Aug, 2017
Gad A. Marshall, MD, Associate Medical Director of Clinical Trials in the Memory Disorders Unit at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, discusses what steps adults can take to reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
There are two main lifestyle modifications that have actually been shown to help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or slow down the progression of existing symptoms: physical exercise and a healthy diet.
Aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes a session, at least three to four times a week, is helpful in either preventing or slowing the progression of existing cognitive symptoms. In terms of diet, a Mediterranean style diet is associated with better outcomes. A Mediterranean consists of eating more fish, less red meat, some chicken and lots of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts and complex grains. It’s important to note that it's the diet as a whole rather than the individual ingredients that is beneficial.
Controlling cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes can also reduce the rate of development of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.
A number of dietary supplements have been tested but only Vitamin E has shown any benefit. Vitamin E supplementation showed a modest benefit in those individuals already diagnosed with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Cognitively stimulating activities, such as computer-based programs, have not shown benefit in healthy individuals. However, individualized cognitive training appears to help some individuals compensate for their existing cognitive deficits.
