Is Alzheimer's Preventable? Essay Example

Alzheimer's disease is a long-lasting and tolerant brain illness that slowly erodes memory and thinking abilities and eventually the ability to perform modest chores. The disease was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906 when he detected alterations in the brain nerve of a woman who died after a rare mental disease. The symptoms of the condition included memory loss, random behavior and language issues. The symptoms of this disease are estimated to occur when a person is in their mid-60s. Research indicates that there more than 5.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's. The illness is presently classified as the sixth chief source of death in the United States. However, recent research indicates that the disease may be categorized as third behind cancer and heart disease as the reason of demise for people of age. Alzheimer's is the key root of dementia among older people. Dementia is a condition that causes the damage of cognitive functioning like thinking, reasoning, remembering. Dementia also affects behavioral abilities in such a way that it completely affects how a person behaves in everyday life. Dementia is a condition that ranges in its severity starting from the mild stage when a person's functioning is affected to the most severe stage when a person cannot do anything for themselves and depends on the help from other people. The prevention of Alzheimer's ailment is a great problem for investigators and clinicians. There are four possibilities of preventative interventions which include nutrition, antihypertension medications, physical activity, and cognitive engagement.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

According to research done by NIH state of the science conference is that dementia can be prevented by implementing specific measures. Cognitive engagement, as well as physical activity, can reduce the risk of getting the disease. Further, there is a need to research the Mediterranean diet and the consumption of omega- 3 fatty acids in the avoidance of Alzheimer's illness. Further, the management of hypertension which is one of the risk factors is vital in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease (Barak, and Dov 1).

The eventual goal of Alzheimer's disease research is to prevent the occurrence of the neurodegenerative process and therefore ensure that there is positive aging without cognitive deterioration. Alzheimer's disease can be prevented by using a simple but effective approach. The disorder occurs as people approach old age and it occurs due to cellular and molecular modifications that arise in age-related disease in other organ systems. The changes that are age-related include oxidative stress, accumulation of insoluble proteins and perturbed energy metabolism. The level of food intake is a risk factor in developing age-related illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. There is extensive data that shows been accumulated from the study of monkeys and rodents regarding dietary restrictions. The data indicate that dietary restrictions can prolong lifespan and lessen the occurrence of age-related illnesses. Dietary restriction has beneficial effects such as reducing the level of oxidative stress and enhancing energy homeostasis. Recent studies indicate that dietary restriction has the effect of increasing resistance of neurons in the brain to metabolic, excitotoxic and oxidative insults that are accountable for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease as well as other neurodegenerative disorders. Even though additional investigation is obligatory to conclude the extent in which dietary restriction prevent Alzheimer's disease, it seems sensible to recommend dietary restriction as a preventative method for age-related disorders including neurodegenerative disorders (Mattson 153).

Recent research indicates that the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease worldwide is associated with modifiable risk factors. The research projected the population attributable risk (PAR) of Alzheimer's disease globally in various countries including the USA, UK, and Europe. The possibly adjustable threat factors that have reliable proof of links with Alzheimer's disease include diabetes, obesity, bodily inactivity, smoking, depression and reduced educational achievement. After explaining for non-independence risk factors, approximately a third of Alzheimer's diseases incidences that arise globally might be credited to flexible risk factors. Alzheimer's disease cases can be condensed through increased access to education and using operative approaches aimed at decreasing the occurrence of vascular threat issues such as smoking, physical inoperativeness, midlife obesity, diabetes, and midlife hypertension and depression (Norton et al. 788).

Alzheimer's disease might be prevented and amended by DNA vaccines that are created from cytokines Apo E 2 gene, and brain-derived nerve growth factor. Alzheimer's illness is an irreparable and tolerant brain illness. The danger of the disease upsurges with age. Alzheimer's disease is not portion of getting old rather it is an ailment that affects the brain causes it. The study proposed that amyloid plaques are made in the mind in the hippocampus where it triggers autoimmune response to host causing brain tissue to be injured by the autoimmune injuries. The vascular arrangement could also be one of the contributing factors of the disease. Therefore Alzheimer's disease could be avoidable and also it could be improved by mending injured neuronal system by carrying out brain-derived nerve growth factor, improving vascular structure by APO gene and advancing immune control by giving T reg cells resulting cytokine IL-10 and Th2 cytokine gene IL-4 to diminish TH 1 response to the amyloid gene. The study employed the transgenic mice model where the mice were given cytokine genes; brain-derived nerve growth factor gene and APOE2 gene or mixtures. They were also given interferon gamma gene which acted as a positive control. Water maze tests were done for the functional essay. The brain was also dichotomized, and immunostaining was conducted. The results of the water maze assessment designated that the IL-4 mice that received the gene vaccine IL-10 improved significantly and the immunostaining of hippocampus, the existence of amyloid marked reduced. On the other hand, the mice that received the interferon gamma gene did not show any signs of improvement in the water maze assessment outcome or the immunohistology. The study demonstrated that appropriate DNA gene vaccines could help avert and enhance AD in the animal model and therefore requires clinical research (Yoo est al.1).

