A 73 year old person, let us a retired scientist, who is an intellectual who solves puzzles and reads widely, starts forgetting things. Slowly he is unable to remember faces and people. If he goes alone outside, he forgets the route back to his home.
With more people living longer, the chances of old age related diseases afflicting is increasing. Dementia and Alzheimer's disease is one for which there is no definitive cure as of now. We are trying to understand who is at risk and what can be done to prevent oneself from it.
Alzheimer's disease(AD) involves progressive decline in cognition, that is all functions related to brain like memory, behaviour, understanding continue to decline.
Risk of AD is higher in people above 65 years old. In AD brain cells progressive get damaged, beginning with an area called as Hippo-campus and later the whole brain atrophies.
Risk factors for AD:
1. The more the person's age the greater the risk. The risk of developing AD reaches 50% for individuals beyond 85 years.
2. Most AD are sporadic and only 0.1% can be related to genetic.
3.Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking and dyslipidemia increase the risk.
4. History of brain trauma, cerebrovascular disease also increases the risk.
5. Lesser education increases risk of AD
With increasing elderly population in India, it is time for us to be aware about AD and take precautions.
With more people living longer, the chances of old age related diseases afflicting is increasing. Dementia and Alzheimer's disease is one for which there is no definitive cure as of now. We are trying to understand who is at risk and what can be done to prevent oneself from it.
Alzheimer's disease(AD) involves progressive decline in cognition, that is all functions related to brain like memory, behaviour, understanding continue to decline.
Risk of AD is higher in people above 65 years old. In AD brain cells progressive get damaged, beginning with an area called as Hippo-campus and later the whole brain atrophies.
Risk factors for AD:
1. The more the person's age the greater the risk. The risk of developing AD reaches 50% for individuals beyond 85 years.
2. Most AD are sporadic and only 0.1% can be related to genetic.
3.Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking and dyslipidemia increase the risk.
4. History of brain trauma, cerebrovascular disease also increases the risk.
5. Lesser education increases risk of AD
With increasing elderly population in India, it is time for us to be aware about AD and take precautions.
There is no definitive evidence yet about what can prevent Alzheimer’s or age-related cognitive decline. What we do know is that a healthy lifestyle—one that includes a healthy diet, physical activity, appropriate weight, not smoking.
It has been found that people who play sports or who regularly exercise along with being mentally active are the one's who are protected against dementia.
Regular sports/exercise releases a factor called as Brain Derived Growth Factor (BDGF), which helps in formation of new cells in the brain. This has the potential to prevent onset and progression of dementia.
So, the bottom line is that one needs to be mentally and physically active to prevent oneself from the chronic conditions which can afflict in old age.
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