Alzheimer's disease

Mary Ann Hille has no history of Alzheimer's disease in her family, nor does she have it herself. That's just the way she plans to keep it.

The Tulsa, Oklahoma, woman began taking preventative steps to stave off Alzheimer's after her husband, Jo Bob, was diagnosed with the disease nearly seven years ago when he was only 56. The couple's three daughters--all in their 30s--also are following what might be called a regimen of preventative maintenance against Alzheimer's.

Mary Ann, 61, takes vitamin supplements, exercises regularly, works crossword puzzles, and takes occasional classes to give her brain a workout. Her daughters all exercise at gyms, take supplements, and are avid readers.

"By the time you reach 80, every other person will have Alzheimer's disease," Mary Ann says. "I do what I can to prevent that."

Can Mary Ann and her daughters really delay or thwart the onset of what is, so far, an incurable disease? Yes, says Marilyn S. Albert, Ph.D., a professor of neurology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and chair of the medical scientific advisory council of the Alzheimer's Association. "Everybody should be doing it," says Albert, who is also the co-author of Keep Your Brain Young.

Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that destroys brain cells. The disease lasts anywhere from three to 20 years, with eight years being the average. It is always fatal.

That's the bad news. Here's the good: Research shows that lifestyle modifications made when you're younger may help keep the disease at bay. Making these changes soon is important, because many scientists believe that Alzheimer's actually develops over several decades before you begin showing symptoms. Some ways to fight it:

COLLAR YOUR CHOLESTEROL

What's good for the heart is good for the head, especially when it comes to high cholesterol. "The same processes that deposit junk in the vessels in the heart deposit junk in the vessels in the brain," Albert says.

Losing weight and exercising are the two best ways to lower cholesterol. But if they don't do the trick, talk to your doctor about the cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. Statins can reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's by up to 70 percent.

STOCK UP ON FOLIC ACID

Foods rich in folic acid such as fortified cereals, leafy green vegetables, legumes, peanuts, and citrus fruits may have a strong preventative effect. A study released last year found that people who ate grain products enriched with folic acid saw a decline in stroke and heart disease deaths. That's significant because another study showed that older folks who had a stroke had a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. If your diet lacks folic acid, consider a daily supplement of 400 micrograms.

BE FRESH WITH FISH

Eat a couple of servings a week of fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. These include tuna, salmon, sardines, and anchovies. Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids decrease the growth rate of artery-clogging plaque and lower blood pressure slightly. A new study from the University of California, Los Angeles, also shows that one omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid, may slow" the progression of Alzheimer's-related brain damage.

If you're not fond of fish, consider fish oil supplements. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor for a recommended amount but you'll likely want less than 3 grams a day. Higher amounts can cause hard-to-control bleeding.

BE WITH 'C' AND 'E'

When researchers at Johns Hopkins University studied 4,740 men and women age 65 and older living in Cache Country, Utah, they concluded that those who took both vitamins C and E seemed to have a markedly reduced chance of contracting Alzheimer's.

An important note: Those with good results in the study took both vitamins together. Taken separately, C and E don't seem to confer the same protection. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants, which neutralize unstable molecules that damage cells and are thought to contribute to the development of dozens of diseases. Albert suggests 400 international units of vitamin E and 500 milligrams of vitamin C.

WINE IS FINE

Red grapes are an especially rich source of resveratrol, a compound that studies have shown is also an antioxidant, says Benjamin Wolozin, professor of pharmacy at Boston University Medical Campus. An added benefit: Researchers also think it might reduce heart disease. But, remember, drinking too much alcohol can damage brain cells and may even shrink your brain over time, Albert cautions. A glass a day is all you need.

SHAKE A LEG

"There is increasing evidence that if people are physically active, certain chemicals are released in the brain that are beneficial," says Albert, whose 91-year-old mother walks a mile a day. "You don't have to do something heroic, just regular activity' that you can incorporate in your daily life."

DON'T LET YOUR BRAIN WANE

Health care workers have people in the early stages of Alzheimer's do various mental exercises in an effort to slow their deterioration. The same strategy' might help delay the onset of symptoms. "If you don't exercise your muscles, they atrophy," Wolozin says. "It's the same thing with your brain. The most important thing you can do is stay mentally active."

Play board or card games, learn a new language, paint, read, or take a continuing education course. These strategies are especially important if, like so many of us, you have a repetitive job that doesn't require much abstract thought or creative thinking.

There's a lot you can do to keep Alzheimer's from being an unwelcome part of your future. "These are things that are good for your health anyway," says Mary Ann. "If you can delay the onset of symptoms for a few years, that's a boon to your life, your savings, your children."

ILLUSTRATION BY JEN RENNINGER

COPYRIGHT 2005 Meredith Corporation