You At Your Best

How to combat dementia and memory loss by KAreN rIce | you AT your beST Dementia describes symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities. The Mayo Clinic says dementia can become so severe that it interferes with daily life. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of progressive dementia, though there are other causes as well. Dementias can result from frontotemporal lobar degenerations, vascular disorders, Parkinson's disease, and Lewy Body disease. Depending on the cause, some dementia symptoms may be reversible. For example, medical professionals have discovered a link between insulin resistance and the development of dementia. Insulin resistance, which results from eating too many carbs and sugar and not enough fat, is a major factor that contributes to Alzheimer's disease, according to The Women's Alzheimer's Movement. Some scientists now refer to Alzheimer's as "Type 3 diabetes." Cutting out sugar and refined carbs and adding lots of good fats may prevent and even reverse pre- dementia in many aging adults. Using an animal model, researchers at Temple University Health System discovered that a drug blocking inflammatory molecules known as leukotrienes can reverse tau pathology, the second most important lesion in the brain in patients with Alzheimer's. This can bring hope that medication may help reverse Alzheimer's instead of just mitigating symptoms. Other ways to prevent or reverse dementias involve preventing the brain pathology that occurs. For example, reducing the risk of stroke can prevent vascular dementias. Dementia risks linked to infections and immune disorders may be lowered by making dietary changes or taking appropriate medications for conditions. The Mayo Clinic also says nutritional deficiencies, such as dehydration and not getting enough vitamins B1, B6 and B12, can cause dementia-type symptoms. Dementias linked to heavy metal poisoning also may be resolved with treatment. In addition, people can take proactive approaches to preventing aging of the brain even if they aren't yet suffering cognitive decline. A proactive approach can include: • Getting adequate sleep; • Controlling stress levels; • Getting thyroid and reproductive hormone levels checked and treated, if necessary; • Exercising daily, aiming for at least 30 minutes; • Eating healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fatty fish, coconut oil, olive oil, whole nuts, eggs, and some seeds; and • Reducing consumption of sugar and processed carbohydrates. Combatting dementia can involve an array of strategies aimed at helping people reduce their risk and possibly even reverse course. SpecIAl To you AT your beST With recent research going public in the past few years, the link between hearing loss and dementia is a topic that patients ask me about on a daily basis. It is true that recent studies do establish a clear link between untreated hearing loss and impaired cognitive function. Research also establishes a link between the use of hearing aids and improved brain function. However, the research does not definitively tell us why these links exist. What we do know however, is that untreated hearing loss is linked with several mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, and social isolation. The difference is we can point to research that shows untreated hearing loss directly contributes to these factors. You can use a calculation called disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to see how hearing loss affects your health. DALYs is the number of healthy years lost due to a disease or other health condition. For a condition like hearing loss, it doesn't mean that a person dies younger, but rather that a person has fewer years of good health. The DALYs calculation takes into account life limitations caused by hearing loss as a lost portion of a healthy year of life. A 2016 CDC report used this calculation to determine that for every year of untreated hearing loss, you lose 2.5 years of healthy life. On average, people wait about 10 years to do anything about their hearing loss. You do the math! When patients ask me if they need hearing aids, I ask them if their hearing loss affects their quality of life. It's true that adopting hearing aids sooner in life rather than later is probably better for the brain. But true success with hearing aids comes with patient motivation. If you don't feel your hearing loss affects your quality of life and mental health, you probably won't be motivated to wear the hearing aids consistently. If you don't wear your hearing aids every day, you are probably not going to be successful. If that sounds more like you, I would still advise a hearing evaluation so we can at least track how your hearing changes over time. The decision to treat your hearing loss is ultimately up to you. For more information, visit Wolfpack Hearing Clinic at 2630 E. Citizens Drive, #7 in Fayetteville, call (479) 957-9300 or go to wolfpackhearing.com. The link between hearing loss, dementia and quality of life SpoNSor coNTeNT 12 | YOU AT YOUR BEST | nwAdg.cOm/YOUATYOURBEST dEcEmBER - SEniOR HEAlTH | SATURdAY, nOvEmBER 30, 2019 Our patients succeed. You will, too! 479.957.9300 Wolfpackhearing.com 2630 E Citizens Dr #7 • Fayetteville, AR Best BestNWA.com of Northwest Arkansas the

• Cover