Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, Certified Senior Advisor and Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.
Q: Can dementia be prevented? Have there been any new developments?
A: All we can really say is that studies prove over and over again that certain activities and lifestyle choices can help maintain a healthy brain. A study published in August in the journal Circulation found that people whose hearts pumped more blood had less brain shrinkage as they aged. It may be that increased blood flow to the brain helps keep it healthy by providing nutrients and removing toxic waste products. So what does that exactly mean? Basically, the more physical activity you can participate in, the better the chance of maintaining a healthy brain.
Scientists are still searching for the causes behind dementia, specifically Alzheimer’s. Dementia has been linked to diabetes and the body’s ability to process insulin as well as deficiencies in vitamin D. Vitamin E-rich foods have also shown to help with this disease. AARP recently reported that researchers in the Netherlands followed 5,400 men and women, age 55 and older, and found that those who had diets high in vitamin E were about 25 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who ate the least amount. Vitamin E is found in nuts, seeds, cooking oil, wheat germ, and dark, leafy green vegetables. There are also holistic avenues that can be examined that include herbal remedies, dietary supplements, and “medical foods.” While these options may carry hope for some, claims about the safety and effectiveness of these products are based largely on testimonials, tradition, and a rather small body of scientific research. It’s always best to seek the advice of a medical professional when exploring these options.
Remaining active as well as maintaining healthy eating habits are just a few of the important lifestyle choices people need to make to promote healthy brain function. The good news is that scientists are constantly working on solving the mystery of dementia. New tests are being developed to help identify the disease, and new studies are uncovering other sources that may challenge brain function. Check the Alzheimer’s website, www.alz.org for more information.
Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.
