The rate of dementia has declined significantly in the US. This claim has been made by two recent studies that found that the number of people suffering from the disease has declined since 2000 due to healthy lifestyle changes by the individuals.
Previously, health experts had predicted that the number of people suffering from dementia and other similar diseases will increase at the rate of 40 percent in the next ten years.
However, a number of recent studies that have analyzed dementia cases found that the rate of the disease has not only fallen sharply in the past decade but will decrease even further in the coming years due to better healthcare choices by the individuals.
A study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal found that the number of people suffering from dementia has declined by 2.8 percent from 2000 to 2012.
According to John Haaga of the National Institute of Aging that had funded the study, the overall decrease in the incidence of the disease equates to about one million fewer people in 2012 that were suffering from dementia as compared to 2000.
The study also found that dementia is more common in senior adults. Around 30 percent of senior persons aged over 85 were reported to have dementia in 2012 as compared to just 3 percent of senior individuals aged between 65 and 74.
Another study that was published in the Alzheimer’s and Dementia journal also found a decreased rate of dementia. While the previous study concentrated on the white people in the US, this study had concluded its results after examining African-American individuals in the recent decades.
The researchers of the study stated that the decline in the cases of dementia could be due to lower risk factors that contributed to circulation related illnesses including high blood pressure and smoking. The study indeed found that the rate of stroke and heart failure had declined significantly among the participants.
Another contributing factor for the declined rate of dementia might be greater awareness and improved medical treatments. In the 1970s and 1980s, people that had a stroke were about nine times likely to develop dementia. In the 2000s the risk of developing the disease in case of a stroke had declined to two times.
Final Remarks
Healthier lifestyle and improved medical treatments for dementia patients have led to a significant decline in the reported cases. Increased physical activity and healthy diet have greatly reduced the risk of cardiovascular diseases, dementia, and other similar health disorders. In addition, keeping the brain healthy by playing brain games such as chess, tetris, or strategy games can also prevent the onset of dementia in individuals. It depends on the individual to make sure they are following a healthy lifestyle to keep them safe from diseases like dementia. Also, with the advent of medical treatments and increase in their availability, the cases of dementia are further hoped to lessen in the future.
Microsoft CEO Bill Gates recently donated $50 million to Alzheimer’s research in the hope that a cure can be found within our lifetime. Gates said, “It’s a terrible disease that devastates both those who have it and their loved ones,”. He should know, as he has had relatives who have suffered from and succumbed to the disease. This alone should make us vigilant of the risks of dementia.
His donation is going to the Dementia Discovery Fund. A private-public organization that consists of a team of neuroscientists and field experts devoted to dementia research. The DDF has offices in England and the United States and collaborates with major drug companies and other research institutions.
What Exactly is Alzheimer’s Disease?
The synapse is the space between the neural connectors
Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia in humans and was first described in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer.
It is the result of amyloid plaque buildup between synapses. Synapses are the spaces between the connection of the neurons. These connections between neurons form our cognitive process and maintain our memory.
Under normal circumstances, the plaque dissipates and our brain continues to process our thought patterns as they normally would, but as we age, the plaque can stubbornly remain between the synapses; subsequently, it will interfere with cognitive functioned memory and become one of those brain functions that is affected. Amyloid protein is toxic to neurons and if not removed, it can eventually cause their death. The loss of neurons is called brain atrophy and loss of memory is one of the consequences.
What Can Be Done to Avoid Amyloid Plaque Buildup Between Synapses?
The primary objective is to avoid protein buildup between synapses. Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, we can take some precautionary actions to help fight against stubborn plaque that won’t go away.
Can Drugs Help?
Today it affects almost 36 million people with scientists working hard to find ways to prevent, treat and cure this debilitatingillness. Recent studies have shown that gene mutations play a role in the disease. In the last 20 years, progress has appeared hopeful. The FDA approved the first Alzheimer’s combo drug Namzaric in 2014 and an array of other drugs are currently in development; however, more research needs to be done before it is proven that these drugs are helping.
Also, studies have shown that the compound Huperzine A may help enhance memory. It comes from the Chinese club moss plant, Huperzia serrata, and may be used for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Huperzine A can be found in brain cell supplements currently on the market.
Sleep Well
Studies have shown that good sleep habits are a primary booster for keeping the area between the neural connections clean, so make sure you get the recommended amount of eight hours per night. If you have trouble sleeping, see the advice of your medical professional, because poor sleep habits can weaken the neural network and have adverse effects on your daily activities, such as driving and working on machinery. In addition, lack of sleep slows down the process of healing from any ailments you may have.
