Know the 10 Signs. Donate Now. Read the Blog. Research and Progress. Can Alzheimer's Disease Be Prevented? Share or Print this page. Read Dr. Carrillo's Blog. You can help increase our knowledge by considering participation in a clinical study. The first survivor of Alzheimer's is out there, but we won't get there without you.
Our blog is a place to continue the conversation about Alzheimer's. Watch out for hidden sugar in all kinds of packaged foods from cereals and bread to pasta sauce and low or no-fat products. Enjoy a Mediterranean diet. That means plenty of vegetables, beans, whole grains, fish and olive oil—and limited processed food.
Get plenty of omega-3 fats. Food sources include cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, seaweed, and sardines. You can also supplement with fish oil. Stock up on fruit and vegetables. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, the more the better. Eat up across the color spectrum to maximize protective antioxidants and vitamins, including green leafy vegetables, berries, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli. Cook at home often. Drink only in moderation.
Activities involving multiple tasks or requiring communication, interaction, and organization offer the greatest benefits. Set aside time each day to stimulate your brain:. Learn something new. Study a foreign language, practice a musical instrument, or learn to paint or sew.
One of the best ways to take up a new hobby is to sign up for a class and then schedule regular times for practicing. The greater the novelty, complexity, and challenge, the greater the benefit. Raise the bar for an existing activity. Practice memorization techniques. Creating rhymes and patterns can strengthen your memory connections. Enjoy strategy games, puzzles, and riddles.
Brain teasers and strategy games provide a great mental workout and build your capacity to form and retain cognitive associations. Do a crossword puzzle, play board games, cards, or word and number games such as Scrabble or Sudoku. Follow the road less traveled. Take a new route or eat with your non-dominant hand. Vary your habits regularly to create new brain pathways. Some studies have emphasized the importance of quality sleep for flushing out toxins in the brain.
Others have linked poor sleep to higher levels of beta-amyloid in the brain, a sticky protein that can further disrupt the deep sleep necessary for memory formation. To help improve your sleep:. Establish a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and getting up at the same time reinforces your natural circadian rhythms. While clinical trials suggest that exercise may help delay or slow age-related cognitive decline, there is not enough evidence to conclude that it can prevent or slow MCI or Alzheimer's dementia.
One study compared high-intensity aerobic exercise, such as walking or running on a treadmill, to low-intensity stretching and balance exercises in 65 volunteers with MCI and prediabetes. Several other clinical trials are testing aerobic and nonaerobic exercise to see if they may help prevent or delay Alzheimer's dementia. Many questions remain to be answered: Can exercise or physical activity prevent age-related cognitive decline, MCI, or Alzheimer's dementia? If so, what types of physical activity are most beneficial?
How much and how often should a person exercise? How does exercise affect the brains of people with no or mild symptoms? Until scientists know more, experts encourage exercise for its many other benefits.
Learn more about exercise and physical activity for older adults. Controlling high blood pressure is known to reduce a person's risk for heart disease and stroke.
The NASEM committee of experts concluded that managing blood pressure when it's high, particularly for middle-aged adults, also might help prevent or delay Alzheimer's dementia. Many types of studies show a connection between high blood pressure, cerebrovascular disease a disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain , and dementia. For example, it's common for people with Alzheimer's-related changes in the brain to also have signs of vascular damage in the brain, autopsy studies show.
In addition, observational studies have found that high blood pressure in middle age, along with other cerebrovascular risk factors such as diabetes and smoking , increase the risk of developing dementia.
Clinical trials—the gold standard of medical proof—are underway to determine whether managing high blood pressure in individuals with hypertension can prevent Alzheimer's dementia or cognitive decline. Participants were adults age 50 and older who were at high risk of cardiovascular disease but had no history of stroke or diabetes. This means that you can do things to lower your risk and prevent it. At The Well for Health, founder and progressive nurse practitioner Diane Parks provides one-on-one education as part of her focus for care.
One of the tricky things about dementia is that it has many varied, co-occurring symptoms. Research is ongoing, but a number of studies have shown that moving every day may help reduce cognitive decline, and the same thing is true for eating a whole foods-based diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
At the Well for Health, we want to see you reach optimum health and take joy from your life every day.
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