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How To Prevent Early Onset Alzheimer’s

Head Injuries And Dementia

Super foods for preventing Alzheimer’s

Some research has suggested that a serious head injury or trauma could increase the risk of developing dementia. There is a specific form of dementia associated with damage from repeated head traumas, called dementia pugilistica. This condition is believed to affect around two in 10 retired professional boxers.

Outside the boxing ring, the term chronic traumatic encephalopathy is used to describe long-term damage to the brain caused by repeated head injuries. Several contact sports governing bodies are now undertaking research in this area, and have introduced new safety measures in recent years.

The Link Between Traumatic Brain Injury And Dementia Risk

Traumatic brain injury , a risk factor in midlife, is often caused by injuries sustained from automobile, sports accidents and exposure to blasts among members of the military. Severe TBI is linked to abnormal tau proteins, a biomarker of Alzheimers. People aged 50 years or older with a history of TBI are at an increased risk of dementia compared to those without TBI.

Meanwhile, falls are the leading cause of TBI among older adults. And older adults with concussion have double the risk of dementia.

Heres what you can do:To reduce risk of falls for older adults, doing balance exercises and maintaining muscle strength especially in the legs is crucial, Larson said. Lookout for items around your home which can cause a trip. And avoid walking on slick surface barefoot or with stockings.

Read more about past research on TBI and dementia among military veterans, and the different proteins involved in TBI.

Targets Of Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention Research

Researchers are exploring these and other interventions that may help prevent, delay, or slow Alzheimer’s dementia or age-related cognitive decline. Other research targets include:

  • New drugs to delay onset or slow disease progression
  • Diabetes treatment
  • Blood pressure- and lipid-lowering treatments
  • Sleep interventions
  • Vitamins such as B12 plus folic acid supplements and D
  • Combined physical and mental exercises

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I Was Diagnosed With Early

Dan Jaworski didnt notice his symptoms at first, but his wife Julie knew something was wrong.

Alzheimers is generally considered a disease of old agethe risk of developing the degenerative brain condition rises exponentially for every decade over age 65. But in around 5% of all cases, the symptoms can begin much earlier, in what is known as early-onset Alzheimers. In some cases, it may be due to genetics, but in the majority of those diagnosed with Alzheimers in their 30s, 40s, or 50s, there is no known cause. Here is one familys story.

Dan and I have been married for 33 yearswe were high school sweethearts. We have two amazing kids, who are 24 and 28, and our first grandbaby on the way. Dan has always had a short attention span, but I first started to notice something was different around three years ago, when he couldnt remember things I had just told him. He would forget where he parked the car, even when it was in a really obvious spot, and one time we were at my parents house and we had to tear down a backyard shed, and he must have asked me six times what we were doing with the shed. It started getting really annoying! I had to stop and figure it out. Is he just not paying attention?

Then in 2019, we took a family trip to Thailand, and I asked the kids to watch Dan and let me know if they noticed something was going on or if it was just me going crazy. At the end of the trip, they said to me, Please take Dad to see a doctor. He had just turned 54.

How To Prevent Alzheimers: Lifestyle Changes

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Being Patient: What do we know about how to prevent Alzheimers?

Pierre Tariot: Its increasingly looking like lifestyle variables may increase or decrease risks. So, to oversimplify it a bit, if you want to do something to decrease risk now for your own future brain health concerns, live a heart-healthy lifestyle. It looks like that might really reduce the risk of symptoms of memory and thinking difficulty emerging later on.

Being Patient: Exercise, eat olive oil those types of things?

Pierre Tariot:Yeah, blood pressure, blood sugar, lipids, dont smoke, watch your weight. Aerobic exercise might be number one, actually, on that list. If I didnt say dont smoke three times, dont smoke. They are all important issues and may become dominant in the future as more of these so-called diet and lifestyle studies are done. At the Alzheimers Prevention Initiative the Banner Alzheimers Institute is taking, we want to look at people who have normal memory and thinking ability, but who are at very elevated or even certain risk of developing symptoms of Alzheimers soon and see if we can stave that off.

Being Patient:If we dont know what causes Alzheimers disease, how do you approach prevention? We know the plaques, tangles and inflammation all play a role. So, where do you start?

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Education And Social Lifestyle

As per Harvard health, observational studies show that social contact can help prevent cognitive decline. Learning new things can stimulate cognitive activities which help in preventing these diseases. Other studies also show that keeping strong connections and being mentally active lowers risk of dementia. The direct impact of mental and social stimulation is strengthening the links in the brain.

What Is Alzheimers Disease

Alzheimers disease is the most common type of irreversible dementia . Nearly 7 out of 10 people with dementia have the Alzheimers type.

While Alzheimers disease affects up to 1 in 10 Australians over 65 years of age, and up to 3 in 10 Australians over 85, it is not a normal part of ageing.

