Reducing Alzheimer’s Risk through a Healthy Lifestyle
Key Takeaways:
- Alzheimer’s disease can be categorized into early-onset and late-onset types, influenced by a mix of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
- Lifestyle modifications like regular physical activity, a Mediterranean or plant-based diet, enhanced sleep quality, maintaining mental activity, and strong social bonds can help improve brain health and reduce dementia risk.
- The most notable forms of Alzheimer’s impact begins with accumulation of abnormal proteins leading to death of brain cells, causing symptoms like memory loss, disorientation and issues with spatial navigation, speaking difficulties, and issues recognizing people.
- Early warning signs of Alzheimer’s include difficulties in recalling names, repetitious stories, getting lost often, and forgetting to take prescribed medications.
Alzheimer’s disease, a condition without definitive cure, might have its risks diminished with specific healthy lifestyle modifications. This is according to a distinguished expert in the field.
Identifying Types of Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease can be categorized into early-onset and late-onset types. The former usually impacts individuals under the age of 65, while the latter tends to affect older adults.
Early onset dementia often ties with hereditary factors, tending to run in families. Late-onset dementia’s cause, however, is less well-established. It likely stems from a mix of lifestyle, environmental, and genetic risk factors, believes Dr. Chen Zhao, a renowned neurologist.
Lifestyle Modifications and Brain Health
There are several lifestyle modifications that can potentially lead to enhanced brain health, consequentially shrinking the risk for dementia.
Among these, physical activity, especially aerobic exercises that get the heartbeat racing, seems to hold the most robust evidence in preserving brain functionality, as per Dr. Zhao’s statement. A diet centered around Mediterranean or plant-based foods, as well as improving sleep quality, can also bring benefits. Strong social bonds and maintaining mental activity could lower your odds too, as suggested by the Alzheimer’s Association.
Social and mental stimulation bolsters connections between brain nerve cells. Although the exact reason for this is yet to be pinpointed.
“Lifestyle choices indeed play a role in dementia risk. Adopting health-wise lifestyle changes not only serves to improve overall health and well-being, but also brain health,” elaborates Dr. Zhao.
Recognizing Alzheimer’s and Its Impact
As the most widespread form of dementia, Alzheimer’s progresses when an abnormal protein starts to accumulate and spread in the brain, causing normal brain cells to die over time, explains Dr. Zhao.
This process can provoke issues that intrude on daily life, including short-term memory loss, disorientation, issues with spatial navigation and judgement, and eventually difficulties in talking or identifying people.
Early warning signs of Alzheimer’s might include difficulties in recalling names of old acquaintances or feeling generally less sharp. Further signs may involve getting lost, repetition of the same stories, and forgetting to take prescribed medications.
If you notice any of these signs, it might be worthwhile seeking professional insights from a neurologist or obtaining a referral from your family doctor.
Additional Information
For more related material regarding signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s, you can visit here.
Original content based on a June 23, 2021, news release from Penn State Health.
