**: Healthy Zhejiang.
Do you feel that you are not old but have a "bad memory"?I often talk to my mouth and am interrupted, but I can't remember what to say?I often can't find things that I put awayMore and more "road idiot", often go in the wrong direction?Feeling anxious because the elders in the family are suffering from Alzheimer's
When these things happen, do you occasionally laugh at yourself: "I won't have 'Alzheimer' in the future, will I?"”
Is it possible that there is really such a risk?
Recently, 45-year-old Ms. Wu (pseudonym) came to the memory disorders clinic of Chief Physician Lo Pui-lin of the Department of Neurology at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital to express her anxiety. It turned out that Ms. Wu's grandmother suffered from Alzheimer's disease before her death, Ms. Wu's aunt also suffered from dementia in her 70s, and now her second aunt was also diagnosed with dementia in her 70s. At this time, Ms. Wu panicked, is her 70-year-old also destined to have a "senile dementia" hurdle?So she approached Dr. Lu to find a way to prevent Alzheimer's disease.
It is generally accepted that Alzheimer's disease is completely left to rest before it reaches old age. In fact, the pathological changes of "Alzheimer's" begin very early, and the incubation period is very long. However, there may not be many people with a family history of dementia like Ms. Wu, so the early symptoms of "Alzheimer's" are easily ignored or trivialized, and they often "laugh it off" to the point of missing the best time.
How long is the incubation period for "Alzheimer's disease"?
What are the body's early signals?
What should I do if I suspect that I have "Alzheimer's"?
How can I prevent it in my daily life?
Today we will answer for you in detail.
How long is the incubation period
At the age of thirty or forty, pathological changes may appear.
Alzheimer's disease, commonly known as "Alzheimer's disease". People aged 65 and aboveThe incidence of Alzheimer's disease is about, which is equivalent to 5 out of every 100 people over 65 years old, with the majority of women suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and the probability of women suffering from the disease is male1.17 times
Alzheimer's disease progresses slowly, and it is often difficult to determine when it begins, with incubation periods ranging from months to years. It is important to note that it has been established that the pathological changes of Alzheimer's disease occur in cognitive decline10-20 years, that is, when a person is thirty or forty years old, the pathological changes of Alzheimer's disease may already begin in the brain. This stage is called the first stage of Alzheimer's disease, and this stage is asymptomatic and often difficult to detect.
Therefore, in their twenties, everyone should start to consciously prevent Alzheimer's disease and always pay attention to their physical and mental changes.
Early prevention is the only way to press the pause button for the course of the disease. Without intervention, people with Alzheimer's disease may experience a gradual decline in their ability to live, increased dependence, laziness, and decreased ability to speak and express themselves as they age and progress. In the later stage, there may be situations such as not knowing the closest family members, and it is gradually difficult to take care of themselves, which is a painful and sad thing for a family.
Physical signals of Alzheimer's disease:
Memory loss
Memory is getting worse and worse, and it is easy to forget things that have happened recently or even just happened;More lost than before, looking for things all day long;Sometimes things can't be found, and they will suspect that they have been taken or stolen by others, and even suspect relatives or acquaintances.
Poor sense of direction
Less and less sense of direction, even lost, and more pronounced at night;It is common to take a car to sit at a stop, drive on the wrong road, or even go out and can't find the way home, resulting in getting lost.
Note: If an elderly person is lost, family members should be alert to Alzheimer's disease.
Due to the lack of symptoms in the preclinical stage, these signals may not be felt in the thirties, and in the forties, this signal may be very weak and not obvious, but once there are frequent slight signs, especially those with a family history of dementia, we must be vigilant, consult a doctor or do relevant examinations in the hospital in time, and cultivate good living habits.
What to do if you have Alzheimer's disease
Early diagnosis and treatment can be delayed.
Although there are no drugs that can stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease, scientists are working to develop new drugs and conduct clinical trials, some of which have been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease and improve the quality of life of patients.
