Lifestyle Changes Can Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's

[undeterred]

By SHIRLEY S. WANG
Paris

A new, theoretical analysis finds that about half of the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease are potentially changeable, and that reducing them could substantially decrease the number of new cases of disease worldwide, according to a study to be presented Tuesday at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference. The study is the first known analysis that tries to quantify and compare how risk factors are associated with Alzheimer's. It will be published Tuesday on the journal Lancet Neurology's website after the conference presentation.

Factors that increase one's risk for Alzheimer's that are considered modifiable include diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, sedentary behavior, depression and low educational level, say the authors from the University of California, San Francisco.

In the U.S., physical inactivity is the biggest changeable factor, accounting for 21% of the risk for Alzheimer's, followed by depression and smoking. Added together, the factors account for about 50% of the risk.

If these risk factors were decreased by just 10%, about 184,000 Alzheimer's cases in the U.S. and 1.1 million cases world-wide could be prevented, according to the research. A reduction of 25% on all seven risk factors could prevent nearly half a million cases in the U.S. and more than three million world-wide, the analyses showed. There are some five million people in the U.S. thought to have Alzheimer's, according to the Alzheimer's Association, and about 36 million cases globally, according to Alzheimer's Disease International.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303795304576454110940969044.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Too bad he couldn't utilize those in his hearing.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/07/protester-armed-with-foam-pie-attacks-murdoch/1

[truedelphi]

2. I did hospice, disabled care for nineteen years...

And ya know what?

What I witnessed is this: Alzheimer's strikes any and everyone.

Many of the clients I saw who were A. patients were extremely active, both physically and mentally. They had good incomes, so they could golf, swim, play tennis, relax, et cetera.

They were well educated. They liked to socialize with family and friends.

They could play a musical instrument, and often the women liked to sew (prior to A's disease hitting them.)

None of these factors helped them avoid the disease.

I keep wonder if there is another factor we are not being told about.

I know in some of the literature available in the mid-nineties, there were case histories of people in Eastern Europe, who were born in areas where the soil contained a lot of flouride.

We brush our teeth with flouride. We have drinking water and bottled fruit juice, with high flouride counts.

Just saying - if the flouride in the soil was enough of a concern for major scientific studies of that Eastern European population, why don't we look into this flouride aspect?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

4. stop eating nitrites

Nitrates May Be Environmental Trigger For Alzheimer’s, Diabetes And Parkinson's Disease

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705215239.htm

[Xithras]

5. There's a difference between "reduce risk" and "prevent"

Quitting smoking reduces your risks for getting lung cancer. Non-smokers still get lung cancer every day. We still encourage people not to smoke.

Reducing these risk factors lowers your odds of being struck by Alzheimers, but it doesn't eliminate the possibility. As you said, it strikes anyone and everyone. Still, lowering your odds of getting it is a step in the right direction.

[truedelphi]

9. But if there is indeed a "Substance Az' factor that

pretty much ensures that you are going to get A's disease, then all the "reducing risk" behavior in the world will not stop you from getting the disease.

In that case what would truly prevent you from getting Alzheimer's is not having that "Substance Az" in your diet.

I am pleased to see that the OP source material includes depression, as depression often comes with anxiety. And researchers know that cortisol released and then setting up a cascading effect on the entire body's system, as does happen with on-going and relentless anxiety attacks, does seem to have an effect in terms of a person getting Alzheimer's.

[TNDemo]

6. Very true.

My mother got it in her 50s and had none of those risk factors, just unlucky genetics. Her alzheimers unit was full of highly educated, well to do folks who were just like her. If you are going to get it, you're going to get it. My dad had all those risk factors and never got alzheimers, just heart disease.

[truedelphi]

10. My condolences to your mom, and to yr family.

Really a catastrophic problem for any family to deal with. And often whichever family member handles the care giving, that person's health is destroyed as well. (especially if they have a major chronic condition like heart disease )

[Ian David]

3. Is the problem depression itself, the behavior it causes, or the medication to treat depression? n/t

[canoeist52]

7. So sick of this blaming the victim for their diseases

My mom -
college educated teacher

no diabetes

no high blood pressure

not obese

never smoked

not depressed

Very active:
helped seniors with tax forms
secretary for the local democratic town committee
worked the polls on election day
volunteered at the elementary school
loved to hike, garden and mow her own lawn into her 70's

GUESS WHAT...no one knows why she got this. Did they look into chemical toxins that are in the air, dirt and water all around us for this study?

[undeterred]

11. Polling places.

Exposure to Republicans...

[canoeist52]

13. I never thought of that :)

Although two of her children are conservative republicans. But when she had her faculties, she said "Don't worry, *****'s not registered - she's afraid she'll get jury duty if she does!"

[marions ghost]

8. I think there may be some

environmental risks. I thought aluminum in body products and soda cans was one. Also nitrates.

[undeterred]

12. No longer politically correct to blame products.

Must blame our own behavior. At least that's what I'm getting out of this sort of study, which seems to change the causes every 20 years or so for no apparent reason.

[canoeist52]

14. +! Because...

Because we're deliberately trying to make ourselves sick :sarcasm:

[undeterred]

15. We aren't allowed to blame corporations for our own

laziness, stupidity, and squalor. :sarcasm:

[marions ghost]

17. yes the categories are so general

that you wonder how can they be pinned down to cause and effect.

I'd buy what you're saying....

[bullwinkle428]

16. My Dad had none of those negative things going for him, yet still

went through close to 10 years of a downward spiral into hell as the result of Alzheimer's.