.png)
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, ranking 7th in the top 10 causes of death and one of the key reasons for disability among the elderly!
It’s not just about memory loss! It involves personality changes, difficulties with planning, disorientation in space and time, mood swings, struggles with daily tasks, and eventually, the loss of independence and death...
Main Factors in the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease:
Genetics
A gene known as apolipoprotein E (APOE4) is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia. If you inherit one copy of APOE4, your risk triples. If you have two copies, your risk is 10-15 times higher.
To detect this predisposition, you need to create a DNA profile (genome decoding can be ordered via 23andme through your age manager).
However, the absence of APOE4 does not provide complete protection: around 35% of people with Alzheimer's disease do not carry any risk genes.
Age and Gender
90% of Alzheimer’s cases are diagnosed after the age of 65, and women are twice as likely to be affected as men. Starting at age 65, the risk of receiving a diagnosis is 2%. In absolute terms, this means that two out of 100 people aged 65 will develop dementia each year. The average risk for men aged 65-80 is 6.3%, while for women, it’s 12%.
The risk of Alzheimer's doubles every 5 years after age 65.
However, it’s not only the elderly who are at risk. Approximately 1 in 20 people with this disease is younger than 65.
Early-onset Alzheimer's can appear as early as age 40. This is especially dangerous for Ukrainians, as due to the war, all illnesses tend to develop earlier.
Other Factors:
Ethnicity
Family history
Heart health
Diet
Mental activity
While guaranteed methods to prevent the formation of brain plaques and neurofibrillary tangles have yet to be developed, there are processes that can be modified to reduce risks:
Inflammation
Oxidative stress
Mitochondrial dysfunction
Hormonal deficiencies
Vascular pathologies
What Can Be Done?
Healthy Nutrition
A major factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease is the consumption of ultra-processed foods (products containing many "empty calories," added sugars, trans fats, salt, chemical additives, and low in fiber and vitamins), which leads to cognitive decline, affecting abilities such as memory, attention, and reasoning.
A study covering data from over 1.5 million people across 7 countries showed that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 13%.
Maintaining NAD+ Levels
NAD+ precursors are a promising treatment strategy for several diseases, including diabetes, stroke, and age-related cognitive decline (including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia). NAD+ helps prevent mitochondrial dysfunction, improves neurogenesis, adaptive responses, and combats oxidative stress and DNA damage.
Controlling Pregnenolone Levels
Pregnenolone and its metabolic derivatives have anti-inflammatory effects, benefit the brain, improve memory and learning, alleviate depressive disorders, and modulate cognitive functions. A decrease in pregnenolone levels is observed in neuroinflammatory diseases, highlighting its role in neuroprotection and neurodegeneration.
It has been found that pregnenolone levels are significantly lower in elderly individuals with Alzheimer's disease compared to those without dementia. Additionally, these levels are inversely proportional to the amount of beta-amyloid and tau proteins (the main biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease).
Use IHHT (Intermittent Hypoxic Hyperoxic Therapy)
Hypoxic-hyperoxic therapy effectively restores cognitive function in the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases and helps combat other Alzheimer's risk factors. It improves cardiovascular function, lowers blood pressure, and enhances glucose concentration and sensitivity.
Animal studies have also demonstrated the effectiveness of intermittent hypoxia in preventing Alzheimer's disease by preserving neurobehavioral function, improving memory, and enhancing learning ability.
Kommentare