The new, more-hopeful face of Alzheimer’s disease

livemint.com:

Prevention is key: Know your risk factors for brain damage as you age, especially from high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, tobacco use, excess alcohol, hearing loss, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, social isolation, brain injury from falls and other risky activities, and negative attitudes toward aging. Attending to these issues as soon as possible, combined with a brain-healthy lifestyle, can reduce risk and improve wellness. • Watch your cognitive vital signs: As you age, consider your short-term memory skills, word-finding ability and other brain powers to be cognitive vital signs that need to be measured and monitored, just like blood pressure and other important physical vital signs.

While it’s normal to have age-related changes in these skills, they might also reflect problems with stress, sleep, anxiety, depression, medications or medical factors that can be identified and reversed. When they persist and progress, it might be the harbinger of early Alzheimer’s. • Work with experts: Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive disorders are complex, and diagnosis can be elusive, even with all of the technology and biomarkers at our fingertips.

Don’t ignore early signs or wait until symptoms get too bad to ignore. Be proactive and see an expert such as a geriatric psychiatrist or neurologist for a comprehensive evaluation at the first sign of cognitive change. • Active coping: Keep active and find ways to enjoy life.