Like many people my age, there are times when I can't find my keys, sunglasses or phone.
Every now and then I get the idea of looking for something, reaching for the computer and forgetting it was there.
Normal aging?
Signs of cognitive impairment?
I'm not sure, but if you have similar questions about yourself or a loved one and would like to know when to get help and what's available, you can get answers at three upcoming conferences hosted by Los Angeles with Alzheimer's (details below). A panel of experts will discuss the latest advances in prevention, early detection and treatment.
There is no cure yet for dementia (an umbrella term for cognitive disorders), of which Alzheimer's disease is the most common. But thanks to advances in recent years, medications can treat some symptoms of mild and even moderate disorders, and given the number of cases of dementia in the United States expected to double by 2060, as the population ages and people live longer, there is hope for further progress.
There has been a “dramatic increase in the number of clinical trials of new treatments,” said Heather Cooper Ortner, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Alzheimer's Disease Center. Research is ongoing into drugs that could “improve cognitive function or treat challenging behaviors such as agitation, depression, hallucinations and other neuropsychiatric or behavioral symptoms.”
In just the past few months, doctors have been encouraged FDA approval in May a blood test that can help in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, and with growing evidence that lifestyle choices can improve mental acuity.
“It's a very exciting time,” said Dr. David Ruben, director of UCLA's Alzheimer's and Dementia Program. “I just gave a talk on the state of dementia in 2025, and most of what we're talking about 10 years ago would have been fiction.”
If you're among the millions of people with risk factors for dementia, you may be able to not only delay memory loss, but also improve mental function.
Without taking any medications.
US POINTER Study tracked more than 2,000 people in five locations over two years using a physical activity regimen, brain exercises, healthy eating and social engagement. Participants from Northern California participated under the guidance of UC Davis, Health.
None of the participants had a diagnosis of dementia, but they had risk factors including family history, cardiovascular disease, poor diet and sedentary lifestyle.
Half the group had a coach, the other half worked on their own.
Both groups showed improvements in cognitive function, the study reported. Journal of American Medicine.
“What you do is good for your body is good for your brain,” said Dr. Dung Trinh, a researcher from Healthy Brain Clinic in Long Beach and a board member of the Alzheimer's Hospital in Los Angeles.
Dr. Zaldy Tan, medical director of Cedars-Sinai's Memory and Aging Program, was in the audience in Toronto when the POINTER results were announced, as was Trinh.
“I can tell you there was a standing ovation,” Tan said.
Some experts noted that the improvements could be explained, at least in part, by what is known as “practice effect” this means that participants performed better on cognitive tests across multiple screenings. But the study was based on a study conducted a decade ago in Finland, which found similar results.
Trinh said he preaches the same lifestyle to patients.
“We saw an increase in Alzheimer's disease and memory decline during the pandemic when we were all isolated and no one was socializing,” he said. “There was a greater risk of mental health problems, including cognitive problems. It has a lot to do with using your brain to communicate, connect and get things done.”
POINTER participants aged 60 to 79 followed UM dieta type of Mediterranean diet. Lots of vegetables (especially leafy vegetables), berries, beans, nuts, whole grains, fish and chicken. And very little fried and processed foods, red meat, cheese and sweets.
They did 30 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic activity four times a week, and strength and flexibility training twice a week. The program included three weekly 30-minute computer-based cognitive exercises, social activities, and regular health monitoring.
“It appears to slow the rate of brain aging,” Dr. Tan said, but getting people to follow these recommendations on their own, on any large scale, would be a massive undertaking.
And half measures may not lead to the desired results.
“The devil is in the details,” Tan said. “For people with a blood pressure of 145 above 95, their doctor may tell you…that's normal…just exercise more.”
But they should aim to achieve a target blood pressure level of 120 over 80, he said, and the exercise can't just be a walk in the park.
“The more exercise you do, the better,” says Ruben, a vegetarian who swims four days a week, runs three days a week and does yoga on the weekends. “The big benefit of sitting in front of a screen is getting something done. [patients] start with five minutes twice a day and gradually build up. After half an hour a day, they start to see big benefits.”
In the early days of research, dementia was diagnosed only by autopsy, and later by cerebrospinal fluid or PET scans. As science continues to evolve, an FDA-approved diagnostic blood test that costs several hundred dollars and is not yet covered by insurance is becoming a much simpler way to detect biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease.
“We now understand that the extent of the disease can begin 15 years before symptoms appear,” said Dr. Helena Chui, a neurologist at Keck Hospital of the University of Southern California and principal investigator of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
This gives doctors and patients an advantage in preventing or slowing the progression of the disease through medical intervention or lifestyle changes, Chui said. She advises her patients to follow the Essential Eight of Life strategy.
Better nutrition, more exercise, quit smoking, sleep better and control cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.
Doctors. Chuy, Ruben and Trinh will be among the experts who will talk about all this in detail at conference on SaturdaySeptember 13, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Skirball Center. Another conference, in Spanish, will be held in Downey on September 26, and another focused on the black community will be held on October 4 at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
They are all free and you can register to attend at alzheimersla.org
