Results of a new clinical trial show adults in Iowa and around the world suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia benefit from increased physical activity, better nutrition and more social interaction. The “U-S POINTER” study is the first to demonstrate that a healthy lifestyle intervention can slow cognitive decline, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Iowa Chapter Communications Director Lauren Livingston says taking a combination of common drugs to treat blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes may also slow cognitive decline.
“Especially in our state where we have fewer doctors and specialists in this field. Hopefully in the near future,
we’ll have more available and being able to prevent it for longer will give people more of a chance to get early
detection and there may be more treatments available at that time, as well.”
Livingston adds a decade of data from three large international studies shows people with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease benefit the most from healthy lifestyle interventions. The new Alzheimer’s Association research also shows that people who were exposed to lead early in life face a greater risk of dementia as they age and greatly benefit from lifestyle changes. Livingston says that Alzheimer’s is on the rise and continued research is critical.
“In Iowa, there are 60,000 adults over the age of 65 living with Alzheimer’s Disease and there are over 80,000
caregivers and without new treatments and without a cure those numbers are unfortunately expected to grow
especially as the older generations continue to age.”
Lauren Livingston is Communications Director with the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. This story courtesy of Public News Service.
