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Studio Firma \/ Stocksy<\/p>\n <\/span> \nAlzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, which is the general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions. Alzheimer's is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.<\/span> It is characterized by memory loss and other declines in mental function. While there isn't a way to prevent Alzheimer's, research has found some things you can do to reduce your risk of developing the disease. It's not a bad idea to establish these habits anyway because they offer many other health benefits as well.\n<\/p>\n \nHere's what to know about the risk of developing Alzheimer's and what you can do to lower your chances.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nAlzheimer’s disease affects more than five million people in the United States. Your risk of developing it goes up with age. Most people who develop this disease don’t start seeing symptoms until about age 65 years. Known as late-onset Alzheimer’s, this type is the most common form.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nThe other type, early-onset Alzheimer's, is less common. It affects only about 10% of people with Alzheimer's. As you may have guessed from its name, early-onset Alzheimer's occurs earlier in life than age 65. Symptoms can show up anytime between a person's 30s and mid-60s.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n How Alzheimer's Disease Progresses: From Diagnosis Through the 7 Stages<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nWhile research is still ongoing in the field, genetics seems to be at least somewhat involved in both early-onset and late-onset Alzheimer's.\n<\/p>\n \nGenetic mutations appear to be the cause of early-onset Alzheimer’s, at least in some people. The causes of late-onset Alzheimer’s are less understood. Instead of having one cause, this form of Alzheimer’s is likely due to a combination of genetics, environmental factors, and lifestyle choices.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nPeople with Down syndrome are more likely to develop Alzheimer's and may start to see symptoms in their 40s. Down syndrome is a genetic mutation resulting in three copies of chromosome 21 (instead of two). This chromosome is important because it is involved in the production of amyloid.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nAmyloid is a protein that is found in sizeable clumps in the brain of people with Alzheimer's. These clumps are referred to as plaque. Its role may not yet be fully understood, but it is currently hypothesized that the presence of amyloid plaque is a brain change that occurs with Alzheimer's.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n What To Know About Early Menopause and the Risk of Dementia<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nAlzheimer's isn't something that we know how to prevent based on our current understanding of the disease. There are certain risk factors, however, that may increase a person's chance of developing it.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nUnfortunately, the biggest risk factor is one we can't control: our age. Our genetic makeup is another one we don't have any say over.\n<\/p>\n \nWhile there are no promises, we may be able to reduce our risk of developing Alzheimer’s by focusing on our lifestyle and behavior. Our chance of developing Alzheimer’s decreases when we work on preventing things like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes. We can do this by making healthy lifestyle choices.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nLeading a healthy lifestyle has many many health perks\u2014including the possibility of keeping your brain sharp as you age. Specifically, here are the things you can do, or may already be doing, to lead a healthy lifestyle and potentially reduce your risk of Alzheimer's:<\/span>\n<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \nAgain, there are no promises that doing any of these things will prevent you from getting Alzheimer's. If you follow these recommendations, however, you will be helping yourself out in more ways than one. That's because you'll be reducing your chances of developing many other health problems at the same time. There is no harm done by checking off as many of these boxes as you can.\n<\/p>\n Brain Training and Memory: What To Know<\/span><\/p>\n \nIt’s important to take care of your mental and physical health. Getting your annual physical can help you and your healthcare provider monitor your health and conduct any additional testing as needed. They can also ensure that you’re getting all the screenings that are recommended for your age and sex.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nIf memory problems start to appear, healthcare providers will test you to determine whether those symptoms are due to Alzheimer's or something else. They'll talk to you (and perhaps a family member) to ask about general health, medications (including supplements), diet, medical problems, ability to perform daily tasks, and changes in behavior or personality.<\/span> You may be hesitant to let them talk to a family member, but your loved ones may notice changes to your routine or personality (early signs of Alzheimer's) before you do, which can provide valuable insight to your provider.\n<\/p>\n \nIf your provider thinks that you may have Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, they may test your memory, problem-solving skills, attention, counting, and language. Standard medical tests, like blood and urine tests, can also help identify potential causes of the problem.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nIn some cases, healthcare providers may suggest brain scans. Medical tests like computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) are typically used to rule out other cognitive conditions, but can also be used to detect shrinkage that may be related to Alzheimer's disease.<\/span> A special kind of PET scan called an Amyloid PET and an autopsy can be used to visualize amyloid plaques.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nAlzheimer’s is a progressive disease. It starts gradually. So at first, it may be hard to tell the early symptoms of the disease apart from normal forgetfulness, for example.\n<\/p>\n \nHere are some of the common signs and symptoms to watch out for. Keep in mind, however, that everyone is different. Some people with Alzheimer’s show only a few of these signs. Others may have several of them.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nGetting treatment as early as possible is especially important. A number of other conditions can cause the same symptoms as Alzheimer's. If detected early enough, some of these conditions can be reversed.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n How To Tell the Difference Between Normal Age-Related Memory Changes and Dementia<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nCharacterized by memory loss and other cognitive decline, Alzheimer's is a disease that usually occurs around age 65 years. Although less common, it can also occur in a person's 30s or later. Unfortunately, the biggest risk factor\u2014age\u2014is something that you can't control.\n<\/p>\n \nYou may be able to reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer's by leading a healthy lifestyle, even if genetic factors put you at higher risk. Establishing healthy habits will also lower your risk of other conditions, like cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes.\n<\/p>\n \nIf you have concerns that you or someone else may be showing signs of Alzheimer's, talk to a healthcare provider. Healthcare providers can run tests to determine what's causing the symptoms and provide appropriate treatment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Studio Firma \/ Stocksy Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, which is the general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions. Alzheimer's is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. It is characterized by memory loss and other declines in mental function. While there isn't […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[87,1005,34,73],"tags":[88,1006,37,75],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17234"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Who Is Most at Risk? <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Genetics <\/span> <\/h2>\n
How To Reduce Risk <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Lifestyle Habits <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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Testing and Screenings <\/span> <\/h3>\n
Discuss With Your Healthcare Provider <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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A Quick Review <\/span> <\/h2>\n