By Barbara Pierce
“Today, getting off the road to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is so much simpler than we previously thought…The evidence is clear,” said physician Sanjay Gupta in the new CNN documentary “The Last Alzheimer’s Patient,” now streaming on MAX.
The evidence is that dementia can be slowed, prevented, even reversed by lifestyle changes.
“The Last Alzheimer’s Patient” follows the treatment of people with Alzheimer’s over five years, including lifestyle interventions. One of those people featured said, and footage shows, that her dementia was reversed after she participated in a clinical trial that involved making significant lifestyle changes.
As a result, Gupta claims that the symptoms of dementia can be slowed, prevented — even reversed.
That’s huge!
The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia is a progressive brain disorder that destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually the ability to perform even simple tasks. It affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language.
It’s a leading cause of disability and death in older adults.
In the U.S., nearly 1 in 10 adults older than 65 have some type of dementia, found a study by the University of Michigan. Another 1 in 5 have mild cognitive impairment, which means they have more memory or thinking problems than others, but these problems don’t usually interfere with daily activities.
As we age, most of us assume there’s nothing we can do to avoid that fate — dementia is just one of the things that may happen to us as we grow older.
But can the symptoms of dementia can be prevented or reversed?
The documentary, as well as a new report published in “The Lancet” (an internationally trusted medical journal based in England), said they can. By understanding and acting on the risk factors of dementia, we can delay or even prevent or reverse some cases of dementia.
Nearly half of dementia cases could, in fact, be prevented or delayed if people adopted certain habits, according to the report from The Lancet. This includes switching to a plant-based diet, regular exercise, group support sessions, yoga and meditation.
We asked Jessica DesRosiers, senior director, Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter, for the Alzheimer’s Association’s input on these significant results.
Lifestyle interventions to treat or prevent cognitive decline and dementia are a hopeful area of research, she said.
“They may have therapeutic possibilities on their own or in combination with current and future drug treatments, the same as we now treat heart disease,” she added.
The results presented in the documentary, has not proven that these interventions can prevent or reverse Alzheimer’s disease, she said.
“These are anecdotes about individual cases; not reliable, credible evidence,” she said.
“The documentary features the story of a handful of individuals. However, the standard for credible, reliable evidence is a randomized controlled clinical trial,” she continued. “Clinical trials are needed to develop reliable, credible evidence of the effectiveness and safety of any medical intervention.”
“The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to exploring a wide variety of research paths including behavioral and lifestyle interventions, and is a leader in this area throughout the U.S.,” she added.
Everyday actions can make a difference in your brain, lowering the risk of cognitive decline and possibly dementia, she said.
10 Ways to Lower Your Risk for Alzheimer’s
The Alzheimer’s Association offers 10 Healthy Habits for your Brain at alz.org
1. Challenge your mind: Put your brain to work and do something new for you. Learn a new skill. Try something artistic.
2. Keep learning: Encourage young people to stay in school, as education reduces the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Continue your own education by taking adult ed classes.
3. Get moving: Engage in regular exercise. This includes activities that raise your heart rate and increase blood flow to the brain and body. Find ways to build more movement into your day — walking, dancing, gardening — whatever works for you.
4. Protect your head: Prevent an injury to your head by wearing a helmet for activities like biking and wear a seatbelt. Protect yourself while playing sports. Do what you can to prevent falls.
5. Be smoke-free: Quitting smoking can lower the risk of cognitive decline back to levels similar to those who have not smoked. It’s never too late to stop.
6. Control your blood pressure: Use medications; healthy habits like eating right and physical activity can help, too. Work with your health care provider to control your blood pressure.
7. Manage diabetes: Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or controlled by eating healthier, increasing physical activity and taking medication, if necessary.
8. Eat right: Eating healthier foods can help reduce your risk of cognitive decline. This includes more vegetables and leaner meats/proteins, along with foods that are less processed and lower in fat.
9. Maintain a healthy weight
10. Sleep well: Good quality sleep is important for brain health. Stay off screens before bed and make your sleep space as comfortable as possible.