The cause of one of the widespread health issues all over the world, Alzheimer’s disease still remains unsure to this day. It is calculated that at present, 44 million people have Alzheimer’s worldwide, making the need of a cure more and more urgent.
The idea of living a life without being able to remember anything from the past and the present seems hopeless, but, actually, that’s what Alzheimer’s patients deal with everyday, often not even recognising their own children. On a brighter note, A new study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, may be the key to uncover the disease.
LIFESTYLE INFLUENCING ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
The team of scientists studied, identified and analyzed the factors from 323 surveys that had been conducted in the past, from 1968 to 2014. What the study showed was that Alzheimer’s may be prevented by a healthy lifestyle.
Low education, obesity, depression, high blood pressure, frailty, high levels of certain amino acids, low education and a narrowing of the carotid artery in the neck, are some of the most common factors reported among two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients. In addition, Alzheimer’s disease was found to be associated with diabetes and smoking among Asians but the findings are insufficient, although there is a clear correlation with one another.
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On the contrary, protective effects against Alzheimer’s seem to have four medical exposures — statin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antihypertensives and estrogen — along with folate, vitamins E and C, and coffee. Also, patients that suffer from heart disease, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and arthritis were associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Jin-Tai Yu, associate specialist in neurology at the University of California and senior editor of the study, notes that this research can prove important to people “if they correctly address the potentially modifiable risk factors that might help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.”
THE NUMBERS ARE POSITIVE
Another study published in The Lancet Neurology Journals unveils that dementia rates have been stabilizing in Europe with healthy lifestyle and regular exercise playing important parts. However, scientists are pointing out that mental diseases still remain an issue, especially since the costs involved in taking care of sufferers are extremely high and those afflicted have little chance of recovery.
Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Britain’s Alzheimer’s Society says that the study shows that the percentage of people in particular age groups developing dementia is getting smaller but the overall number of patients will increase as more people live into their 80s and 90s.
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