Alzheimer’s: Can it Be Prevented?

by Jessica Boyd

Many have heard about Alzheimer’s disease, but can it really be prevented? Some say that Alzheimer’s is caused by genetics, lifestyles, medication, or even the food we eat. Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease that affects the memory section of the brain. There are mild to extreme symptoms. Over 50 million people, about twice the population of Texas, have dementia, and Alzheimer's is one branch of that disease (Van der Weyden, 2021).

Scientists have found a common gene in one percent of people with early onset of Alzheimer’s. There are studies going on to see if mutations of this gene can stop the early onset of the disease. Clinical trials are trying to see if they can prevent Alzheimer’s by using antibodies. Participants are given antibodies or placebo before the onset of disease, and then they require a brain scan to see what effects they see. This is being performed by the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN, 2022).

Many people believe if you keep your mind sharp and push to challenge your brain on a daily level, you can ward off Alzheimer’s. Doing jigsaw puzzles, memory games, building things, reading, and playing card games are great ideas, as just keeping yourself busy with dayto-day challenges is not enough. You need at least a once-a-day challenge, experts say. Many times, you can join a bridge club, book club or a social club, just the activity of being with others is a way experts say helps delay the onset of Alzheimer’s (Alzheimer's Association, 2022).

Healthy lifestyles can help prevent this disease. Being physically fit can fight off many common diseases like diabetes, stroke, heart disease and Alzheimer's. Risk factors for common diseases like high blood pressure, high blood sugars levels, and high cholesterol are also shown as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (Harvard Heart Letter, 2022). So, keeping fit by not smoking, exercising, walking, lifting weights or what your body will allow you to do may just be not only keeping you from common diseases, but also from developing memory issues like those with having Alzheimer's.

High quality diets can help improve the odds of your overall health. It has been shown that less red meat and more of a lentils-based diet help with cognitive thinking. Essential amino acid lysine is higher in legumes compared to other plant-based foods. The highest level of lysine of the bean family can be found in soybeans. They provide the number of amino acids we need in our body. There is no cure or solid treatment for Alzheimer’s, but it has been shown that making heathy choices when it comes to our diets lowers our chances (Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, 2020) of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

There are no known direct approved treatments for Alzheimer’s; a doctor can only treat the symptoms. There are many trials for different medications that they hope one day will help. Tau Tangles are another hallmark of Alzheimer's and being looked at by researchers. They form fibrous tangles as they stick together and kill off cells of the brain. These tangles grow until they cause a catastrophe in the brain thought to be caused by a certain level of amyloid. Treating inflammation after getting diagnosed with the disease is also another consideration. The first neuroinflammation was discovered in a Harvard Lab in 2008. Harvard is working on creating a medication that might one day block that gene. Their hopes are to one day have a pill to take, just like a cholesterol medication to prevent anyone from having to go through watching a family member decline and not know who they are (Komaroff, 2022).

Science has shown progress with testing and potential medications as treatments for symptoms of Alzheimer’s and one day, hopefully a cure. Keeping the mind sharp with puzzles and brain games, maintaining a healthy diet, regular exercise, and following up with your doctor may be ways to help prevent Alzheimer’s.

References https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/research_progress/prevention

Alzheimer's Association (2022) Can Alzheimer's disease be prevented?

Harvard Heart Letter. (2022) Can medication help us combat Alzheimer’s disease? Cover story, 2021. 46(12), 1-7

Hall, S. (2020). Warding off Alzheimer’s. Psychology Today, 53(6), 8.

Komaroff, A. L. (2022). Ask the doctor. Harvard health letter, lower Alzheimer’s risk may be possible with healthy lifestyle. 47(5), 2.

Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. (2020). 38(7), 1–2.

Van der Weyden, C. (2021). Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease - an urgent need for early intervention. Journal of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society 27(3), 175.