Therefore, if you suspect that you have Alzheimer's disease or have a family history of dementia, you must go to the hospital as soon as possibleThe doctor will ask about the medical history, examine the body, and prescribe a checklist depending on the situation. Tests that may need to be done include:
Blood Tests:
Blood routine, biochemistry, glucose metabolism indicators, thyroid function, vitamin levels, RPR, HIV, tumor-related screening, dementia risk genetic testing, etc., are checked to screen for related factors and diseases that cause cognitive impairment - because cognitive decline and dementia may be secondary to many diseases, such as cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral arteriovenous malformation, hydrocephalus, vitamin deficiency, infection, encephalitis, paraneoplastic syndrome, chronic alcoholic encephalopathy, secondary organ insufficiency, hereditary diseases, etc.
MRI of the brain (MRI), cognitive scales, and if necessary, further sleep monitoring, lumbar puncture, or PET testing
The purpose of these examinations is to clarify the cause, degree, and scope of cognitive decline, so that in the next step, some cognitive diseases may be improved.
How to prevent Alzheimer's disease
Fortunately, Alzheimer's disease is preventable!The incubation period of Alzheimer's disease is actually a window of time that can be used to intervene in dementia with the help of doctors to prevent dementia and reduce the risk of dementia.
To prevent dementia, in addition to seeking help from a doctor, it is also necessary to prevent it on your own in life. Prevention focuses on two principles, one is to reduce controllable risk factors, and the other is to increase protective factors.
One
Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease is a gene-environment interaction, with the incidence of dementia increasing with age.
Uncontrollable factors
Family history
A family history of dementia increases the risk of dementia in offspring.
Genes
The APO E4 allele is an important risk factor for dementia, and people who carry one APO E4 allele have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than the general population2 — 3 times, and people who carry two E4 alleles have a better chance of developing Alzheimer's disease than the general population8-10 times
Sex
Women are more likely to develop the disease than men.
Controllable factors
Diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance.
Obesity, metabolic syndrome, etc.
Hypertension, hyperlipidemia.
Cardiovascular disease. Depression, psychological stress, sleep disorders, etc.
Traumatic brain injury, reluctance to use the brain, little brain, low education, etc.
Smoking, alcoholism, etc.
Less activity, less exercise.
Controlling and reducing these controllable risk factors can potentially be reducedrisk of dementia.
II
Protective factors that inhibit Alzheimer's disease
In addition, the following factors can help us stay away from Alzheimer's disease, which is calledProtective factors
Increase mental activity, cognitive leisure activities, such as chess, lifelong learning and continuing education.
Participate in social activities and maintain an optimistic attitude.
Adhere to physical exercise, develop the habit of aerobic exercise, and advocate at least 3 days a week, more than 40 minutes of walking and exercise.
Mediterranean diet:
Reduce your intake of saturated fatty acids and trans fats. Saturated fats are found in daily diets such as red meat, oils (coconut oil and palm oil), and trans fatty acids are found in some snacks, pastries, and fried foods.
Vegetables, legumes (e.g., peas, lentils), fruits, and whole grains make up the majority of daily food.
Eating a handful of nuts or seeds, such as melon seeds, every day can provide beneficial vitamin E.
* Reliable vitamin B12, such as fortified foods or scientifically formulated supplements (**2. per day.)4 micrograms).
When choosing a multivitamin, choose one that is free of iron and copper, and iron supplementation is not necessary unless recommended by a doctor.
Omega-3 intake: The daily diet of omega-3 fatty acids** is dominated by oily fish, such as small fish such as sardines, herring and anchovies, and larger fish such as salmon, trout, tuna, swordfish and mackerel. Oily fish is often referred to as "brain food," and one study showed that eating oily fish more than twice a week was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease in non-APO E4 carriers
However, oily fish may contain low levels of contaminants, and groups such as women planning to become pregnant, pregnant and lactating women should not eat more oily fish to avoid contaminants accumulating in the body and affecting the future development of infants.