The brain contains millions of brain cells that organise how the brain stores memories, learns habits and shapes our personality. Signals pass along the connections between brain cells in the form of chemicals called neurotransmitters. Alzheimers disease affects these cells and chemicals, disturbing memory, impairing thinking and causing behaviour changes over time. People with Alzheimers disease eventually need long-term care and support.

There are 2 main types of Alzheimers disease:

  • Sporadic Alzheimers is the most common form and usually occurs after age 65. Its cause is not fully understood.
  • Familial Alzheimers is caused by a very rare genetic condition and results in dementia, usually in people in their 40s and 50s. This is known as younger onset dementia.

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Pillar #: Healthy Diet

In Alzheimers disease, inflammation and insulin resistance injure neurons and inhibit communication between brain cells. Alzheimers is sometimes described as diabetes of the brain, and a growing body of research suggests a strong link between metabolic disorders and the signal processing systems. By adjusting your eating habits, however, you can help reduce inflammation and protect your brain.

Manage your weight. Extra pounds are a risk factor for Alzheimers disease and other types of dementia. A major study found that people who were overweight in midlife were twice as likely to develop Alzheimers down the line, and those who were obese had three times the risk. Losing weight can go a long way to protecting your brain.

Cut down on sugar.Sugary foods and refined carbs such as white flour, white rice, and pasta can lead to dramatic spikes in blood sugar which inflame your brain. Watch out for hidden sugar in all kinds of packaged foods from cereals and bread to pasta sauce and low or no-fat products.

Enjoy a Mediterranean diet. Several epidemiological studies show that eating a Mediterranean diet dramatically reduces the risk of decline from cognitive impairment and Alzheimers disease. That means plenty of vegetables, beans, whole grains, fish and olive oiland limited processed food.

How To Prevent Alzheimers If You Have The Gene

Living With Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease

Studies suggest healthy habits and positive lifestyle changes can ward off this ailment. In fact, experts and researchers support the assertion.

Diet and Natural Remedies To Prevent Alzheimers are effective.

Here we have shared a summed up version of the effective Ways to Prevent Alzheimers Disease.

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Planning For The Future

Planning early makes it easier for someone with younger onset dementia to manage their financial, legal and medical affairs now and in the future.

If you have been diagnosed with younger onset dementia, it is important to make important decisions while you still can and while you are legally competent to sign any documents.

Things to think about include:

  • your living arrangements into the future
  • who can have access to your financial accounts
  • having joint signatures on all financial accounts
  • arranging when and how you will access your finances
  • talking to a financial adviser
  • sorting out superannuation, health and income insurance
  • writing or updating your will

If you have been diagnosed with dementia, its important to nominate a trusted person to manage your affairs in the future. You can do this through an Enduring Power of Attorney .

A financial EPA enables a nominated person to look after your financial affairs if you become unable to do so. A medical EPA covers only medical decisions. The laws regarding EPAs vary between states and territories, so it’s important to seek legal advice before the agreement is completed, or if you are moving interstate.

Some states also have medical guardianship . This allows someone to choose a person to make medical decisions for them. For more information on guardianship and administrators, visit the My Aged Care website.

Be Sure To Take Your Vitamins And Memory

If youre serious about the prevention of Alzheimers and improving memory loss, you should definitely take a high potency multiple vitamin and mineral capsule. Be sure the vitamin formula you choose contains folic acid and vitamin C. Folic acid reduces homocysteine levelshigh homocysteine levels put you at risk for both heart disease and memory loss. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce your risk of Alzheimers disease by 20% when taken with vitamin E. To take advantage of its fullest benefits, you should take a dose of 2,000 mg of vitamin C per day.

When you create a balanced diet that puts your overall wellbeing at the forefront, youre not only doing good for your body, but youre also supporting and enhancing your memory as well.

Consider including the following memory-specific nutrients in your daily vitamin plan:

  • coenzyme Q10

Discover our latest research update in the Summer 2014 White Paper.

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Difficulty Determining Time Or Place

Losing track of dates and misunderstanding the passage of time as it occurs are also two common symptoms. Planning for future events can become difficult since they arent immediately occurring.

As symptoms progress, people with AD can become increasingly forgetful about where they are, how they got there, or why theyre there.

Exercise Your Body And Mind

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Physical exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and some studies suggest that it can improve cognitive agility. For an Alzheimers patient, exercise may also help maintain muscle strength, decrease frailty, and elevate mood.

Some research suggests that exercising our brain, through activities like reading, learning a musical instrument, or playing chess, can help protect people from cognitive decline later in life. Again, rigorous clinical trials will be required to prove this is true. In the meantime, learning new skills and activities may, at a minimum, enrich your life. Learn more about healthy living with Alzheimers disease.

