The National Institute on Aging or NIA in the US estimates that there are about 6 million Americans, most of whom are aged 65 years and older, who have Alzheimer’s disease. The mental illness is also the country’s seventh leading cause of death.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that slowly impairs a person’s cognitive skills. As it progresses, people with the illness find it difficult to perform even simple, everyday tasks.
It was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who, in 1906, discovered several abnormal plaques and tangles in the brain tissues of a woman who died of an unusual mental illness. The patient’s symptoms included memory loss, speech problems, and erratic behavior.
Today, modern medicine knows that apart from plaques and tangles, a person with Alzheimer’s also exhibits lost connections between neurons in the brain. Neurons are nerve cells that transmit messages from the brain to the organs and muscles of the body and vice versa.
Worthwhile Preventions
While there is no known cure yet for Alzheimer’s disease, studies point to promising strategies that might help keep it at bay.
Increasing physical activity
A study found on PubMed Central, the online library of the National Institute for Biotechnological Information (NCBI), says that “the human body was designed for physical activity that challenges our resting physiologic homeostasis” — activity that benefits the brain.
In other words, bodily exercise benefits our brains too. Physical activity improves our heart health, mobility, and independence. It also reduces risks for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, high blood pressure, and stroke, which affect or contribute to cognitive decline.
“Aging individuals in good physical health can expect enhanced cognitive reserves and a slower aging process. Even when patients begin to experience cognitive decline, the decline can improve using exercise as an intervention,” stressed the study.
The paper also noted that the cognition and mood of patients with Alzheimer’s disease improved with exercise.
Training your mind
Engaging your mind in activities designed to sharpen your reasoning skills, memory retention, and processing speed can help delay or slow down cognitive decline.
A study called ACTIVE, short for Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly, found that “cognitive training improved the abilities of healthy older adults over age 65.”
The clinical trial had an average age of 73 at the start of the study. It found that participants who engaged in activities that focused on sharpening their memory, reasoning, and processing speed retained their improvements in the said areas up to 10 years after completing their training.
However, even if it’s not specific cognitive training, the National Health Services or NHS of the UK also point out that there is some evidence suggesting that “rates of dementia are lower in people who remain mentally and socially active throughout their lives.”
These activities can include learning a new language, playing musical instruments, participating in group sports, trying a new hobby, and even volunteering in your local community.
It’s important to note, however, that engaging regularly in physical and mental activities isn’t the only key factor to help prevent Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. You must also abstain from smoking, drinking, and other health risks to truly help your mind and body maintain their optimal functional states for as long as possible.
Even after a century since its discovery, finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease remains challenging because its exact cause is still unknown.
However, studies show that you can still rely on time-tested practices that promote general health and well-being to help keep Alzheimer’s and other diseases at bay.
