Alzheimer's Club

"At a recent conference on the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, several new and exciting research findings offered hope for patients and their families. Of course, the obvious finding that I have touted for years is to use your brain or lose it, and there seems to be some support for it. The new label that researchers are using is "cognitive reserve." Scientists have concluded that the brain can continue to grow new neurons throughout life. The more you work your brain to grow the neurons, the greater your cognitive reserve. Just as you have a nest egg for retirement, you'll want to have a reserve of brain function. advertisement

How do you build that reserve? The brain is like a muscle. You have to challenge it by engaging in stimulating activities. Watching television is not enough unless you are tuning into science or other such topics. A sitcom won't do it. As I have advocated in the past, you need to try new mental activities like playing bridge or learning a new language. Taking courses at a college or university can offer a challenge. It is important that you engage in some mental challenge on a daily basis. Clearly, the sooner you start the process of building that reserve the better.

Fortunately, the research has demonstrated that it is never too late to start. So whether you are 50, 60 or 70, now is the time to start or continue building your brain reserve. Another series of studies from the conference suggests that you need to be socially active if you want to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease. If you are socially isolated, you have less opportunity for mental stimulation. As we age, we lose family and friends who provided our social environment.

Seek out opportunities to socialize through activities like book groups or even game nights where you participate in mentally stimulating games. You get the mental activity and the socialization. The third line of research from the conference is physical activities. We already knew of links between physical inactivity and chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes. These affect memory and can lead to dementia. One study found that those who were physically and mentally inactive were more than three times as likely to get Alzheimer's disease as they age. Researchers in Sweden found that those individuals who were obese were more than twice as likely to get Alzheimer's disease. So we need to eat right.

There were a series of studies that discussed diet. Like all research, we need to be cautious about the findings. Consistent with earlier research, heart-healthy diets tend to be good for the brain as well. Another study even suggested that a moderate consumption of red wine or possibly other alcohol could help ward off Alzheimer's disease. On interesting study of identical twins found that daily brushing of the teeth and gums helped lessen the possibility of the disease. Early periodontal disease is a potential precursor of Alzheimer's disease.

If you would like to learn more about the conference and other findings, you can go to www.alz.org for updates. William Arnold is an emeritus professor at Arizona State University and an expert on aging. He welcomes reader comments. You can reach him at william.arnold@asu.edu."

Source: William Arnold. Study: Mental, social stimuli fight Alzheimer's. Arizona Republic (29 June 2005) [FullText]