors:
● Ask questions about the person’s overall health, past medical problems, ability to carry out daily activities, and changes in behaviour and personality.
● Conduct tests of memory, problem solving, attention, counting and language.
● Carry out medical tests, such as tests of blood, urine, or spinal fluid.
● Perform brain scans, such as a computerized tomography (CT) scan or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test.
These tests may be repeated to give doctors information about how the person’s memory is changing over time.
Early diagnosis is beneficial for several reasons. Having an early diagnosis and starting treatment in the early stages of the disease can help preserve function for months to years, even though the underlying AD process cannot be changed. Having an early diagnosis also helps families plan for the future, make living arrangements, take care of financial and legal matters, and develop support networks.
How AD
is treated
AD is a complex disease, and no single ‘magic potion’ is likely to prevent or cure it. That’s why current treatments focus on several different aspects, including helping people maintain mental function; managing behavioural symptoms; and slowing, delaying, or preventing AD.
Lifestyle and home remedies
A healthy lifestyle may help prevent or postpone the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Because Alzheimer’s is most common in people over the age of 80, delaying the onset of the disease would increase the probability that people will die of other causes before Alzheimer’s has a chance to develop.
Eat your veggies
Maintaining a healthy weight and eating a healthy diet appears to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Your doctor may suggest:
● Lots of fruit and vegetables
● Fish or poultry, instead of red meat
● Whole-grain breads and cereals
● Alternate sources of proteins, such as beans, nuts and seeds
● More olive oil and less saturated fat
Exercise
Higher levels of physical activity have been associated with a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.
Exercise your brain
Maintaining mental fitness may delay the onset of dementia. Some researchers believe that lifelong mental exercise and learning may promote the growth of additional synapses, the connections between neurons, and delay the onset of dementia.
Carry a reminder
Record not just upcoming events, but things that happen and activities you need to complete on a daily basis. Tick off those activities when done. If you can make this process a habit before your memory problems worsen, you’ll be more likely to retain this skill as the disease progresses.
Prevention
Right now, there’s no proven way to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
However, you may be able to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by reducing your risk factors. The main players appear to be blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels.
Keeping active — physically, mentally and socially — also seems to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
