Lifestyle Affects the Development of Alzheimer’s

Two studies presented at the American Academy of Neurology meeting pointed to link between smoking drinking and cholesterol levels and the development of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).

In a study of 900 people over 60 conducted by Mt Sinai Hospital (New York) found people who had more than 2 drinks a day and those who smoked more than a pack of cigarettes coupled with have the ApOE4 gene variant developed AD on accelerated basis. Smokers developed AD two years earlier than expected and drinkers five years earlier than expected. If you were both a heavy smoker and heavy drinker with the ApOE4 expression you would develop AD 8.5 years earlier than expected.

If one wish to delay the onset of AD stop smoking and curtail your consumption of alcohol.

A second study tracked 9,700 men and women from age 40 tracking the level of cholesterol and the rate of development of AD. It found that individual in the high cholesterol group were 1 and ½ times more likely to develop AD than the low cholesterol group.

If you wish to reduce your chances of developing dementia, eat a balanced diet, exercise, control your cholesterol and watch your weight.

These studies affirm that are genetics are not the sole determinant of outcome and that we can adjust our lifestyles to delay the onset of dementia.