Christelle D'Sa, Class of 2022
Alzheimer's is a disease associated with aging and is the most common dementia type (CDC 2020). Dementia is a term used to encompass the loss of memory and other cognitive abilities that are severe enough to impact a person’s daily life (Alzheimer’s Association 2020). The most common type of Alzhemier’s, late-onset Alzheimer's disease, starts to affect people in their late 60s. When Alzheimer’s affects people before their 60s, it is called early-onset Alzheimer’s.
While most people tend to forget a few facts and specific memories as they age, this is not the case for those who develop Alzheimer's. People who develop Alzheimer's have very profound and rapid memory loss as they age. This affects people's ability to hold conversations and carry out simple everyday tasks, such as remembering how to tie their shoes or how to get home from the grocery store, but personality changes may also occur as people’s memory loss worsens (CDC 2020). As the disease progresses, a build-up of Beta-amyloid proteins ("plaques") in the brain increases along with Tau proteins ("tangles") and it is this build-up that slowly causes neurons in the brain to die, resulting in the memory loss observed in people with Alzheimer's (Alzheimer's Association 2020). There are no known cures for Alzheimer's, so it is very important to decrease risk factors that lead to the onset of Alzheimer's because once people develop the disease it is irreversible and they have it for the rest of their life. Current treatments for Alzheimer's include managing behavioral symptoms and keeping people's minds active with complex tasks so that the symptoms of Alzheimer's are delayed or lessened (CDC 2020). These treatments focus on improving the quality of life of people living with Alzheimer’s or preventing its development completely.
Some people are more prone to developing Alzheimer's than others during their lifetimes. There are certain risk factors that can predispose people to getting Alzheimer's, such as age, family history, genetic profile, stroke, diabetes, depression, head injury, hypothyroidism, and cardiovascular disease (Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation 2020). As stated previously, older people tend to have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's, and it also runs in families, so if people have older relatives who developed Alzheimer's then these people may have genes leading to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's in their old age. If environmental factors lead to these genetically predisposed people developing diabetes, depression, hypothyroidism, or cardiovascular disease or having a stroke or head injury, their risk of developing Alzheimer's will increase even more. Some environmental risk factors, such as cardiovascular disease, can be mitigated or completely avoided by engaging in regular exercise and eating a balanced diet so that the body is kept in good shape. Additionally, avoiding smoking, engaging in social activities, and having a regular sleep schedule can help to reduce a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's (Ringer 2020).
A study by Sekikawa et al. (2020), looked specifically at how equol, present in soy, may decrease the rate of formation of plaques in the brain and of white matter lesions. The reduction in plaque formation in the brain and white matter lesions could in turn decrease the number of elderly people who developed Alzheimer's. They found that people with a higher amount of equol did develop a lower percentage of white matter lesions, but they did not find a significant relationship between equol and plaque formation (Sekikawa 2020). While this means that an increase in equol does not directly lead to a decrease in plaque formation, it should be noted that white matter lesions can worsen symptoms, such as memory loss, that are caused by plaque formation in people with Alzheimer's (Sekikawa 2020). Therefore, a higher production of equol in the body may lead to a decreased rate of progression for Alzheimer's, providing people with longer lives even if it does not directly prevent the onset of Alzheimer's. The decreased rate of progression may also result in an improved quality of life for the elderly, as they will preserve a larger portion their memory for a longer time and be able to participate in more fulfilling activities during their retirement.
Overall, the best strategy to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s is to adopt a healthier lifestyle that keeps the mind and body active. This can include, but it not limited to, doing crossword puzzles, biking, talking with friends, and eating a wider variety of food. The study by Sekikawa et al. (2020) found that equol, found in soy, can help to decrease the number of white matter lesions, and so can lead to a lessening of symptoms for those with Alzheimer’s. Since there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, taking steps to decrease the risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s is the best course of action for those who wish to avoid the disease’s debilitating symptoms.
