Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention
Alzheimer’s disease – a progressive brain disease that destroys brain cells and causes memory loss, changes in behavior and loss of body functions – is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth-leading cause of death for those 65 and older. Deaths from Alzheimer’s disease increased by two-thirds from 2000 to 2008, even as the deaths from other major diseases such as breast cancer, prostate cancer and heart disease declined.
Help Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes
- Eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and lean protein, particularly protein sources containing omega-3 fatty acids
- Stop smoking
- Be active – physically, mentally, and socially
Tests and Screenings for Alzheimer’s Disease
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Positron emission tomography (PET)