Stating that in addition to advanced age and genetic factors, lifestyle and nutrition are among the important risk factors in Alzheimer's disease, experts point out that a diet based on red meat, high cholesterol and fatty diet accelerates Alzheimer's symptoms. Experts also emphasized that the pandemic period negatively affects Alzheimer's patients due to social isolation.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Neurology Specialist Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ made evaluations on Alzheimer's disease.
Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ said, "When Alzheimer's disease was first defined, it was believed that vascular vascular diseases were in question in elderly people. Therefore, it was confined to that intermediate age group. Later, the improvement of all kinds of living conditions, the decrease in diseases and the increase in treatments increased the average life expectancy. With the increase in comfort level, people started to live longer. Therefore, Alzheimer's disease shifted towards older ages as an age group."
Age alone is not a risk factor
Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ noted that Alzheimer's disease was defined over the age of 65 at the beginning of the 1990s, and since the beginning of the 2000s, it has been understood that the disease is not only in people over the age of 65, but also in people well below the age of 65. Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ said, "Research continued and therefore the idea that age is not the main factor for this disease has developed."
There are 4 problematic chromosomes in Alzheimer's
Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ stated that thanks to genetic research, it is understood that more and more genetic risk factors are being kissed. Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ said, "Currently, 4 chromosomes are known to be problematic in faulty protein production that causes Alzheimer's disease. These chromosomes are 1, 14, 19 and 21. Of these, 1, 14 and 21 are important for the genetic risk of Alzheimer's disease before the age of 65, while chromosome 19 has been identified as the genetic factor that plays a role in the formation of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 80 and later. Therefore, it is currently number one among genetic risk factors."
Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ noted that lifestyle and nutrition are also effective in the emergence of Alzheimer's disease, in addition to advanced age and genetic factors, and said, "Factors such as lifestyle, chronic depression and lack of education are also listed among the risk factors."
Nutrition that accelerates Alzheimer's symptoms
Pointing to the importance of nutrition in the prevention of Alzheimer's, Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ said, "In order to manage malnutrition, it is necessary to define the right diet first. When we approach here, there is a type of nutrition that increases the symptoms of Alzheimer's. That is a diet based on red meat, high cholesterol and fatty diet. Against this, the Mediterranean diet was defined. It is a diet consisting mostly of white meat, fish, salads, fruits and vegetables. It is recommended as a diet that provides vascular protection against Alzheimer's disease. Apart from this, vitamin B12, diets that reduce vitamin B in general and starvation trigger this disease. Because in vitamin B12 deficiency, there are symptoms at the onset of Alzheimer's disease. In other words, such as forgetfulness, frequency of depression," he warned.
Being locked at home had a negative effect
Stating that the pandemic period negatively affected Alzheimer's patients, Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ said, "The pandemic period seems to have been very effective in this regard as well as its impact on many issues. It should be evaluated in two sections as patient relatives and patients. Since most of the patients are 65 years of age or older and there is a sensitivity in the society about the age of 65 and sensitivity in the measures taken, the relatives of the patients have literally locked their patients in their homes so as not to expose them to risk. The justified fears and anxieties of the relatives resulted in such a patient protection behavior. On the other hand, although we advised patients to have a social life as much as possible after the diagnosis, to have contact with the outside world such as walking outside, going to the park and garden, the opposite happened and the recommendation that we did not recommend to the patients, 'Do not isolate yourself in your home, do not isolate yourself', was exactly what we said. Therefore, we can say that the pandemic has a negative impact on Alzheimer's patients and their relatives."
Risk rates are determined with Alzheimer's panel
Stating that it can be said that people whose families have patients with Alzheimer's disease, especially at a young age, are at a particularly great risk, Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ said:
"Recently, Alzheimer's genetic panel has been activated in our hospital to detect this risk. It is a simple blood test and the result is quite reliable. In the Alzheimer's genetic panel, particles belonging to chromosome 19, the Alzheimer's chromosome, are examined at the age of 65 and later. The result comes out after about a week. There are three types of particles. It is possible to evaluate them as protective particles, normal population particles and disease particles. Here, E2 can be considered protective, E3 can be considered 75% of the population and E4 can be considered as a disease particle. Once we have this genetic test and understand our situation, we need to determine and think about the measures we will take about Alzheimer's accordingly. In other words, I do not think that the measures to be taken in daily life have much role for a patient who has E4 particles from our mother's mother and father. The genetic risk is increased, but people in the E3 group are 75% in the normal population. Then, in order to increase this rate even further, measures such as life oriented towards the outside world, social relations, regular nutrition, regular sleep, and protection from diseases can be recommended."
Not all forgetting is a sign of Alzheimer's
"Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ said, "Forgetting is a very natural physiological function, just like remembering and learning, but the fact that this function becomes a continuous form of behavior, that is, forgetfulness, is a feature that attracts our attention. In forgetfulness, no one comes to the doctor because they rarely forget and forget very occasionally. The patients who come to us are the ones who say that their forgetfulness has increased recently, no matter what the result is. Therefore, there is forgetfulness behavior."
Determined with brain check-up
Noting that forgetful behavior can occur due to many reasons, Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ said, "If your thyroid hormones are low, you will be more forgetful. If you are diagnosed with depression, you will be more forgetful. If your vitamin B12 is low, you will be more forgetful. If you have had a head trauma, you will be more forgetful. We need to rule out all these and then look at the possibility of disease. For this, we don't look at the patients' faces, we have them undergo tests. We do examinations called brain check-ups. We screen the data in a very important way that is not done in many places and is not necessary to be done. We have brain MRI scans. We have brain maps made. When we look at the results, we find out what causes forgetfulness. In other words, are his hormones, B12 normal, does he live a regular life, does he have an education? Although the answer to these questions is yes, if the person's forgetfulness behavior becomes continuous, if the tests show this, we make the diagnosis."
Forgetting what you forgot is an important symptom
Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ stated that the most important symptom that will attract the attention of the patient's relatives is that the patient forgets an event that happened a short time ago or a word that was said and acts as if it never happened and said, "The fact that he does not remember it when he is told or reminded is an important reason to consult a doctor."
Stating that there is no definitive cure for Alzheimer's but there is an early diagnosis, Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ said, "If prevention drugs are given with early diagnosis, if patients are followed up for a long time, significant slowdowns are seen compared to patients who are diagnosed late and who are not given any drugs."