Alzheimer's Disease: Warning Signs and Myths

The following information comes from the Alzheimer’s Association.

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

1.  Memory changes that disrupt daily life.
2.  Challenges in planning or solving problems.
3.  Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, work, or leisure.
4.  Confusion with time or place.
5.  Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.
6.  New problems with words in speaking or writing.
7.  Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.
8.  Decreased or poor judgment.
9.  Withdrawl from work or social activities.
10. Changes in mood or personality.

 (Did You Know?  The number one risk factor for Alzheimer’s is age, followed by family history and genetics.  The risk of Alzheimer’s doubles every five years after age 65 reaching 50% at age 85.)

5 Myths about Alzheimer’s and Dementia

1. Drinking out of aluminum cans or cooking in aluminum pots can lead to Alzheimer’s.
2. Aspartame causes memory loss.
3. Flu shots increase the risk of Alzheimer’s
4. Silver dental fillings increase the risk.
5. Ginko biloba prevents Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Although there is nothing at this point that absolutely protects against Alzheimer’s, Dr. Tan, of Harvard, from the Framingham Heart Study, has found that those who engaged in moderate to heavy physical activity were 45% less likely to develop any kind of dementia.