References
Alzheimer's Association. 2020. What is Alzheimer's? Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia. [accessed 2020 Nov 30]. https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers
Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation. 2020 Aug 10. Risk Factors. Alzheimer's Research & Prevention Foundation. [accessed 2020 Nov 30]. https://alzheimersprevention.org/alzheimers-info/risk-factors/
Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. 2020 Jun 2. What is Alzheimer's Disease? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [accessed 2020 Nov 30]. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm
Ringer R. 2020 Sep 6. How to reduce your risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer's disease. Loma Linda University Health. [accessed 2020 Nov 30]. https://news.llu.edu/health-wellness/how-reduce-your-risk-of-developing-dementia-alzheimers-disease
Sekikawa A, Higashiyama A, Lopresti BJ, Ihara M, Aizenstein H, Watanabe M, Chang Y, Kakuta C, Yu Z, Mathis C, et al. 2020 Oct 22. Associations of equol‐producing status with white matter lesion and amyloid‐β deposition in cognitively normal elderly Japanese. Alzheimer's Association. [accessed 2020 Nov 20]. https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/trc2.12089
While most people tend to forget a few facts and specific memories as they age, this is not the case for those who develop Alzheimer's. People who develop Alzheimer's have very profound and rapid memory loss as they age. This affects people's ability to hold conversations and carry out simple everyday tasks, such as remembering how to tie their shoes or how to get home from the grocery store, but personality changes may also occur as people’s memory loss worsens (CDC 2020). As the disease progresses, a build-up of Beta-amyloid proteins ("plaques") in the brain increases along with Tau proteins ("tangles") and it is this build-up that slowly causes neurons in the brain to die, resulting in the memory loss observed in people with Alzheimer's (Alzheimer's Association 2020). There are no known cures for Alzheimer's, so it is very important to decrease risk factors that lead to the onset of Alzheimer's because once people develop the disease it is irreversible and they have it for the rest of their life. Current treatments for Alzheimer's include managing behavioral symptoms and keeping people's minds active with complex tasks so that the symptoms of Alzheimer's are delayed or lessened (CDC 2020). These treatments focus on improving the quality of life of people living with Alzheimer’s or preventing its development completely.
Some people are more prone to developing Alzheimer's than others during their lifetimes. There are certain risk factors that can predispose people to getting Alzheimer's, such as age, family history, genetic profile, stroke, diabetes, depression, head injury, hypothyroidism, and cardiovascular disease (Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation 2020). As stated previously, older people tend to have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's, and it also runs in families, so if people have older relatives who developed Alzheimer's then these people may have genes leading to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's in their old age. If environmental factors lead to these genetically predisposed people developing diabetes, depression, hypothyroidism, or cardiovascular disease or having a stroke or head injury, their risk of developing Alzheimer's will increase even more. Some environmental risk factors, such as cardiovascular disease, can be mitigated or completely avoided by engaging in regular exercise and eating a balanced diet so that the body is kept in good shape. Additionally, avoiding smoking, engaging in social activities, and having a regular sleep schedule can help to reduce a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's (Ringer 2020).
A study by Sekikawa et al. (2020), looked specifically at how equol, present in soy, may decrease the rate of formation of plaques in the brain and of white matter lesions. The reduction in plaque formation in the brain and white matter lesions could in turn decrease the number of elderly people who developed Alzheimer's. They found that people with a higher amount of equol did develop a lower percentage of white matter lesions, but they did not find a significant relationship between equol and plaque formation (Sekikawa 2020). While this means that an increase in equol does not directly lead to a decrease in plaque formation, it should be noted that white matter lesions can worsen symptoms, such as memory loss, that are caused by plaque formation in people with Alzheimer's (Sekikawa 2020). Therefore, a higher production of equol in the body may lead to a decreased rate of progression for Alzheimer's, providing people with longer lives even if it does not directly prevent the onset of Alzheimer's. The decreased rate of progression may also result in an improved quality of life for the elderly, as they will preserve a larger portion their memory for a longer time and be able to participate in more fulfilling activities during their retirement.
Overall, the best strategy to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s is to adopt a healthier lifestyle that keeps the mind and body active. This can include, but it not limited to, doing crossword puzzles, biking, talking with friends, and eating a wider variety of food. The study by Sekikawa et al. (2020) found that equol, found in soy, can help to decrease the number of white matter lesions, and so can lead to a lessening of symptoms for those with Alzheimer’s. Since there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, taking steps to decrease the risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s is the best course of action for those who wish to avoid the disease’s debilitating symptoms.
References
Alzheimer's Association. 2020. What is Alzheimer's? Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia. [accessed 2020 Nov 30]. https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers
Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation. 2020 Aug 10. Risk Factors. Alzheimer's Research & Prevention Foundation. [accessed 2020 Nov 30]. https://alzheimersprevention.org/alzheimers-info/risk-factors/
Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. 2020 Jun 2. What is Alzheimer's Disease? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [accessed 2020 Nov 30]. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm
Ringer R. 2020 Sep 6. How to reduce your risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer's disease. Loma Linda University Health. [accessed 2020 Nov 30]. https://news.llu.edu/health-wellness/how-reduce-your-risk-of-developing-dementia-alzheimers-disease
Sekikawa A, Higashiyama A, Lopresti BJ, Ihara M, Aizenstein H, Watanabe M, Chang Y, Kakuta C, Yu Z, Mathis C, et al. 2020 Oct 22. Associations of equol‐producing status with white matter lesion and amyloid‐β deposition in cognitively normal elderly Japanese. Alzheimer's Association. [accessed 2020 Nov 20]. https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/trc2.12089
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