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| THE COLONY NEWS | OCTOBER 2023 | 21 Roughly one in nine Americans over the age of 65 are afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, and it's the sixth leading cause of death for those over age 65. Although heart disease, cancer and strokes are commonly recognized as life threatening conditions that prompt rigorous treatment efforts, there are very limited treatment options available for Alzheimer's disease and at best, those treatments do not reverse but only delay the cognitive and functional decline associated with the disease. Although there is significant ongoing research, at this time Alzheimer's dementia remains an "incurable" condition, which uniformly leads to functional decline resulting in death. Given the significant impact of this condition and the limited treatment options, efforts should be primarily focused on prevention. Although research has revealed that the damage to brain function in Alzheimer's disease is caused by an abnormal build-up of proteins in and around the brain cells, it has not yet been determined why this occurs in some but not in others. Current research suggests that factors leading to Alzheimer's include a combination of age- related changes in the brain along with genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors. It's estimated that less than one percent of Alzheimer's cases are due to genetic factors. It's also estimated that as many as 80 percent of patients with Alzheimer's have cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Aggressive efforts to prevent and treat these chronic conditions is an important strategy in reducing your risk for Alzheimer's. Heart-healthy diets including the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) have both been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Both of these diets avoid highly processed foods, sugary foods, drinks, and excessive intake of red meats. Physical activity and maintaining social connections and intellectual stimulation have been shown to be important factors in preventing Alzheimer's disease. Exercise such as walking and golfing allow you the opportunity to enjoy social interactions while getting exercise. Spending time connecting with others in conversations, games or social gatherings has been shown to have a protective effect in lowering the risk of dementia; whereas social isolation has been shown to increase the risk of dementia. One last prevention tip is to remember to fall proof your home, wear your seatbelt when driving and a helmet when biking as head injuries have a strong correlation with future development of cognitive decline. A NOTE FROM THE DOCTOR How to Lower Your Risk for Alzheimer's Disease The Colony is now offering multi-day tours and cruises, which include airfare, transfers and pick up from The Colony parking lot. Below is a partial list of excursions available. Please see Kara in the Activities Office for a full itinerary and information. MULTI-DAY EXCURSIONS www.friendlyexcursions.com Oct. 1-8: St. Louis, Branson, Memphis & Nashville Dec. 17-19: Hearst Castle at Christmas Time Dec. 29 – Jan. 2, 2024: San Francisco New Year's Celebration Jan. 18 - 21: Lake Havasu Balloon Festival Feb. 6-11: Count Down to Mardi Gras! May 14-21: Best of Florida: Key West, Miami and Orlando Aug. 18 - 22: Grand Sierras Sept. 4-13: Great Smoky Mountains, Nashville & Kentucky Oct. 16-31: Greek Isles, Italy & France By Leslee B. Cochrane, MD, Executive Medical Director – Hospice of the Valleys