E. S. Hamilton
VFW Post 9876

Pattaya City, Thailand

 
Surgeon's Corner

Alzheimer’s disease
 

Alzheimer’s disease 

One of the more feared consequences of growing older is the possibility of developing Alzheimer’s disease.  Alzheimer’s victims lose their memories and then gradually all mental functions.  But are you pre-programmed to be a victim?  It is currently believed that there is indeed a strong genetic predisposition to falling victim to this disease.  But that might be as low as 30%.  In other words, even if there is a family history of Alzheimer’s, you may be able to lower your own personal risk.  Environmental factors – those that you can control – likely make up the other 70% of the risk.

What can you do in the way of prevention?  For one thing, mental stimulation seems to help.  On one end of the scale, leading a passive, same ole, day-in and day-out existence seems to lead to the rapid progression of Alzheimer’s symptoms.  On the other hand, keeping mentally and physically stimulated seems to ward off the symptoms.  Doing crossword puzzles, playing any kind of games that involve thinking and challenge the memory seems to help.

All of us have those ‘senior moments’ where we forget why we entered a room; what were we going to do when we got there?  Where are my car keys, glasses, shoes?  Don’t worry much about such events, they are simply the consequences of aging; hence the name.  But if you forget you wife’s name or how to start the car: then you have the beginnings of a problem!  Medical science has little to offer today in the way of drug therapy.  It is up to all of us to remain active and ward off the progression of memory loss.

Diet can play a helpful role.  A diet generally low in fat is healthy in many ways.  That’s were those of us who choose to live in Asia have a distinct advantage over our US counterparts.  Nutritionists believe that some fatty acids found in fish, nuts and avocados (guacamole) and the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables are helpful in delaying the progression of the ‘brain clog’ that causes Alzheimer’s.  Incidentally, these are also helpful in preventing heart disease and some cancers as well. 

Stress seems to make Alzheimer’s patients even worse. It is thought that the cortisone that the body produces when under stress directly affects the brain cells.  So logically, keeping the stress level of you life lower should increase brain health.

There also seems to be some other good news on the horizon.

Stay tuned:

Pill raises Alzheimer's cure hope

[from BBC News July 2006]