As recently as 30 years ago, science could tell us little about Alzheimer’s disease, though we’ve since learned quite a bit. However, there has been recent research that shines a new light on Alzheimer’s prevention.
Many scientists are working together trying to understand the genetic, biological and environmental factors of this disease.
Most recently Finnish and Swedish researchers found that middle-aged people who drink between 3 and 5 cups of coffee per day seem to reduce their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
However, drinking more than five cups per day showed no protective benefit.
Alzheimer’s, is an irreversible and progressive disease that destroys thinking and memory until even the ability to complete the simplest everyday tasks is gone.
In most cases symptoms first show up after age 60 and recent estimates have as many as 2.4 to 4.5 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s.
It’s still not known what starts the Alzheimer’s process in motion, though experts know that the damage begins anything from 10 to 20 years before you see any symptoms.
Clearly there’s a complex series of events that happen over a long period of time. Genetics, environment and lifestyle factors (nutritious diet, exercise, social engagement, mental stimulation) are all thought to play a role.
The latest study is published in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease involved interviews with over 1400 people over a twenty-year period.
The subjects were asked about their coffee drinking habits when in their 50s, then memory functions were tested when the subjects were between 65 and 79 years old.
A total of 61 had developed dementia, 48 of these had Alzheimer’s by the end of the research.
“There are perhaps one or two other studies that have shown that coffee can improve some memory functions (but) this is the first study directed at dementia and Alzheimer’s (and) in which the subjects are followed for such a long time,” Miia Kivipelto, a professor at the University of Kuopio in Finland and at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm explains.
When it comes to Alzheimer’s, there are tests that can be done to see how the memory changes over time, and an early diagnose can help with getting treatment started to help preserve as much cognitive ability as possible.
You can’t change the underlying deterioration process, but there are treatments to help preserve your function for months or years.
Plus you can plan, make living arrangements plus financial and legal decisions that you’d like to have control over before a condition like Alzheimer’s makes this impossible.
What’s more, there are clinical trials that you can become involved in, that not only may help you, but will be invaluable research for the patients to come after you.
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Moderate Coffee Drinking Might Just Protect Against Alzheimer’s Disease… continued
There are at present four medications approved by the U.S. food and Drug Administration, donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine are used for mild to moderate forms; memantine is used in moderate to severe cases of Alzheimer’s.
All these medications work by regulating neurotransmitters and help to keep thinking, memory and conversation sharp. You should know that these drugs don’t stop the progression of the disease, but they do help to retain function for as long as possible.
Future work will try to uncover exactly what the protective elements are in the coffee.
These results showing the benefits of coffee came out just a day after another study published by researchers at Durham University showed a link between heavy coffee drinking more than five cups of coffee a day and hallucinations.
So, although coffee seems to be beneficial in moderation for Alzheimer’s prevention, it’s best not to overdo it.
