Study: You Can Delay Alzheimer’s Disease
by Matilda Charles
You can forestall dementia by many years by staying mentally engaged and
challenged, according to a long-term Mayo Clinic study.
The study began in 2004 with nearly 2,000 participants ranging in age
from 70 to 89 years old. Most of them had no dementia, and nearly 300 had
mild cognitive impairment. The study focused on the role of the subjects’
previous education, occupation and life enrichment.
After a baseline measurement was taken, participants in the study followed
an “intellectual enrichment program” and were periodically re-evaluated
for functioning, memory, cognitive skills and language.
Lifelong intellectual enrichment was seen as a protective strategy to
delay cognitive impairment by nearly 9 years. This was true even in
those participants who carry the APOE4 gene, which is a risk factor for
Alzheimer’s disease.
Specifically, cognitive impairment was delayed 8.7 years in those with
high lifetime enrichment. Higher education alone brought a five-year
delay. For those who carry the APOE4 gene, even beginning cognitive
activity late in life brought three years of delay. Late beginning for
those without the gene brought seven years of delay.
Staying mentally engaged and stretching our brains can even help those of
us who didn’t have higher education or challenging occupations, or who
carry the APOE4 gene.
Here are some suggestions: Take a few art classes, or try arts and crafts.
Did you play a musical instrument as a child? Take lessons again. Read.
Dip into authors and topics you haven’t explored before. Play games you
enjoy, and learn new ones. Try video games! Do a crossword puzzle every
day. Sign up for classes at the senior center.
While there’s no sure-fire cure or treatment for Alzheimer’s disease,
these studies show ways we can help ourselves.
Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader
questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible.
Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com.
(c) 2014 King Features Synd., Inc.



