According to an article in the December 13th, 2011 issue of The Globe and Mail newspaper, scientists at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada are currently working on a procedure to prevent the development of the degenerative plaques which form in the brain which lead to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. These plaques interfere with connections between neurons thereby leading to memory and other hallmark losses in functioning which are associated with types of dementia. Despite the fact that Alzheimer's is not understood to be an immune disorder, but a neurological one, scientists foresee that a type of immunotherapy or vaccination would be the procedure of choice in order to inoculate people against it. Estimates are that this type of treatment is at least four years away.
In the meantime, we have to do what we can to try to prevent this disorder. One thing that seems to be a factor in the development of Alzheimer's (and other types of dementia) is high blood pressure.
The small arteries of the brain are quite sensitive to elevations in blood pressure. Long-term hypertension carries the risk of injury to these small vessels, impairing blood flow and resulting in damage to, and atrophy of, brain tissue. Our risk of developing vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or some form of cognitive impairment increases with the development of hypertension.
It turns out that high diastolic pressure at age 50 predicts poor cognitive function at age 70. High systolic pressure (in, or above, the range of 140 - 160) is associated with white matter lesions - a type of brain tissue damage that forms due to poor circulation - and an increased risk of developing dementia. (1)
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(1) "High Blood Pressure Increases Dementia Risk", January 19, 2011, Deana Ferreri, www.diseaseproof.com
