Right now, there’s no proven way to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Human trials of a promising vaccine against Alzheimer’s had to be stopped several years ago because some of the people who received the vaccine developed a serious inflammation of the brain. New drugs are constantly being researched, and the aim is to find a drug which can modify or slow the disease itself.
However, you may be able to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by reducing your risk of heart disease. Many of the same factors that increase your risk of heart disease can also increase your risk of dementia. The main players appear to be blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that as many as 80% of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease also have cardiovascular disease.
Keeping active — physically, mentally and socially — also seems to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain. Intellectual activity is a key part of prevention. Just like it is important to exercise the body, so is it the exercise the brain. Some reports show that mental exercise can reduce your chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 70%. Someway to exercise the brain include; sudoku, crossword puzzles, and word searches. Another way to exercise the brain is to simply break up your daily routine, this way you are challenging your brain and keep it from getting stuck in the same daily routine.
And finally, there is a significant connection between head trauma and Alzheimer’s. Therefore, it is important to protect your head and prevent any damage by:
1.Always wear your seatbelt
2. Wear a helmet when riding a bicycle, moped, or motorcycle
3. “Fall Proof” your home (especially important to seniors who are more acceptable to falls.
