… Plus an 8-Question Dementia Risk Quiz
Earlier this year, stunning new research was published showing the biological processes that lead to mental decline and eventually dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, start 18 years before symptoms appear.[i]
The researchers followed more than 2,000 participants for 18 years and administered a mental skills test every three years. Those who went on to develop Alzheimer’s had steadily declining test scores throughout the study period. In fact, for each unit drop in test scores, the risk of Alzheimer’s increased 85 percent.[ii]
It’s still too soon to know whether administering such tests as part of regular health screenings could be used to predict an individual’s risk … but it does raise hope that discovering the cognitive decline in its earliest stages could leave time to do something about it.
For instance, the researchers want to study whether brain-stimulating activities like learning a new language and staying social will improve test scores or slow the progression of the disease.
Answer These Eight Questions to Reveal Your Risk of Dementia …
The Ascertain Dementia 8 (AD8) screening test, developed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, contains eight simple questions that can be answered in about three minutes’ time.[iii]
Although it can’t definitively diagnose dementia, it’s been found to work as well as or better than other screening tests currently used by physicians.[iv] Answer each question with a “yes” or “no” answer. You receive 1 point for each “yes,” and a score of two or more indicates you should seek further testing.
In the last few years, have you experienced a change in the following areas?
- Problems with judgment, such as bad financial decisions?
- Less interest in hobbies or other activities?
- Repeating questions, stories or statements?
- Trouble learning how to use a tool or appliance such as a television remote control or microwave?
- Forgetting the month or year?
- Trouble with complicated financial affairs, such as balancing a checkbook or paying bills?
- Trouble remembering appointments?
- Daily problems with thinking and memory?
11 Early Warning Signs of Dementia
Everyone is forgetful now and again … but if you’re experiencing memory loss that’s disruptive to your daily life it could be a symptoms of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, and 5.3 million Americans are currently living with the disease.
Currently, someone develops the disease in the United States every 67 seconds, but that’s expected to increase to every 33 seconds by 2050.[v] Most of those with the disease are not aware they have it – either because they’ haven’t been told they have it or they haven’t yet been diagnosed.
While at first the memory loss is mild, Alzheimer’s symptoms progress gradually until a person loses the ability to carry out a conversation, recognize loved ones or respond to their environment. There is currently no known cure, although treatments are available to help slow the worsening of symptoms.
So how can you tell the difference between normal memory slips and dementia? Here are 11 early warning signs to watch out for.[vi] If you notice any of these in yourself or a loved one, see a doctor right away.
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life: It’s normal to forget a name or appointment occasionally (especially if you remember it later), but forgetting recently learned information (including important dates and events) frequently is not.
- Asking for the same information over and over: This is a sign of a loss in short-term memories, which is common with Alzheimer’s.
- Trouble working with numbers: An occasional error while balancing your checkbook is normal, but a sign of trouble is not being able to balance your checkbook at all or not being able to follow a recipe or keep track of bills like you used to.
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks: If you suddenly find it challenging to drive a familiar route or remember how to play your favorite game of cards, this could be a warning sign, as could getting lost in familiar places.
- Losing track of places and time: Everyone forgets what day of the week it is on occasion, but a sign of something more serious is losing track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. For instance, someone with Alzheimer’s may have difficulty understanding events that are not happening immediately.
- Vision problems: Unusual changes in your vision, such as trouble reading, determining color or judging distance can be early Alzheimer’s symptoms.
- Trouble following a conversation: A person with Alzheimer’s may stop in the middle of a conversation, unable to figure out how to continue, or they may repeat themselves and struggle with finding the right word (or calling items by the wrong name).
- Misplacing items and being unable to retrace steps to find them: Misplacing an item and retracing your steps to find it is normal; with Alzheimer’s a person often loses their ability to retrace steps to find misplaced items, and may accuse others of stealing.
- Poor judgment or decision-making: People with Alzheimer’s may be at risk of falling victim to scams or may stop paying attention to personal hygiene.
- Withdrawal from social activities or work: If someone is no longer able to keep up with their favorite sports team or forgets how to complete their usual hobbies, it could be a sign of a problem.
- Personality changes: A person with Alzheimer’s may become confused, easily upset, anxious, suspicious, depressed or fearful.
Support Your Memory Health Naturally
Contrary to popular belief, your brain function doesn’t have to slow down as you get older. You can improve your memory naturally using lifestyle strategies like healthy diet and exercise, along with flooding your brain with the powerful memory-boosting nutrients found in Advanced Memory Support.
What makes Advanced Memory Support especially unique is that it also contains stress-busting adaptogenic herbs for optimal brain function, and even more natural ingredients for calming your anxiety, as stress and anxiety are incredibly taxing on your mental function. If you’re ready to nip memory loss in the bud now, try Advanced Memory Support, risk-free, for just $1 a day.
[iv] AARP Bulletin October 10, 2010
[v] Alzheimer’s Association, Latest Facts and Figures
[vi] Alzheimer’s Association, Memory Loss & 10 Early Signs of Alzheimer’s
Very interesting! Gerardo Arias