Keeping your brain healthy as you get older
may be more fun than you think!
More than five million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and another person develops it every minute. It's important to take steps early in life to prevent this common disease.
A new study may show us how. Researchers included 65 older people whose minds were still sharp, and compared them to a group of people with Alzheimer's and a group of young adults. The healthy older folks discussed how often they read, wrote letters, went to the library, and played games throughout their lives.
Everyone underwent special brain scans that looked for evidence of beta amyloid. This is a protein that forms clumps in the brain during Alzheimer's. People who kept their brains more active when they were young and middle-aged had less beta-amyloid in their brains. But those who didn't do many brain-stimulating activities had about as much of this buildup in their brains as people with Alzheimer's.
As a result, keeping your brain challenged might slow down or postpone Alzheimer's disease. Inexpensive ways to start include:
More than five million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and another person develops it every minute. It's important to take steps early in life to prevent this common disease.
A new study may show us how. Researchers included 65 older people whose minds were still sharp, and compared them to a group of people with Alzheimer's and a group of young adults. The healthy older folks discussed how often they read, wrote letters, went to the library, and played games throughout their lives.
Everyone underwent special brain scans that looked for evidence of beta amyloid. This is a protein that forms clumps in the brain during Alzheimer's. People who kept their brains more active when they were young and middle-aged had less beta-amyloid in their brains. But those who didn't do many brain-stimulating activities had about as much of this buildup in their brains as people with Alzheimer's.
As a result, keeping your brain challenged might slow down or postpone Alzheimer's disease. Inexpensive ways to start include:
- Picking up games that you can play alone or with friends
- Reading a daily newspaper and solving the crossword or Sudoku puzzle
- And visiting the library often
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