My mom has dementia and may even have Alzheimer.
That is a scary thought that I keep confronting every time I see my mom, go with her to doctors, or even talk to her on the phone.
As it becomes clear that her problems are beyond just simple memory slips (who doesn’t have them?), or difficulties expressing herself when she speaks (I have that all the time, and so do many people who are healthy), difficulty finding stuff (now, where did I put that key?)—I search for reasons.
And I search for solutions.
But there’s this the terrifying thought that there is no cure for this.
Do you even know what is the statistics of dementia and Alzheimer’s in the US? I didn’t.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 6 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s. Additionally,11.3% of people aged 65 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia. Worldwide, around 50 million people have dementia, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year. In the United States, Alzheimer’s disease is currently ranked as the seventh leading cause of death and is the most common cause of dementia among older adults.
It’s estimated that about 50% of people age 85 and older have dementia. Approximately two out of three Americans experience some level of cognitive impairment at an average age of approximately 70 years. For dementia, lifetime risk for women (men) is 37% (24%) and mean age at onset 83 (79) years. Mar 31, 2020 (link to the source in the notes).
DID YOU KNOW THAT?
You may be too young to worry about that, but what about your parents, and grandparents? Your more mature friends?
Most of us want to live a long life, but if that is supposed to be my future—then I don’t know…
So, what do the doctors say about my mom? They don’t know for sure what it is yet, so they bombard her with all kinds of brain scans and evaluations—apparently diagnosing Alzheimer’s is based on symptoms and elimination of other possible causes.
But beyond that—they don’t offer much advice or hope.
So, I don’t know how it’s going to turn out for my her and what’s ahead of us. It may be too late for her to turn this around, and all we can do is try to slow it down.
But invariably when I read authors and doctors whom I trust it comes down to this—
Take care of your body. Take care of your brain. And they will take care of you.
Of course, in life anything can happen. I could die in a car crush tomorrow or get some debilitating disease I have no control over. And that is the bad news.
But the good news is that WE HAVE MORE CONTROL THAN WE THINK.
And EVERYTHING YOU DO MATTERS.
What does that mean?
Well, for example, do you have high blood sugar levels? High blood sugar is not just the cause of diabetes. It can cause heart disease, for example, and it can contribute to the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The same with inflammation, inadequate nutrition (lack of omega 3s, vitamin B12, D, or other), toxins in your environment, lack of exercise, stress, constant sleep deprivation, etc. And yes, genes do play a role, but only to a certain extent.
And you may not have control over all of these factors.
So, what can we control?
What can we all do to make sure that we give ourselves the best possible shot at a healthy and long life?
Read the article “13 Things you Can do Keep Your Brain Sharp And Prevent Mental Decline (and a Whole Lot of Other Problems)”
