The brain uses 20 percent
or more of the blood that
is pumped by the heart, so
it makes sense to keep the
heart in shape in order to
keep the brain healthy.
Getty Images
Caribbean Life, May 17–23, 2019 43
Wellness
The landscape is a confusing one,
but I advise you to be an educated
consumer of health education. Be
skeptical; if it sounds too good to be
true, it probably is.
A few tips when reading about scientifi
c research:
Understand the difference between
“cause” and “association.”
Bacterial infections cause pneumonia.
Poor sanitation, ventilation, and
living in close quarters are associated
with an increased risk of developing
tuberculosis.
Understand the difference between
“risk-reduction” and “prevention.”
With risk-reduction, you are lowering
the chance of something happening:
e.g. wearing a helmet or seatbelt
reduces the chance of head injury.
In prevention, you are eliminating
the chance that something will happen:
e.g. if you get the polio vaccine,
you will not get the disease.
Understand the difference between
epidemiological studies and
clinical trials.
Epidemiological studies report on
fi ndings in large populations and create
theories based on those fi ndings.
Clinical trials test a drug for safety
and effectiveness.
Know which studies have good
evidence, are published in peer-reviewed
journals, and are based on
rigorous science.
See if they are double-blind (neither
the researcher nor the patient knows
whether they are receiving the drug
being tested), and if participants are
randomly assigned to either the treatment
or control/comparison group.
In studies regarding Alzheimer’s
and other dementias, there are lots of
theories about what contributes to developing
the disease, and what changes
we can make that might reduce the
risk. It can be confusing and diffi cult
to sort these out.
A little perspective helps:
The brain uses 20 percent or more of
the blood that is pumped by the heart,
so it makes sense to keep the heart in
shape. It is safe to say that what is good
for the heart is good for the brain.
Know your numbers:
• Weight and body mass index
• Cholesterol
• Blood pressure
• Blood glucose (sugar levels)
Keeping these in normal levels are
good for your heart and, therefore,
good for your brain. However, as Dr.
Richard Isaacson, head of New York
Presbyterian Weill Cornell’s Alzheimer’s
Prevention Institute, often says,
one size will not fi t all. The most effective
approach will be a highly personalized
one, which takes into account
many factors: individual biology, history,
exercise, level of education, genetics,
and more.
It’s hard to say how much effect
each component of a healthy lifestyle
has on brain health; i.e. diet vs. exercise
or sleep. Or, if one is genetically
pre-disposed to develop late-onset (after
65 years of age) Alzheimer’s, how
much any of these activities will reduce
the risk. There is some evidence
that some activities might delay the onset.
And, as we know that the changes
in the brain happen much earlier than
we had thought, well before the onset
of forgetfulness or confusion. Given
this, it makes sense that early interventions
may be helpful.
However, it takes self-discipline
and control to commit to a lifestyle
of healthy eating, regular exercise,
and good sleep habits. So, be realistic
in what you can achieve. Make small
changes and build on those. And forgive
yourself if you slip up; there’s always
tomorrow.
In the meantime, until we have suffi
cient evidence that specifi c things
are effective in reducing the risk of developing
dementia, you can rely on us
to provide information, resources and
referrals to help if you are a dementia
caregiver. There is solid evidence that
this support makes a difference. Call
the 24-hour Helpline at (646) 744–2900
or visit our website at www.caringkindnyc.
org. We are here to help!
Care
Chronicle
Jed Levine
Brain health:
What do
we know?
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