Doctors do not have a test that can conclude whether a person is likely to have Alzheimer's disease. Many things are unknown about Alzheimer's disease. Physicians do not know the actual cause of Alzheimer's even though they have some hints and small pieces of evidence. However, a person who has a parent or a sibling with the disease is at an increased risk of developing the condition even though it is not definitive that a person will develop the illness. Doctors are now using the information they get from patients to implement early intervention plans that could slow or prevent the disorder. Alzheimer's begins 20 to 30 years afore there are signs or indications of the condition. Studies indicate that one out of three incidences of Alzheimer's disease can be barred. The youngest patient could be in their 20s while the oldest patient could be in their 90s.

According to Dr. Richard Isaacson, a neurologist that works with Alzheimer patients to help establish the causes of the disease and prevention states that lifestyle which includes exposure to music and word games, nutrition socialization and physical activity can delay the progression of the disorder. People can change modifiable behaviors that are linked with the disease. People can control blood pressure, cholesterol, alcohol consumption, obesity and other factors that are risk factors for the disease. By modifying these behaviors, people can decrease their possibility of having dementia and Alzheimer's disease. While there is no antidote for Alzheimer's, it is possible to prevent the disease by getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, engaging in physical activities at least once per week and avoiding smoking. Behavior modifications could also go a long way in preventing other diseases such as stroke and heart attack (Debra 1).

The number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's has been increasing over the years, and it has increased the burden of healthcare since it is costly to treat it. Research efforts are therefore aimed at getting a cure or attainment precautionary measures to limit the disease. An antidote for the illness seems impossible when huge cognitive damage has occurred since the neuronal networks that regulated the distressed cognitive abilities are numb or irrevocably injured and therefore supplanting them though it were probable would not rebuild the intelligent personality of a person. Prevention of the disease should begin when people are cognitively intact. Averting the adjustable risk factors to Alzheimer's is cost saving since it decreases hospice, frequent doctor appointments, and long-standing care. Currently, neurocognitive and neuroimaging examinations are employed to determine whether a person is at high risk of developing the disorder even though the tests are partially successful. The tests cannot identify a cause of specific preventive intervention that could offset disease development. The study recommended that carotid artery ultrasound and echocardiography together with the ankle-brachial index (CAUSE+ABI) could be used as mass screening tests in asymptomatic persons. The tests could help identify cardio-cerebrovascular risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and recognize a designated intervention. CAUSE+ABI were found to be easy to accomplish, worthwhile, reasonably accurate and non-invasive. Furthermore, discovery of cardio-cerebrovascular deformities long before the appearance of mental decline permits higher achievement rate with previous treatment. Evidence-based remedy is required for improving medical decision-making in assessing AD peril factors and their cure (De la Torre 861).

Conclusion

In conclusion, studies by various researchers indicate that there is a small probability that Alzheimer's disease could be prevented. Studies indicate that one out of three cases of Alzheimer's disease can be prevented. Some researchers argue that people can prevent the disease by engaging in physical activity, eating healthy foods, avoiding smoking and alcohol consumption and avoiding behaviors that are considered risk factors. CAUSE+ABI are tests that can be used in detecting cardio-cerebrovascular anomalies that can be used in detecting cardio-cerebrovascular risk factors and identify an indicated intervention. DNA gene vaccines could help prevent Alzheimer's disease. A lifestyle which includes exposure to music and word games, nutrition, socialization, and physical activity can delay the progression of the disorder. Evidence-based medication is required for improving medical decision-making in assessing AD threat influences and their management.

Works cited

Barak, Yoram, and Dov Aizenberg. "Is dementia preventable? Focus on Alzheimer's disease." Expert review of neurotherapeutics 10.11 (2010): 1689-1698.

De la Torre, Jack C. "Alzheimer's disease is incurable but preventable." Journal of Alzheimer's disease 20.3 (2010): 861-870.

Debra Goldschmidt, CNN. "Is Alzheimer's Disease Preventable? ." CNN, 2018, https://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/23/health/alzheimers-early-intervention/index.html.Mattson, Mark P. "Existing data suggest that Alzheimer's disease is preventable." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 924.1 (2000): 153-159.

Norton, Sam, et al. "Potential for primary prevention of Alzheimer's disease: an analysis of population-based...