By Emily Miller
Scientists say lifestyle changes – such as a healthier diet and brain boosting activity – could help prevent people from developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Several key studies regarding the advancement of Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment were discussed this week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
One study found that two years of exercising, diet, cognitive training and other mild lifestyle changes could improve a person’s memory function, which would indirectly reduce one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
This particular study was conducted in Finland and placed high emphasis on how incorporating multiple lifestyle changes can improve one’s health. There is no one solution for reducing one’s risk of developing such disease.
Researchers also discovered that individuals who were more socially active had less of a chance of developing memory loss, as social activity boosts brainpower. The same could be said about individuals who engage in brain boosting puzzles and games.
Another study highlighted that countries such as the United States, Germany and other developed countries have shown a declining rate of dementia. For example, in the United States an American over age 60 has a 44 percent lower chance of developing dementia than a person the same age 30 years ago.
The declining rate of dementia could be linked to the declining rate of smokers in the US; lower rates of heart disease and stroke; and improved blood pressure and cholesterol rates. All of these are major factors linked to dementia.
However, the growth of diabetes and obesity could offset these gains. The World Health Organization estimated that there would be 366,000,000 individuals worldwide diagnosed with diabetes in 2030, which is more than double the number of diabetics the WHO approximated in 2000.
The WHO also stated that obesity rates have nearly doubled since 1980 and calculated that more than 1.4 billion adults, 10 and older, were overweight in 2008.
The nonprofit Alzheimer’s Disease International organization says dementia, of which Alzheimer’s is the most common form, affects more than 44 million people worldwide. The group also predicts that this number will triple to more than 135 million by 2050.
Unfortunately, once diagnosed with the disease there is no cure and treatment can be extremely expensive. Medical professionals and researchers are looking for alternative ways to stop the disease before it has begun to develop.
Individuals diagnosed with the condition may also suffer from high health insurance to help cover the cost of treatment and prescription drugs.
