Madeeha Syed

Alzheimer’s disease can be severely debilitating for the patient as well as their caregivers. Knowing ways to effectively manage the disease can help make this process smoother.

A Guide to Living with Alzheimer’s

This article or video has been vetted and verified by Meri Sehat’s specialists. It contains citations and research from validated sources.

The abnormal buildup of proteins in brain cells is one of the causes of Alzheimer’s disease. Memory loss and confusion are a few symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Read more at Meri Sehat.

A Guide To Living With Alzheimer’s

Overview

This is a major cause of dementia worldwide, an inevitability and a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterised by loss of neurons in the brain, especially in the cortex. The onset is related to old age and is often seen in people above 65 years of age, although early onset <a href="https://merisehat.pk/disease/alzheimers-disease">Alzheimer&rsquo;s</a> (age of onset between 30-60 years of age) also occurs rarely.&nbsp;

Plaque deposition in the brain leads to poor communication between the neurons hence the deleterious impact on memory. It also leads to some inflammation which weakens blood vessel walls and causes general mayhem in the brain. Symptoms starts when one stops or has difficulty recounting recent events, it slowly progresses into language problems, disorientation, behavioural issues, mood swings, inability to perform activities of daily living and a myriad of other psychological and physical issues.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Alzheimer’s disease

Even though antipsychotics are sometimes used to mitigate the behavioural symptoms, there are no pharmacological treatments to stop or reverse the progression of the disease. What we do have are certain lifestyle and dietary modifications by which we can delay its onset or slow down its progression.&nbsp;

Some of the precautionary measures you can take are:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Moderate aerobic exercise for as low as 150 minutes a week, this can be something as easy as a brisk walk.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Staying intellectually active.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, MIND diet.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Ensure good sleep hygiene.</li>
	<li>Reduce stress.</li>
	<li>Maintain good cardiovascular health.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Lower cholesterol.</li>
	<li>Control diabetes and hypertension.</li>
	<li>Seek help for mental illnesses (clinical depression is a risk factor).</li>
	<li>Avoid smoking.&nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

The basic tenants of a healthy diet and lifestyle need to be followed here &mdash; cut down on saturated fats, sugar and salt, have more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean protein, keep a healthy weight and ensure adequate hydration.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Mediterranean diet and DASH diet are both shown to be effective in slowing cognitive decline.&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>DASH Diet was originally recommended to control hypertension and has well documented benefits for people of all age groups, genders and at all stages of life. The DASH diet is rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains and avoids fatty foods of all sorts especially those high in saturated fats. Fish, poultry, beans and nuts can be consumed in moderate quantities as well.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>A Mediterranean Diet entails a lot of olive oil in your foods along with fruits (as snacks or desserts), vegetables (leafy greens, tomatoes, onions etc.), whole grain cereals, legumes, nuts and fish. Dairy products can be consumed in moderate amounts. Red meat, processed meats such as hot dogs, deli meats, sweets, and refined carbs such as bread, bagels, waffles, pasta and white rice are restricted. People who observe the Mediterranean diet throughout their life have been found to have healthy, functional brains even at later stages of life.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet or MIND diet incorporates principles of both these diets &mdash; it entails increasing intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, berries and leafy greens.</li>
	<li>Vitamins And Supplements &mdash; these aren&rsquo;t found to be actually effective but a deficiency of any of the essential micronutrients can be harmful to the body in general. For instance, a lack of B12 leads to poor cognition and memory and people having a B12 deficiency can largely benefit from taking supplements.&nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

There are two overarching themes here: Neuroplasticity and Cognitive reserve.&nbsp;

People with more years of formal education and high degree of literacy who engage regularly in mentally stimulating activities tend to have more cognitive reserves. This means that their neurons are much more connected to each other and communicate better, so even as they do accumulate plaques in their brain overtime, they have back up synapses to support them. This was proven when brains of older nuns were studied and showed the normal (according to their age) amount of plaque and tangles in their brain although they showed no symptoms of neurodegeneration.&nbsp;

The concept of neuroplasticity might also be a key to figuring this out. This refers to our brain&rsquo;s capacity to change and rewire itself based on the stimulus it&rsquo;s given over a certain period of time. This is why mental exercises work in slowing progression of mental and cognitive decline in Alzheimer&rsquo;s.&nbsp;

Learning a new language, meeting new people and making new friends, reading a book, having regular stimulating conversation where you can learn new facts and debate, doing crossword puzzles, brain teasers, playing board games such as chess, checkers and continued occupational involvement even in old age are just some of the things that can work.&nbsp;

Art, music, learning a new musical instrument and pets can also help.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Bottom Line

Alzheimer&rsquo;s is the most common disease of old age and affects more than just the person&rsquo;s health. Relationships suffer and caregivers report sever dejection at seeing their loved ones go through this. Arming yourself with ways to cope with this disease and prevent its onset is our best shot at survival for now.&nbsp;