Preventing dementia

[Endangered]

My mother and 2 of her brothers died of Alzheimers. And I sort of suspected all along I had the Alz gene. I went to a neurologist for tests and got a petscan which showed I had amyloid buildup on my brain. Amyloid is considered to be the forerunner of Alz.
Needless to say I was very discouraged. So I joined an Alz clinical trial.
Even though I had no symptoms I attended every session and underwent every test. One test was a DNA test and this confirmed that I do have the Alz gene. I also had another petscan and a spinal tap and NO AMYLOID was found.
So far no doctor has been able to tell me where all the amyloid went.
There are 3 variants of the Alz gene, a 2, 3 and 4. 2 is a good guy, helping to offset Alz. 3 is the most common and is neutral. 4 is the bad boy. My genome is 3/4, with the 3 from my father and the 4 from my mother.
I have been engaging in activities that require use of the brain. Alz makes a mess of the nerves entering the brain. So anything that uses these nerves positively helps.
I have several brain games on my phone. Since I am retired I try to spend ar least an hour a day on those games. I also shoot hoops once a week and go to the golf driving range once a week. The golf swing requires precision and this helps the nerves into the brain stay sharp.
Without the Alz gene you have odds of 10 to 15% developing Alz. With my genome of 3/4 my odds are about 10% higher.
So if you have a relative with Alz a DNA will let you know if you have the gene. If you do, you can start as soon as possible doing brain stuff to fight off the Alz.

 

[Baby Yoda]

and go to the golf driving range once a week. The golf swing requires precision and this helps the nerves into the brain stay sharp.
Without the Alz gene you have odds of 10 to 15% developing Alz. With my genome of 3/4 my odds are about 10% higher.
So if you have a relative with Alz a DNA will let you know if you have the gene. If you do, you can start as soon as possible doing brain stuff to fight off the Alz.

My hubby the golfer will be happy!

 

[Everlasting Life]

I have read that Rosemary can help with clearing Amyloid from the brain too.

 

[kathymendel]

As far as I know there has been no Alzheimers in my family line. But, I still do a couple of crosswords a day, and play
along on Jeopardy!, and read a lot............ just on the off-chance that will help my brain continue to function as clearly as
possible.

 

[Belle of Grace]

I have read that Rosemary can help with clearing Amyloid from the brain too.

I've read that, too, EL. In fact, your post prompted me to do a search for how to reduce or get rid of amyloid, such as a healthy diet and regular exercise
(150 min a week). So many of the food recommendations are similar to anti-inflammatory as well as helpful in reducing chances for CA to start.

 

[Betty]

Thank you for sharing. I play games on my tablet and work on jigsaw puzzles. I have on onset Alzheimers.
Betty

 

[Andy C]

Brain games/teasers, have shown to help, but a more challenging approach according to some in the field of Neurology is to teach yourself something new. Learning a completely new skill will work your brain harder than repetitve playing of the same games. You can learn a new language, learn to play a musical instrument, or switching tasks you normally do with your dominant hand and instead, use your other hand to do it….such as brushing teeth, eating with utensils, and even writing.

 

[Andy C]

Exercise may just be the best medicine for the brain.

https://www.healthline.com/health-n...mers-symptoms-from-progressing#The-rrAD-study

 

[Belle of Grace]

Brain games/teasers, have shown to help, but a more challenging approach according to some in the field of Neurology is to teach yourself something new. Learning a completely new skill will work your brain harder than repetitve playing of the same games. You can learn a new language, learn to play a musical instrument, or switching tasks you normally do with your dominant hand and instead, use your other hand to do it….such as brushing teeth, eating with utensils, and even writing.

Yes, this is what I have been reading as well, although the switching of hands to do everyday tasks is one I hadn't heard of before, but might give it some thought.