It will take several years for scientists to
prove whether some experimental drugs could at least delay Alzheimer's
disease, and an aging population is at risk now.
Whatever happens on the drug front, there are
generally healthy everyday steps people can take - from better sleep to
handling stress to hitting the books - that research suggests just might
lower the risk of Alzheimer's.
Making these lifestyle changes "looks more
promising than the drug studies so far," said Dr. Richard Lipton of the
Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, whose lab researches
what makes up healthy aging. The findings on stress prompted Lipton to
take up yoga.
Here are five tips to help guard your brain
against memory loss, based on research at the Alzheimer's Association
International Conference:
GET BETTER SHUT-EYE
Studies of more than 6,000 people linked poor
sleep quality - and especially sleep apnea - to early memory problems
called mild cognitive impairment, which in turn can raise the risk of
later Alzheimer's. Other research showed poor sleep can spur a
brain-clogging protein named amyloid that's a hallmark of Alzheimer's.
Talk to your doctor if you're having sleep
problems, advises Dr. Kristine Yaffe of the University of California,
San Francisco: "Sleep disorders are so common, and we think many are
quite treatable."
EXERCISE YOUR GRAY MATTER
Seniors often are advised to work crossword
puzzles, take music lessons or learn a new language to keep the brain
engaged. The protective effects of learning may start decades earlier in
life.
In Sweden, researchers at the Karolinska
Institute unearthed school report cards and work histories of more than
7,000 older adults. Good grades as young as age 10 predicted lower risk
of dementia later in life. So did getting a job that required expertise
with numbers or, for women, complex interactions with people -
occupations such as researchers or teachers.
Why? Learning and complex thinking strengthen
connections between nerve cells, building up "cognitive reserve" so that
as Alzheimer's brews, the brain can withstand more damage before
symptoms become apparent.
GET MOVING
What's good for the heart is good for the brain,
too, and physical activity counters a list of damaging problems - high
blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol - that can increase the risk
of memory impairment later in life.
Get started early: One study tracked the habits
of 3,200 young adults for 25 years, and found those who were the least
active had the worst cognition when they were middle-aged. Sedentary
behaviors like TV watching played a role. Gaffe - who just had her desk
raised so she can spend more time standing - worries about kids' screen
time.
DON'T FORGET MENTAL HEALTH
Late-life depression is a risk factor for
Alzheimer's. Harvard researchers found loneliness is, too, accelerating
cognitive decline in a study that tracked more than 8,000 seniors for
over a decade.
Stress is bad for the brain as well, Lipton said.
It's not just experiencing stress - we all do - but how we cope with
it. Brooding over stressful events, for example, prolongs the harmful
effects on brain cells. One study found seniors with the poorest coping
skills were much more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment over
nearly four years than seniors who could shrug off the stress.
EAT HEALTHY
Diets high in fruits and vegetables and lower in
fat and sugar are good for the arteries that keep blood flowing to the
brain. Type 2 diabetes, the kind linked to excess weight, raises the
risk of dementia later in life.
Weight aside, Lipton's lab recently found a
healthy diet lowered seniors' risk of impaired "executive function" as
they got older - how the brain pays attention, organizes and multitasksThe 10 Hottest Women From Around The World
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Beautiful women have inspired musicians,
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