Alzheimers Disease and Healthy Aging: Are People Using Prevention Strategies Lynne G' Hodgson, Ph'D'

1
Alzheimers Disease and Healthy Aging Are People
Using Prevention Strategies?Lynne G. Hodgson,
Ph.D. Quinnipiac University Stephen J.
Cutler, Ph.D. University of Vermont
DISCUSSION As scientists have learned more about
the etiology of disease, a new emphasis on
prevention has emerged in health care. In its
broadest sense, prevention encompasses lifestyle
choices and health habits that promote
well-being. Beyond maintaining a healthy body,
attention has now turned to maintaining a healthy
brain. For example, the Alzheimers Association
has initiated a public awareness campaign to
educate Baby Boomers as to how they can
(potentially) reduce the risk of AD as they age.
Our study on AD surveyed a group of
middle-aged men and women to determine the extent
of their actions to maintain a healthy brain.
Respondents who reported worries about their
current and future cognitive functioning were
asked whether they had taken any steps to deal
with these concerns and, if they had, precisely
what steps they had taken. Almost half (48) of
the respondents reported that they had actively
sought to maintain their cognitive health. A
third of the subsample reported taking vitamins
or other medications such as Ginkgo Biloba
almost a quarter reported that they were
exercising more and taking better care of
themselves. Analysis of the variety of
strategies employed would suggest that
middle-aged people have begun to get the message
that healthy lifestyles may benefit both their
body and mind. Increased emphasis on maintaining
a healthy brain to reduce the risk of AD may well
be an important focus for public health campaigns
in the 21st century.

• INTRODUCTION
• The 21st century might well be the century of
  preventive health strategies people today are
  encouraged to maintain healthy lifestyles in
  order to reduce their risk of physical disease.
  But, what about brain health? With the aging
  of the Baby Boom generation, estimates call for a
  dramatic increase in the incidence of Alzheimers
  disease (AD). The national Alzheimers
  Association has begun a discussion of the
  potential benefits of healthy lifestyles for
  brain health and earlier this year, they
  initiated a campaign to urge people to Maintain
  Your Brain. (Alzheimers Association, 2004).
  They encourage people to make brain-healthy life
  choices, specifically
• Be heart smart
•  Adopt a brain-healthy diet
•  Stay physically active
•  Stay mentally active
•  Remain socially involved
• This paper explores the prevention strategies
  that middle-aged persons employ to reduce their
  risk of AD.

RESULTS MEMORY CONCERNS Along with questions on
their fears about developing AD, respondents were
asked specifically about their memory concerns.
A third of the sample (N87) expressed worry
about their future cognitive health and this
subsample was asked to explain their worries
STUDY METHODOLOGY Using data from a larger study
on middle-aged persons' concerns about developing
AD, we focus here on a descriptive analysis of
the types of prevention strategies that
respondents identify. The study included 40-60
year old adult children of parents with AD and a
matched comparison group with no parental history
of dementia (N258) Table 1. The questions used
in this analysis were open-ended and yielded
qualitative data that were then evaluated
according to dominant themes.  
RESULTS MAINTAINING MEMORY After explaining
their memory concerns, respondents were then
asked what, if any, steps they had taken about
these concerns. In answer to this question, 52
of the subsample reported no action 48 of the
respondents reported on a variety of preventive
strategies they had undertaken, designed to
maintain their cognitive functioning