Espedilla: Part 5 of preventing memory loss and dementia

(Foreword: This is the continuation of our reply to BB of Sasa about his desire to prevent memory loss and dementia.)

DEAR BB of Sasa,

Alright, let’s get farther to the bottom of these issues as we move on to the final league on ways to prevent memory loss and dementia.

There has been antidementia drugs in the market today which are also known as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. They are very pricey, I tell you, not to mention that they are almost elusive to get. But, unfortunately, the panel of experts found no benefit from them. Yes, they can surely treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, but the bad news is, none of them can treat the underlying cause or slow the worsening of the disease. Moreover, the research also shows that they didn’t help memory and thinking skills in those with mild cognitive impairment or MCI, which happens before dementia.

The experts believed that while they found dietary evidence inconclusive, they supposed that there is moderate evidence that the Mediterranean diet or a similar one, such as DASH, may help lower the chance of having dementia.

Getting to the ground of these issues, the Alzheimer's Association agrees with the "top three" strategies the expert panel developed - which are again, to recap:

Getting enough regular exercise

2. Managing blood pressure

3. Doing “brain training”

Just remember that what is good for your heart is going to be good for your brain. So, this only means that you have to take control of your blood pressure and be sure to exercise to get the blood flow going well.

Ok, assuming arguendo that while it's not yet proven by research that these practices will really cut down the odds of having dementia, the strategies are good for your overall health - at least you get some good bite, if not the best.

Before we close this topic, let me cite to you some aging studies at the University of South Florida in Tampa where they found that exercise at midlife can lower the chance of dementia by half. But, still they believe that there is still tremendous amount of work to be done before they can make any exercise recommendations to the public to reduce the risk of dementia.

I know that we still have a long way to go for dementia, but, as long as there’s some flicker of hope burning, then, there’s no way for man to succumb to desperation. The help may still be decades away, but, what is important is they will come to help humanity fight Alzheimer’s and dementia till the finish line.

Good luck!

Dr. Fritz

(Dr. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist and surgeon and a clinical sexologist. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15 year stint with her radio program, “Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz.” She is also a faculty in a College of Pharmacy. For your questions, you may send them to Dear Dr. Fritz, c/o Sunstar-Davao Publishing Inc., Ebro-Pelayo Building, Jacinto St., Davao City, (former Department of Foreign Affairs office), across Ateneo de Davao University and beside Holy Child School of Davao, or you e-mail them to dokfritz@yahoo.com. If you don’t wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.)