Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most devastating diseases that can strike in old age. Yet there are some ways to substantially reduce the risk of contracting it.
Alzheimer’s disease is a disease that it affects the brain and slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, ultimately, the ability to perform even the simplest tasks. Although the disease mainly affects the elderly, it can appear, albeit rarely, in people aged between 30 and 60 years.
Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, although they have been accomplished in recent years significant progress in the development and testing of new treatments. However, there are several ways in which the disease can be prevented. Let’s look at them more closely.
Alzheimer’s disease: how to prevent it
According to a study published in the prestigious scientific journal Lancet in 2020, the number of cases of Alzheimer’s might drop by up to 40% if they hold up 12 risk factors. First, the study recommends eliminate completely the smoke, which is a habit that, as we know, can greatly compromise health in general, beyond the greater possibility of contracting Alzheimer’s. Reducing passive smoking, for example for those who live with a smoker, is also very important.
Equally recommended is the reduction of consumption of alcohol, physical activity constant and the maintaining social interactions. Furthermore, a non-secondary role is played by the air we breathe and from pollution of the same, as well as from type of education that has occurred: the lower its level, in fact, the greater the risk of contracting the disease.
Even particular pathologies can predispose to dementia, such as hypertensionil diabetes, obesitythe depressioni head trauma and the deafness. Pathologies that can be prevented in the course of life through the adoption of virtuous behaviors. The study also refers to the importance of proper night’s rest. Sleeping well, in fact, is essential for our health.
The Lancet specifies that around the world approx 50 million people are living with this type of dementia, and this number is projected to rise to 152 million by 2050, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Data that should make us think and show how urgent it is to take a decisive step towards improving our lives.