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Take Care Of Yourself

Your help is really important to your loved one’s quality of life. But it’s a lot to take on. You’ll probably feel anxious, depressed, and even angry sometimes. A person with dementia often needs long hours of care and a lot of monitoring, which can make you feel exhausted and overwhelmed. It’s OK to feel this way. Many caregivers do.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself. Here are some tips to relieve your stress:

  • Be realistic. Accept that you can’t do it all alone and that it’s OK to ask for help or say yes when someone offers. It’s also fine to say no.
  • Don’t quit your job until your loved one has a definitive diagnosis and you’ve fully explored any employee benefits. This helps keep income flowing and relieves stress about lack of funds, at least temporarily. Talk to your boss about flex options, like telecommuting.
  • Stay informed. Learn all you can about early-onset dementia and how it can affect your family’s life. You’ll be better prepared for future changes.
  • Talk to others. Get support from family and close friends. Don’t keep your feelings bottled up inside. Sharing your emotions and journey can be helpful. Caregiver support groups are available and may be a safe place for you to discuss your feelings and unwind.
  • Walk it off. Exercise is a great stress reliever. It will help you sleep better, think better, and have more energy.

Interventions That May Slow Memory Loss In Early Alzheimers Disease

  • /
  • Interventions That May Slow Memory Loss in Early Alzheimers Disease

  • There are many interventions that have been recently targeted in clinical research studies, aimed at preventing the onset of early Alzheimers disease.

    Read more about the primary interventions for early Alzheimers and how you can implement them to prevent memory loss in your life.

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    Natural Ways To Prevent Early Onset Dementia

    Research shows your brain starts to noticeably slow down as early as your 40s, particularly if you do nothing to combat it.

    he Brain Fog Fix is about taking better care of your brain to help fight anxiety, depression, brain fog, scatterbrain, and other conditions that are becoming the scary status quo in our country. But its also about using simple strategies to help make your life easier, happier, and more fulfilling. Its all connected: if your brain is in bad shape, chances are the rest of your life is, too.

    Here is a clip of me on the Today Show sharing tips on how to cut your chances of dementia by 50%

    What Is Brain Fog?

    We haze, daze, and wire our brains with caffeine, sugar, starches, electronics, distractions, and unnecessary stressa recipe virtually guaranteed to disrupt our brain chemistry. And then we rely on short-term Band-Aids like excessive caffeine, antidepressants, sleep aids, and social isolation that ultimately exacerbate our problems.

    The good news is that you can reverse these trends and take charge of your brain health without too much difficulty at all. Ill show you how.

    Far too many of us are eating blood sugarspiking carbohydrates and high omega-6 proteins and fats at every snack and meal, both of which can affect mood and intelligence and even set us up for dementia, which generally first surfaces as brain fog or scatterbrainproblems that we mightve avoided simply by taking better care of our brains and bodies.

    Senior Moments Or Dementia

    Mental Activity And Wellbeing

    early onset dementia

    Research has linked staying mentally active to a lower risk of memory and thinking problems. Other studies have linked spending more time in education with a lower risk.

    Its not clear which activities may be most beneficial but doing things you enjoy, whether thats reading, crosswords, singing or playing an instrument, will help to keep you mentally active.

    Research has linked social isolation to a higher risk of dementia, although we still need to understand why. Keeping socially active by connecting with other people or joining clubs can be a good way to feel happier, healthier and more positive in life.

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    What Can You Do

    Although there is no effective treatment or proven prevention for Alzheimers and related dementias, in general, leading a healthy lifestyle may help address risk factors that have been associated with these diseases.

    Researchers cannot say for certain whether making the above lifestyle changes will protect against dementia, but these changes are good for your health and are all part of making healthy choices as you age.

    Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease: What Do We Know

    As they get older, many people worry about developing Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. If they have a family member with Alzheimer’s, they may wonder about their family history and genetic risk. As many as 5.5 million Americans age 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s. Many more are expected to develop the disease as the population agesunless ways to prevent or delay it are found.

    Although scientists have conducted many studies, and more are ongoing, so far nothing has been proven to prevent or delay dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease. But researchers have identified promising strategies and are learning more about what mightand might notwork.

    We know that changes in the brain can occur many years before the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s appear. These early brain changes point to a possible window of opportunity to prevent or delay debilitating memory loss and other symptoms of dementia. While research may identify specific interventions that will prevent or delay the disease in some people, it’s likely that many individuals may need a combination of treatments based on their own risk factors.

    Researchers are studying many approaches to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s. Some focus on drugs, some on lifestyle or other changes. Let’s look at the most promising interventions to date and what we know about them.

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    Toxic Burden And Brain Health

    Due to increased toxic burden from endocrine disrupting compounds, heavy metals, and other environmental contaminants, the bodys natural detox pathways have a significant amount of unwanted substances to properly metabolize and eliminate from the body.

    If you have reduced methylation status, it can be even harder for your body to get rid of toxins, and this can cause things like heavy metals or other neurological toxins to interfere with brain health.

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