It’s time for us to get really real about the current and future state of our brains and those of our loved ones. No other disease leads us to lose our identity. If you have been directly affected by a family member with Alzheimer’s dementia, then you have the unfortunate first-hand knowledge of the heartbreak, frustration and down-right difficulty this disease permeates to everyone in the family.
There are an estimated 50 million people worldwide who have Alzheimer’s and 6 million of those are Americans. This astronomical number is expected to TRIPLE by 2050. Over the past 20 years, I’ve witnessed the Dementia Dilemma steadily creeping up and then seemingly sprinting rapidly to our current situation. Memory care units/facilities cannot be built fast enough to house and care for the number of people who actually need them, leaving many being improperly cared for by family and/or facilities who are ill-equipped to handle the specific needs of those with dementia.
We do not have a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, we have more and more research dedicated to understanding the root cause(s) and the epigenetic/lifestyle factors we must implement which significantly contribute to prevention. One common myth is that it is absolutely genetic and this is just not accurate. Only 3% of the population has the apoe4/apoe4 gene combo that lends itself strongly to Alzheimer’s specifically-however, having this gene combo is not an absolute life sentence either.
What can we pay attention to NOW to protect us from this cognitively debilitating and heartbreaking disease? Numerous studies are showing placing a premium on: Sleep, Exercise, Emotional Health and Nutrition, namely mitigating Insulin Resistance. Is it coincidental that these are the same strategies found to play an enormous role in all other chronic diseases? I don’t know about you, but this gives me HOPE. Hope that we have great command over own health and wellness and ultimately, our future selves.
Let’s Age Powerfully Together!
Aging Powerfully Together 