Bottom line: Good sleep helps to rejuvenate your body and mind.
Exercise
A cure-all for almost every disease. Exercise keeps the blood running and strengthens just every organ in the body. There are so many benefits to frequent exercise, it is beyond the scope of this article to get detailed. For this blog, let’s focus on the fact that proper exercise will help keep your neural network strong.
How About Some Mediterranean Food?
Consider a Mediterranean diet – Great for the heart and when the heart is healthy, so is the brain!.! Specifically, if you have heart ailments, ensure you are under the proper medical care and medication. Proper care of the heart helps not just the heart but also helps reduces the amount of plaque that could build up in the synapses.
Learn New Things
Not just crossword puzzles, as you are just refreshing what you already know. Better to learn something that you have not known before. This creates new neural connections, which is a healthy ‘food’ for your brain. Adding mentally stimulating activities in any form of learning is advantageous.
There is a case of one 62-year-old man who decided to pick up where he left off in math studies when he was in college so many years ago. He found an online course in Linear Algebra and diligently managed through it. He was successful and felt a great sense of accomplishment, but what went unnoticed was the addition of millions of new neurons that were created during his studies. A great model for the rest of us regarding how to keep our mind stay healthy!
Yoga Anyone?
An additional lifestyle change that can be beneficial for brain health and reduce dementia risk is yoga. A recent study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that a 3-month yoga and meditation course may reduce older adults’ risk of mild cognitive impairment. The study was led by Dr. Helen Lavretsky from UCLA’s Department of Psychiatry. Her team found that participants who practiced yoga and meditation showed greater improvement in visual-spatial memory skills than the group that only participated in memory enhancement training.
The yoga meditation group also did better with coping skills, stress resilience, and levels of anxiety and depression. After the participant’s brain activity was assessed, the researchers found improvements in verbal and visual-spatial memory correlated with changes in brain connectivity.
These changes are important to note since mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has no currently approved medications to treat it. MCI can also worsen over time and increase the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementia-related diseases, therefore risk reduction is important in adults over the age of 65.
Studies have shown that drinking a few cups of coffee a day are have proven to be good for the brain. A review of evidence found that moderate coffee consumption, between three to five cups a day, may reduce Alzheimer’s risk by up to 20 percent.
With aging, elderly people require a lot more attention and care. One of the most important areas of care is their psychological well being. It is not uncommon for senior citizens to be depressed, having mood disorders, feeling lonely or having other psychological problems. Additionally, they may be suffering from dementia. All these issues adversely affect their physical health. The whole process of mental and physical health deterioration ruins their healthy aging cycle, leaving them sad and unhappy. Things can me made much better for aging people by proper and attentive psychological care. Here is how we can go about it:
Understanding the Process of Aging
The process of aging is not easy. From complete independence, the person loses a lot of personal dependence and strength, and becomes reliant on others; sometimes even the most basic needs. The body does not work as fast as it used to, the senses depreciate, and the brain becomes weak. It is very difficult for the elderly to come to terms with all these changes, during which many are exposed to psychological issues. The ones taking care of aging people need to understand the process of aging. This will help them to look at their concerns and behavior from a much better and understandable perspective.
Be Considerate
The challenges that aging brings forth require a lot of patience from the care taker’s side. While taking care of an elderly, be considerate of their needs and the changes that they are going through. They would be going through decline in their sensory abilities, so keep that in mind while communicating with them and attending to them. Speak a bit louder, but politely. Hand them things carefully. Help them with eating, drinking and dressing if they need assistance with that.
Do Not Imply Yourself
They have lived a life on their own, and having to be told what to do may not be taken so well in aging. Leave some authoritative space for the elderly to make choices and decisions. Let them feel that they are still in power, they can decide. This will help them retain dignity and self respect and take aging process positively. Do not try to impose your decisions on them; instead ask them in a manner that they automatically make the right call.
Make Them Feel Included
The main reason why people are prone to psychological problems like depression, mood disorders, hallucinations, etc., is because they don’t feel included in their social surroundings. They are often ignored in conversations even if they were present in the same room. This leads to a lot of self doubt and speculation. They feel lonely and unwanted. So make them feel a part of family. Include them in conversations and seek their opinion just like you normally would ask any other person. Don’t discredit their input.
Aging is a challenging course. But with help from caretakers, it can be made easy for the people who are going through the process. It only requires consideration and empathy.
Studies have shown that good
