The Alzheimer's Answer

Marwan Sabbagh

Description

A front-line researcher offers cutting-edge advice on preventing and slowing the progress of Alzheimer's

Drawing on the most up-to-date information available on the disease as well as experiences from his clinical practice, Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, a leading expert in Alzheimer's research, translates the current ideas driving Alzheimer's treatment into practical information you can use to determine your risk and develop a prevention strategy. You'll find tools for assessing your personal Alzheimer's risk and "What You Can Do" sections to help you keep your brain and body healthy, plus information on the treatment of Alzheimer's and its complications.

• Gives you the most up-to-date information on Alzheimer's and Alzheimer's prevention
• Written by a neurologist specializing in geriatric neurology and dementia who is one of the country's leading experts in Alzheimer's research
• Includes exciting revelations, such as finding that early onset Alzheimer's can be significantly slowed in its progress, giving the patient as many as ten to fifteen added years of quality life

There are an estimated 5.2 million people living with Alzheimer's in America today. If you or someone you love is at risk of developing the disease or wishes to slow its advancement, this book will give you vital information to help you reduce risk and safeguard health and quality of life.
Foreword by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

PART I Preventing Alzheimer’s.

1 Alzheimer’s Disease.

2 Alzheimer’s and the Brain.

3 Is Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease Really Possible?

PART II Real Risks.

4 Your Alzheimer’s IQ: Know Your Risk.

5 Diabetes.

6 Body Weight and Obesity.

7 Stroke, Cerebrovascular Disease, and Heart Disease.

8 Cognitive Killers.

9 Blood Pressure and Hypertension.

10 Estrogen and Hormone Replacement Therapy.

PART III Real Recommendations.

11 Eating Your Way out of Alzheimer’s.

12 Red Wine and Other Alcoholic Beverages.

13 Managing Your Cholesterol and Lipids.

14 Exercising Your Way toward Prevention.

15 Staying Sharp with Mental Exercises.

16 Anti-inflammatories and Alzheimer’s.

17 Vitamins May Protect.

18 Supplements: Real Hope or Empty Promises?

PART IV If You Have Alzheimer’s Disease.

19 Get Help: Alzheimer’s Is Treatable.

20 The Future of Alzheimer’s Disease.

References.

Index.

Sujets

• Santé et bien-être
• Santé du quotidien
• Santé au quotidien
• Santé au quotidien
• Fitness
• Health
• Dementia
• Diseases
• Alzheimer's

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 15 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781118038956
• Langue: English

Extrait

Table of Contents
 
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
 
PART I - Preventing Alzheimer’s
 
Chapter 1 - Alzheimer’s Disease
 
A Definition
Not All Dementia Is Alzheimer’s
How Do You Know You Are Getting Alzheimer’s?
From Normal Aging to Alzheimer’s: Mild Cognitive Impairment
When Is It Old Age and When Is It Dementia?
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 2 - Alzheimer’s and the Brain
 
What Is a Plaque and Why Is It Important?
How Plaques Damage Brain Cells
Tangles
Loss of Synapse Leads to Loss of Communication among Cells
Changes in the Brain Chemistry of People Suffering from Alzheimer’s
Adding It All Up
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 3 - Is Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease Really Possible?
 
The Population Is Aging
Prevention versus Cure: The Preferred Intervention
The Challenges to Studying Alzheimer’s Prevention
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
PART II - Real Risks
Chapter 4 - Your Alzheimer’s IQ: Know Your Risk
 
Risk Factors
Need-to-Know Blood Test Values
Homocysteine
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 5 - Diabetes
 
A Definition
Your Brain on Insulin
What We Know
What We Are Still Learning
What You Can Do
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 6 - Body Weight and Obesity
 
The Link between Obesity and Alzheimer’s
Obesity and Vascular Risk Factors
What Is the Impact of Body Weight after Middle Age?
A New Threat: The Metabolic Syndrome
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 7 - Stroke, Cerebrovascular Disease, and Heart Disease
 
Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease as a Contributor to Alzheimer’s Disease
Certain Types of Heart Disease Contribute to Alzheimer’s Risk
What You Can Do
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 8 - Cognitive Killers
 
Occupation and Toxic Exposure
Sleep Apnea
Depression
Don’t Box!
Don’t Smoke!
What You Can Do
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 9 - Blood Pressure and Hypertension
 
What Is High Blood Pressure and Why Should You Care?
What Is the Relationship between High Blood Pressure and Alzheimer’s Disease?
Possible Mechanisms
Treating Blood Pressure
What We Don’t Know
What You Can Do
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 10 - Estrogen and Hormone Replacement Therapy
 
Estrogen’s Effects on the Brain and Alzheimer’s Protection: Possible Mechanisms
What We Know
What We Don’t Know
What about Men?
What You Can Do
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
PART III - Real Recommendations
Chapter 11 - Eating Your Way out of Alzheimer’s
 
