Prevent Alzheimer's

Until there is a cure or the causes of the disease are identified, actions that may help prevent Alzheimer's include: lowering cholesterol, lowering high blood pressure levels, controlling diabetes, exercising regularly, and engaging in intellectually stimulating activities. Although this does not guarantee Alzheimer's will not occur, it may help delay the disease's development. Before trying anything that promises to prevent Alzheimer's, check it out with your doctor first.

 

Prevent Alzheimer's: An Introduction

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has no known cure, and ways to prevent Alzheimer's are not yet known. However, Alzheimer's research offers tantalizing clues about the origins and development of the condition. These findings are raising hopes that someday it might be possible to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, slow down its progress, or even prevent it altogether. Delaying Alzheimer's by even 5 years, the time when Alzheimer's symptoms begin, could greatly reduce the number of people who have the disease.
 

The Challenges of Preventing Alzheimer's

Some diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, or arthritis, are complex. They develop when genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors work together to cause a disease process to start. The importance of these factors may differ for each person. Alzheimer's disease is another one of these complex diseases. It develops over many years, and it appears to be affected by a number of factors that may increase or decrease a person's risk of developing the condition. Although we don't have control over some of the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, we can do something about other risk factors.
 
Preventing Alzheimer's begins by understanding your Alzheimer's risk factors and then doing something about the ones you can control.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD