The following is a guest blog by Martha Stettinius.
In 2005, at age 40, I became the main caregiver for my mother, Judy, who
could no longer balance her checkbook, cook, or clean. I encouraged her to move
from her remote lakeside cottage into my small home with my husband and two
children. Since then she has lived in assisted living, a “memory care” facility
for people with dementia, and now a nursing home.
As I watch my mother’s health deteriorate with Alzheimer’s disease, I’ve
become more determined to protect my own. But what can we do to avoid dementia
when scientists have found no proven means of prevention, no treatment, and no
cure?
We do know that scientists agree on certain risk factors. They include
old age; a family history; serious head trauma; poor cardiovascular health;
high blood pressure; stroke (including small strokes that are barely
noticeable); diabetes; high cholesterol; obesity in middle age; a low education
level (which predisposes someone to less learning and brain development over
their lifetime); and smoking.
A lesser-known risk factor for dementia is interrupted sleep, such as
from obstructive sleep apnea. If you snore, or you feel tired or headachy in
the morning, consider getting a referral to a sleep clinic. Research shows that
elderly women who have sleep apnea are about twice as likely to develop
dementia as those without the condition. People whose nightly sleep is short or
disturbed have higher levels of beta amyloid, the protein that causes plaques
between brain cells and is widely believed to play a large role in the
development of Alzheimer’s disease. I am being treated for sleep apnea, and I
suspect from her snoring that my mother has always had it. According to the
American Sleep Apnea Association, sleep apnea is as common as Type II diabetes.
A research study also found a connection between Alzheimer’s disease and
vision. In a study of elderly people over the age of 71, all of whom had normal
cognitive functioning at the beginning of the study, those who had undiagnosed
or untreated vision problems showed a 9.5-fold increase in the risk of
developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Some researchers say that exercise may be our most powerful antidote for
Alzheimer’s disease. Because aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the
brain, stimulates the growth of new brain cells, and decreases the risk of
heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, the Alzheimer’s Association recommends
thirty minutes of daily exercise. A recent study shows that daily activity of
all kinds—from formal exercise to activities such as washing dishes, cleaning,
and cooking—may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, even in
people over age 80. People who walk forty minutes a day for a year regain
volume in their hippocampus, reversing brain shrinkage. People with mild
cognitive impairment who do resistance weight training two times a week over
six months show an increase in their memory and executive function (the ability
to multi-task).
Social activity and mental stimulation are also crucial. Sports,
cultural activities, emotional support, and close personal relationships are
all key. We should work as long as we can, volunteer, join social clubs, and
travel. We should turn off the television, read, write, do crosswords and
puzzles. Play games, learn a new language, or learn to play an instrument. In
fact, if we challenge ourselves regularly, our brains will continue to create
new cells and connections.
As far as diet is concerned, Alzheimer’s disease has been called “Type
III Diabetes,” because of the link between diabetes and pre-diabetes (slightly
high blood sugar and “insulin resistance”) and a higher risk of dementia. I am pre-diabetic and insulin-resistant, and
someone like me is 70% more likely than someone with normal blood sugar and
insulin levels to develop Alzheimer’s disease. While twenty million people in
the United States have Type II diabetes, twice that number are insulin
resistant and pre-diabetic.
There is some evidence that a low-carb diet, which lowers the blood
sugar and insulin levels in your brain, may help protect your neurons. I have
been eating a “Paleo,” low-carb diet for a year now. Mainstream views of diet
and dementia, however, recommend a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, with the
caveat that HDL, or “good” cholesterol, may help protect brain cells. The
Alzheimer’s Association recommends lots of dark vegetables and fruits that are
high in antioxidants; mono- or polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil, cold water
fish high in Omega 3’s (salmon, tuna, mackerel); and nuts such as almonds,
pecans, and walnuts. Vitamin E, or vitamin E and C together, vitamin B12, and
folate may also decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s.
There are no guarantees, of course, but if we pay attention to these
recent studies (and press our federal government for more dementia research) we
may find a way to win the war.
Martha Stettinius is the author of the new book Inside the Dementia Epidemic: A Daughter’s
Memoir. Inside the Dementia Epidemic
is available on Amazon and BN.com. For more information, visit www.insidedementia.com
or www.facebook/insidedementia.
To contact Martha, email her at martha@insidedementia.com.
