Medical science is riddled with diseases which are still poorly understood despite the advancements in medical technology and research. Amongst them, Alzheimer’s is at the forefront because there are many questions which are still answered. The biggest of these questions is probably why the disease affects women more than it affects men. The reason why this question is important is that finding a cure based on gender may lead to key findings of human health. These findings are crucial because they can be used to find cures for other diseases as well. A new study proposes to investigate the matter and report their findings to the public.
Most consider Alzheimer’s to be a disease that occurs only in old people. But, the truth is, the first symptoms may start 20 – 30 years before the memory loss. That is why it is important to understand how the disease manifests itself after the initial signals. The study, which will be conducted over a four-year period, will study a group of women to determine body changes associated with the disease. This will also help women make better decisions in their lives. From diagnosis to treatment, women will be able to make more informed decisions about managing the disease.
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Since November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, NBC anchor Maria Shriver decided to conduct a special show on it. She spoke with Dr. Richard Isaacson, a neurologist who runs the country’s first Alzheimer’s prevention clinic at Weill Cornell Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian. She decided to seek out answers for the mysterious diseases everyone talks about so much. She wanted to show her viewers what the symptoms of the disease are and what individuals and medical experts can do to tackle them. There were two more important questions that she wanted to ask. The first was why it shows up in young people and second why women were more at risk than men.
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Changes could include physical or hormonal or blood or any other aspect of the human body. The important thing to find is that one symptom which pinpoints the disease.
He knows that that are many endocrine changes which take place when a woman is affected with Alzheimer’s. He suspects that menopause could be a reason but it’s only a hunch and he can only be certain after the results of the study. Additionally, he wants to look for blood markers which may be an indication of the disease.
In this study, women will undergo blood tests, cognitive analysis, and brain scans. These will help track changes in the body. It will take almost four years for the study to get over. That is the time Isaacson wants to invest in the study. His goal is to enroll as many women as possible. He has kept a target of 400 but that might be a bit far stretched because studying, so many individuals require funding.
One of the first persons to enroll in the study is Alyssa Langel. She joined because she saw her grandmother die from Alzheimer’s. She wants to do whatever she can to help women suffering the same fate. She hopes that through the findings of the study, future generations will be better equipped to fight Alzheimer’s than they are today.
Often, women are under the impression that they need to take hormones to protect their brain against the disease. It is something that has also been prescribed by doctors and health experts for a long time. But the truth is, every woman is different and in such cases, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It cannot be said with certainty that taking hormones will help a woman fight against the disease. These are just some of the minor things which he intends to find out through his study.
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He believes lifestyle factors like stress, sleep, and diet are also important in the body’s response mechanism to diseases like Alzheimer’s. An imbalance in these factors can lead to an unhealthy life and in turn a breeding ground for problems. It is therefore important for both men and women to lead a good lifestyle. Building a strong immunity is one of the best defense mechanisms against Alzheimer’s because at the end of the day prevention is better than cure.
He strongly believes that every one out of three cases of Alzheimer’s is preventable. This, of course, requires the person to lead a healthy lifestyle and avoid things like stress and lack of sleep. It is, of course, a vague way to talk about these factors because it is present in everyone’s life and is also one of the first things doctors say to look out for.
Through his study, Isaacson believes he can find key changes in a woman’s body that in later years manifests to Alzheimer’s. he also believes that it will of great help to women who are currently suffering from it.
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Such studies are important for our society and they must be conducted on a routine basis. It is extremely important to listen to what our body has to say when infected with diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Share this information about Alzheimer’s and encourage others to pray for those struggling with this awful disease.