With a wave of baby boomers about to hit retirement, and a proportion of them also facing dementia and subsequent Alzheimer’s Disease, medical research is making a big push in order to find ways to treat or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s symptoms. Subsequently, there has been more progress in the last few months than the last several years!
The big news story for Alzheimer’s Disease this week is that clinical trials are going to begin for patients who don’t yet have Alzheimer’s Disease, but who are destined to get the disease due to a gene. Since it’s harder to treat Alzheimer’s symptoms after the brain has been damaged, the hope is that preventing Alzheimer’s Disease will be more effective than trying to reverse Alzheimer’s symptoms.
Other studies are trying to reverse or prevent Alzheimer’s symptoms by attacking some of the known risk factors for Alzheimer’s Disease, like diabetes. The brain actually uses up quite a bit of energy so using inhalants to give it key nutrients, like insulin, directly may help high risk patients who are experiencing early signs of dementia.
The important takeaway of recent Alheimer’s Disease research is this: the earlier you notice and address symptoms, the longer you’ll have your memories. Working with a therapist on memory techniques at the first signs of Alheimer’s Disease (which can appear in the thirties!) can add years or more.
Do you intentionally do any activities that support your brain health (Crosswords, sudoku, etc.?)? Share your favorites in the comments!
