Alzheimer's disease: prevention is better than cure

At present, it is important to promote measures and tips to avoid and prevent those negative factors that facilitate the acceleration of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In the battle against this neurodegenerative disease, one of the first strategies to take on the world of Neurology is to delay the onset of AD; the mere delay of a few years at the onset of symptoms would have significant socio and economic impact and would free up funds to open and expand other fronts.

Tips to prevent Alzheimer's

Promoting protective factors and risk prevention are a key element in achieving this initial goal. Prevent, control and treat appropriately and early risk factors such as head trauma, smoking, obesity and cerebrovascular disease, especially hypertension and hypercholesterolemia and deficit of B vitamins are actions that should be generalized and optimized, which would entail an decreased risk of AD apart from other health benefits that could be associated.

On the other hand, the promotion of a healthy diet, which does not have to be very different from the traditional Mediterranean or without a moderate amount of wine, along with maintaining a continuous physical and mental activity also help to reduce the risk of EA or at least to defer its clinical appearance.

Also relevant is the role of mental activity and cognitive stimulation (EC); education is the most studied to be an organized, systematic and prolonged EC, but not the only. The protective effect of education may be mediated by different mechanisms are not necessarily incompatible with each other.

On the one hand, a higher educational level generally involves a better socioeconomic status and, in turn, better nutrition and health care and less toxic and risk factors; on the other, education increases brain reserve, not only from an anatomical point of view (number and size of neurons and connections between them), but also from the functional, improving strategies and compensation mechanisms.

There are other techniques that EC have also demonstrated their protective potential for the development of AD or cognitive decline, as usual work, recreational activities, social relations or simply training in specific cognitive techniques.