By Gary Dickson
In case you haven”t noticed, we are in the midst of an Alzheimer”s epidemic. If you are like me, over the past several years you have probably come in contact with a number of people who are or were taking care of one or both of their parents because of Alzheimer”s. Perhaps you have been a caretaker yourself.
A few years ago my wife and I would go sit with the mother of one of her friends so that the friend and her husband could go to dinner and a movie. They had not been out, just the two of them, for a couple of years due to the mother”s Alzheimer”s.
Baby Boomers have been called the selfish generation, but that is not what I have observed. A huge number of my generation have, without complaint, welcomed their dementia-ravaged parents into their home and taken care of them around-the-clock. In some cases they have had to give up their career or at least put it on hold so they could assist their mom or dad.
In addition to caring for their parents, most boomers probably worry about whether they will also be robbed of their brainpower as they continue to age. And, I would imagine there are members of the younger generations, after watching their grandparents” or great grandparents” deal with Alzheimer”s, have concerns about their own plight during the so-called golden years.
Dr. Joseph Mercola estimates that 10 million baby boomers will suffer from Alzheimer”s during their lifetime. Already there are 5.2 million existing cases of Alzheimer”s in the United States. It has climbed the ladder to become the sixth deadliest disease. Now, doctors diagnose 500,000 new cases per year. Dr. Mercola estimates that by 2050 there will be 1 million new cases annually.
Not only does Alzheimer”s inflict a terrible impact on the individual and family; it also burdens the economy. Medicare is currently spending $148 billion per year for the care and support of Alzheimer”s patients. That is estimated to soar to $160 billion in just the next two years.
Scientists tell us that Alzheimer”s is associated with a build-up of protein in the brain. Getting older is the number one risk factor, but a family history of the disease can be a determinant, too. Most experts agree that smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, brain traumas, obesity and poor heart health are all Alzheimer”s lifestyle risk factors.
No one wants to get Alzheimer”s. For everyone who isn”t afraid of a little effort every week there appear to be a couple of ways to protect oneself against Alzheimer”s. Both include exercise; exercising your mind and your body.
Nearly all experts advise to add mental challenge activities to the daily routine. There are many sources of materials for this today. I recently checked out Lumosity on my computer. It”s a website where you can go to improve your thinking skills. You first complete a questionnaire that helps it develop a personal program to provide the greatest benefit for you. You get three free trial tests. Thereafter, if you pay long-term, the monthly price can be just a few dollars. I liked the format and convenience and I think I could make progress with the stimulating challenges, if I sign up and do it regularly.
At least two studies that have been conducted, involving hundreds of participants over many years, have revealed that the simple act of walking six to nine miles per week “?can improve the brain”s resistance to disease and reduce memory loss over time, even in healthy adults.” In a joint project among the universities of Pittsburgh, Nevada and California the results indicated that “?those who walked 6-9 miles per week had larger volumes of gray matter in areas of their brain.”
It is never too early to start protecting and improving your brainpower. Unfortunately, it can become too late.
Gary Dickson is the publisher of the Record-Bee. Call him at 263-5636, ext. 24. E-mail him at gdickson@record-bee.com.
