According to a study published in the British Medical Journal on January 5th, 2012, early onset Alzheimer's Disease are being seen in patients in their mid to late 40's. This has produced a noticeable affect in areas of short term memory, reasoning, and verbal communication. Based on a variety of tests, it has been shown that disease, health behaviors and cardiovascular risk factors can produce abnormalities in cognitive functioning.
It has long been suggested that a decline in natural functioning becomes more common past age 60, however, recent testing has shown the existence of early onset Alzheimer's Disease in patients 45-50 years old. These affects are not clearly distinguishable in everyday life, but based on specific testing of memory, verbal fluency, and mathematical reasoning, there is a clear decline in performance.
Researchers are now correlating overall health, lifestyle, and genetics to define the causes of early onset Alzheimer's Disease. Health factors that may increase the chance of dementia include family history of cardiovascular disease and the occurrence of disease during early life. Other controllable factors such as diet and exercise become more significant in mid to late life. As previously thought, obesity and high cholesterol have a significant effect on brain functioning.
Dementia has continued to become more prevalent and can be detrimental to an individual's functioning and quality of life. Making the right choices today in diet, exercise, and routine medical care can help to delay or deter the early onset of Alzheimer's Disease and promote a more positive late life experience.
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