I wonder if you have seen this ad?

One day, the son took his father to a restaurant for dinner. When he was ready to go home after eating, his father grabbed the remaining two dumplings from the plate with his hands and put them into his pocket.

When the son was about to get angry and stop him, the father said, “My son loves this!” The son was stunned.

The father in the advertisement is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, his memory is declining, and he can’t even recognize his son.But He never forgot his love for his son.

In reality, many elderly people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease just like the father in the advertisement. Alzheimer’s disease, a disease other than normal aging, is medically known as Alzheimer’s disease.

1. What “stealed” the old man’s memory?

According to a December 2020 study by The Lancet, about 9.83 million people in my country suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, ranking first in the world. More studies estimate that the number of Alzheimer’s patients in my country will exceed the 40 million mark by 2050.

In clinical practice, about 67% of Alzheimer’s patients in our country have deteriorated to moderate to severe disease at the time of diagnosis , missed the best time for treatment.

So, what is it that causes the memory of the elderly to slowly disappear?

Patients with Alzheimer’s have typical histopathological changes — amyloid plaque deposits and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, the study found .

There is a potentially toxic protein in the human brain, beta-amyloid, which can form amyloid plaques when the body accumulates too much Deposition,toxify cells and disrupt neurotransmission, thereby increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition, there is also Tau protein, which is a phosphate-based protein, in the human brain.

The Tau protein in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, due to hyperphosphorylation, each Tau protein molecule will contain 5-9 phosphate groups, and the loss of normal leads to the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, destroying brain cells, and patients gradually lose memory, thinking and reasoning abilities.

Except for the elderly,“three Alzheimer’s disease, smoking and alcohol abuse, sleep disturbance, lack of physical activity, low educational level, poor social skills, emotional disturbance, and hearing loss high-risk groups.

Second, Alzheimer’s disease may be predicted 10 years in advance

In July 2021, “The Lancet Health and Longevity” published an article on aging A study on the risk of dementia, found that: if in middle age (<65 years), levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the body are higher< /strong>, the risk of dementia increases significantly after 10 years.

Researchers analysed data and measured blood cholesterol on more than 1.8 million adults over the age of 40 in the UK and followed them for up to 23 years.

It was found that among people under 65 with measured cholesterol, LDL-C levels were higher than 190 compared with those with LDL-C levels lower than 100 mg/dl. mg/dl,60% increased risk of dementia over 10 years.

The study also found that compared with high blood lipid levels in the elderly (≥65 years old), middle-aged (<65 years old) blood lipid levels The higher the risk, the greater the risk of dementia.

According to the recommendations in the “Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Chinese Adults (Revised 2016)”, the ideal level of LDC-C in the Chinese population is <100mg/dl, and the appropriate level is <130mg/dl, and more than 160mg/dl (4.1 mmol/L) are elevated.

In addition, WHO in the “2021 World Alzheimer’s Disease Report” There is a clear list of 10 signs of Alzheimer’s:

• Memory loss: e.g. soon Will forget about recent events;
• difficulty performing familiar tasks: such as not knowing how to dress; span>
• Language barrier: the words are inappropriate;
• < span>Disorientation in time and space: I don’t know what date today is, often get lost;
• decrease in judgment or impaired: Behaving abnormally; li>
• impairment of abstract thinking and calculation ability: for example, unable to calculate 1+1=2, unable to read bills, etc.;< /li>
• Often misplacing items: such as putting an iron in the refrigerator;
• < strong>Changes in mood and behavior: Great mood swings, such as being calm and crying suddenly;
• Disorders between images and spaces: Decreased spatial awareness, such as frequent spills when pouring drinks;
• loss of initiative Sexuality: Become passive, indifferent.

Third, doing these 4 things can help reduce the risk of dementia

Mild cognitive impairment is the golden window period for the treatment and intervention of Alzheimer’s disease. Once patients or their family members notice the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, they can use the relevant self-assessment form to assess the risk and go to the hospital in time, which can help delay the development of the disease.

In 2020, the international medical journal “The Lancet” published a research report on the prevention, intervention and care of dementia, pointing out that through some early intervention measures, < /span>Up to 40% of dementia can be prevented or delayed.

1. Balanced diet

Dietary nutrition has a significant impact on brain function. For example, if you only eat vegetables and not meat, the body will lack vitamin B12, which will lead to memory and physical decline over time. To prevent Alzheimer’s, eat a balanced diet, intake a variety of nutrients.

In daily life, try to eat less high-sugar and high-fat foods, and eat more foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, flavonoids, etc., such as salmon , sardines, tuna, lean meat, green vegetables, blueberries, citrus, cherries, etc.

2. Get enough sleep

Research found that if you sleep less than 6 hours, the concentration of beta-amyloid in the brain will increase, which greatly increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. It is recommended to have enough sleep every day, which is more conducive to maintaining brain health.

However, it is not recommended to sleep more than 9 hours, otherwise it may lead to cognitive decline.

3. Exercise appropriately

Many studies have shown that exercise can stimulate nerve regeneration in the brain , to avoid brain degeneration. It is recommended that the elderly should exercise more, aerobic exercise more than 3 times a week, and each time should be more than 30 minutes.

4. Participate in more social activities

Research found that participating in more social activities can help for the prevention of dementia. Regular participation in social activities such as class reunions, volunteering, and playing cards with friends can increase blood flow to the brain, thereby reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s.

It is true that people will be forgetful when they are old, but don’t take Alzheimer’s normal aging. Once the signs of Alzheimer’s disease are found, seek medical attention in time, and take some medicines to relieve symptoms according to the doctor’s order.

#Health2022#

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