Reduce the Amount of Saturated Fat in Your Diet
Get More Omega-3s
Consume a Diet Rich in Colorful Vegetables and Fruits
Breaking Down the Anti- and the Oxidant
Drink Green Tea
Thinking about the Mediterranean Diet
Stocking the Fridge
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 12 - Red Wine and Other Alcoholic Beverages
 
Staying ahead of the J-curve
Pomegranate Juice: An Alcohol Alternative
Proposing a Toast
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 13 - Managing Your Cholesterol and Lipids
 
What We Know
What We Don’t Know
What We Don’t Know
What You Can Do
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 14 - Exercising Your Way toward Prevention
 
Another Reason to Renew Your Gym Membership
Possible Mechanisms
Exercise Matters to Your Gray Matter
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 15 - Staying Sharp with Mental Exercises
 
Flexing Your Mind Muscles
Diplomas and Dementia: The Education Connection
What We Don’t Know
What You Can Do
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 16 - Anti-inflammatories and Alzheimer’s
 
What We Know
What We Don’t Know
What You Can Do
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 17 - Vitamins May Protect
 
The B Vitamins (B, B, B, B, and B) and Folic Acid
Vitamins C and E
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 18 - Supplements: Real Hope or Empty Promises?
 
Supplements with Compelling Evidence of Protective Qualities or Benefits
Supplements That May Be Helpful from a Scientific Perspective but Are Still Unproven
Should You Take These Supplements?
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
PART IV - If You Have Alzheimer’s Disease
Chapter 19 - Get Help: Alzheimer’s Is Treatable
 
Know the Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
See Your Doctor and Get Treatment
Take Medications and Treatments
Behavioral Disturbances
You Are Not Alone
Make Plans
Do Not Give Up Hope
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
 
Chapter 20 - The Future of Alzheimer’s Disease
 
The Changing of the Guard: From a Terminal to a Chronic Disease
Prevention: A Continuing Challenge
 
References
Index

Copyright © 2008 by Marwan Noel Sabbagh, M.D. All rights reserved
 
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
 
Illustration credits: pages 36, 37, 39, 246, courtesy of the NIA, www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Resources ; pages 38, 41 (top), provided by Dr. Thomas Beach of Sun Health Research Institute; page 41 (bottom), provided by Athena diagnostics with permission; page 51, courtesy of the NIA 2004-2005 Alzheimer’s disease progress report; pages 100, 102, Drs. Alex Roher and Thomas Beach of Sun Health Research Institute.
 
The Alzheimer’s Questionnaire on page 239 is courtesy of the Sun Health Research Institute.
 
Design and composition by Navta Associates, Inc.
 
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The information contained in this book is not intended to serve as a replacement for professional medical advice. Any use of the information in this book is at the reader’s discretion. The author and the publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained in this book. A health care professional should be consulted regarding your specific situation.
 
For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the United States at [phone] or fax [phone].
 
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com .
 
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
 
Sabbagh, Marwan Noel.
The Alzheimer’s answer : reduce your risk and keep your brain healthy / Marwan Noel Sabbagh ; foreword by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-470-04494-0 (cloth)
1. Alzheimer’s disease--Prevention--Popular works. 2. Self-care, Health--Popular works. I. Title.
RC523.2.S23 2008
616.8’3105--dc22 2007044823

 
To my beloved wife, Ida, who inspires me.
Foreword by
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
 
 
 
 
Alzheimer’s has become a word that most people know—and fear. Some project that 40 percent or more of people over eighty will have Alzheimer’s disease. A high percentage of families have a member afflicted with the disease and have experienced the long, slow process of mental and physical deterioration that comes with it. Such families also experience the stress and problems of the caregivers of people with the disease. To watch the slow debilitation of a person you love is nothing less than devastating.
Alzheimer’s was not well known or recognized before 1980. It was first identified by Dr. Alois Alzheimer. Many cases of so-called senility or dementia were no doubt Alzheimer’s but were not then known as such. Today, Alzheimer’s is a household word.
As a spouse, child, relative, or friend of a person afflicted with Alzheimer’s, one naturally asks, “What causes the disease?” “What can be done to treat it?” “What can be done to prevent it from occurring?” and “What can I do?”
There are a number of books and articles about Alzheimer’s already in circulation. I am the wife of a beloved husband who suffers from the disease. I read all that I can on the subject. This book, The Alzheimer’s Answer, has succinctly and clearly addressed and answered my questions. And it has given me some hope that my children can live their lives in a way that may enable them to avoid developing the disease. There are actions each of us can take and lifestyles that will enable us to prevent the possible onset of Alzheimer’s, despite some negative and unavoidable risk factors such as age, gender, and genetic history.
In this clearly written and well-organized volume, one can discover what medical information to request, what diet to follow, and what weight level to attain in order to reduce the risk. Dr. Sabbagh has provided a much needed and extremely useful book about a much dreaded disease.
Acknowledgments
There are many who have supported and assisted me with this book. First, I would like to thank my agent, Jodie Rhodes, who made things happen. Second, I would like to thank Paul Simpson, PhD, who put me on the right path. I would like to ackno