Every 65 seconds, one person in the US develops Alzheimer’s disease.

What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer's is a disease process that causes dementia (the loss of memory and other cognitive abilities). It literally effects millions of people worldwide. Dementia is not always caused by Alzheimer's disease, but it is the most common cause. It is important to know that Dementia is NOT a normal part of aging. Alzheimer's disease is progressive, meaning the signs and symptoms worsen over time. In addition to increasing memory loss and cognitive decline, the signs and symptoms of the disease can include personality changes, increased fear of social interaction, difficulty with navigation/ spatial orientation, and difficulty with decision-making, among others. Once diagnosed, the progression of the disease process can last between 4-20 years. There is currently no cure, but there are treatments that are focused on slowing the process.

What Causes this Disease?

The exact cause is not clear, but there is ongoing research that seems to indicate the cause could be related to a buildup of abnormal plaque/ protein structures in the brain. These cause degeneration of the brain over time. The progression of this disease process is what leads to cognitive and memory decline.

How Long does it take to develop? This is CRITICAL

The most horrific aspect about Dementia is that it often develops slowly, over decades, without clear symptoms. By the time the symptoms are clearly recognizable, the bulk of the damage is already done,

The time to take action is NOW.

You may already have damage occurring.

The time to get serious about Total Health and wellness is NOW!

RISK FACTORS:

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have many commonly known risk factors. Risk factors are anything that potentially increases the risk of one’s development of the disease in question. For example, over exposure to the sun is a risk factor for skin cancer. For Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease they include Heart disease, Diabetes, High blood pressure ,High cholesterol, Lack of mental exercise/stimulation, Family history of the disease, Smoking and the use of nicotine products, Age over 65, Poor Diet, unhealthy gut microbiota, Stress/ Chronic inflammation, Lack of sleep, Stokes and other types of traumatic brain injuries, and exposure to environmental toxins. The more risk factors one has, the greater the risk they have of developing the disease. I say this NOT to cause fear. But to emphasize how important it is to take prevention seriously and to start sooner versus later.

Risk Assessment: Consider each question below. Count up all those where your answer is Yes. NOTE: this is just a tool to help you see if you might be at higher or lower risk than others. In general, the greater the number of risk factors, the greater the overall need to consider taking action.

1. Do you have high blood pressure?

2. Do you have diabetes or pre-diabetes?

3. Do you have a sedentary lifestyle?

4. Do you use nicotine/tobacco products?

5. Do you have high cholesterol?

6. Have you had head trauma like a concussion, or do you participate in any activities that could cause brain trauma?

7. Do you have chronic insomnia?

8. Do you have chronically elevated cortisol levels?

9. Are you regularly exposed to neurotoxic chemicals?

10. Do you have a direct family member with a history of Alzheimer’s disease?

The higher the score, the higher the risk level.

The next question is even more important, because research indicates two things:1. Alzheimer’s disease development begins slowly over decades before the symptoms are clear enough to diagnose. 2. The age of onset ranges from 60 to 65 and up. Why is that important? It means if you are 45 or older, you are heading into that time frame where the disease could typically start its slow development and progression. Again, my goal here is NOT to spread fear. No, I want to convey the importance of doing everything possible towards prevention as early as possible. In the process you will very likely gain better health for it.

Are you the age of 45 or older?

If your answer is yes, NOW is the time to focus on lowering your risk as much as possible. Dementia develops slowly over the decades prior. The average age when symptoms finally present to the extent that a formal diagnosis can be made is around age 65. So those in their 40s and 50s are literally in their prime time to focus on prevention.