Mary is in her early 70s. A retired teacher, much loved and respected by her learners, she was sharp and witty, organised and competent.
She could remember all the names of her students years later. But then friends and family noticed she was battling to find words in conversation, and kept repeating herself. She began to lose her keys and cellphone, putting them down in strange places. She often dressed inappropriately for the weather and began losing her way on walks and in the shops. What was more concerning was that she would put food on the stove and then forget it, resulting in burnt food and a real risk of starting a fire. At times she would become agitated, blaming others for stealing her money and jewellery, after she had misplaced them. She became more withdrawn and unsociable. Her doctor confirmed what the family suspected; she was developing Alzheimer’s Disease.
One of the most devastating diseases affecting our senior citizens is dementia. Worldwide the incidence is rising, even among younger people. In South Africa various studies have shown an incidence of between 4 and 11,0% over the age of 60. Major contributors to this rise are atherosclerosis, high-blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, alcohol, smoking, physical inactivity, social isolation, deafness and depression.
Dementia comes in many forms. The most common is Alzheimer’s Disease, accounting for 60-80% of cases. Neurologists tell us there are genetic predispositions, but lifestyle factors are far more important than genes and can influence gene expression.
Pharmaceutical researchers have struggled to find effective therapy to prevent or treat dementia. Approved medications are expensive and not without side effects.
Dr Dean Ornish, a doyen of Lifestyle Medicine research, led a ground-breaking study published just two months ago. He was able to prove that intensive lifestyle interventions resulted in improvement in dementia tests after only 20 weeks, compared to those on standard management whose condition continued to deteriorate. These lifestyle interventions incorporated a whole food, low-fat, plant-based diet, regular supervised exercise, stress management and supervised group support three times a week.
Neurologists Dr Ayesha and Dean Sherzai have done years of research comparing residents of Loma Linda, who have the lowest incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease in the USA, to those living in nearby Riverside, California, who have the highest incidence. They have come up with a simple acronym for preventing dementia. “N” is for Nutrition (a whole-food plant-based diet), “E” is regular Exercise, “U” is for Unwind – stress management, “R” is for Restorative sleep, and “O” is for Optimising our lives, through social contact, learning new skills, and living with purpose. Their research is published in “The Alzheimer’s Solution” with practical guidelines on how to implement the NEURO lifestyle.
The younger we adopt these interventions the lower the risk of developing dementia. But there is hope, even for those diagnosed with early disease.
- This health column is written by Dr Dave Glass, a retired obstetrician/gynaecologist living in Somerset West. He is also chairperson of the South African Lifestyle Medicine Association (Salma). Glass, with an MBChB, FCOG(SA) and DipIBLM, has a passion for preventing and addressing the root causes of chronic diseases.
