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Recent Advances in Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention
August 30, 2020
A prominent neurologist reviews what is known (and not known) about recent actionable and evidence-based advances in Alzheimer’s Disease prevention
Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in particular, is widely recognized as the next global health crisis. There are more than five million Americans of all ages living with Alzheimer’s — and, unfortunately, that number is growing.
The American Academy of Neurology recently published a study that reported, based on their scoring system, a healthy lifestyle is associated with a substantially lower AD risk (1).
Thus, many researchers are looking into prevention methods to lower a person’s risk of developing the debilitating disease. The focus of these efforts is mainly on diet and exercise, including recommending the DASH or Mediterranean diets and/or regular physical activity. These preventative solutions aid overall health and can reduce the risk of falls and loneliness, both of which tend to hasten cognitive decline.
While there is much discussion around reducing the risk of AD, there is still much that is unknown or poorly understood about dementia and how to prevent — or eventually cure — it.
