Title: How To Spot Dementia Early on and Reduce it's Risk
Recognizing the First Signs: A Personal Journey into Alzheimer’s
I remember the moment clearly when I first noticed something was wrong with my mother’s memory.
We were chatting on the phone, and I mentioned something about my closest friend, Caroline.
“Who’s Caroline?” she asked.
It stunned me. Caroline had been a part of my life since childhood and was someone deeply familiar to my mother.
I brushed it off. Maybe it was just the awkwardness of a phone conversation. Maybe she misheard or wasn’t fully engaged. Perhaps it was just a typical “senior moment.” I convinced myself it didn’t matter—and then tried to forget it ever happened.
But that brief moment marked the beginning of what would be a 10-year journey. My mother would eventually pass away from Alzheimer’s disease—the most prevalent form of dementia.
The Truth About Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease is responsible for as much as 80% of dementia cases. It develops gradually, which can be both a curse and a potential advantage. The slow onset may provide a critical window for early intervention—something not everyone, including many medical professionals, fully realizes.
According to the 2024 World Alzheimer’s Report by Alzheimer’s Disease International, 65% of health professionals and 80% of the public mistakenly believe dementia is a natural part of aging. It isn’t.
Two Key Phases of the Disease
Alzheimer’s doesn’t appear overnight. It builds slowly, often over a decade or more. New research from the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle suggests the disease unfolds in just two main stages:
The Stealth Phase – A prolonged period during which only a few brain cells begin to deteriorate, often without noticeable symptoms.
The Aggressive Phase – This is when the disease accelerates, leading to clear cognitive impairments and memory loss.
Though unsettling, the first phase might offer the best chance to change the course of the disease.
The Role of Amyloid and Tau Proteins
Two proteins are believed to play leading roles in the development of Alzheimer’s: amyloid and tau.
Amyloid proteins can form clumps between nerve cells, disrupting communication.
Tau proteins, once disturbed, can form tangles inside neurons, leading to cell malfunction and death.
Think of amyloid as the trigger and tau as the bullet in this destructive process.
Early Symptoms to Watch For
Even before memory loss sets in, subtle signs may emerge. According to Professor Michael Hornberger of the University of East Anglia, one of the earliest symptoms is often a decline in spatial navigation, such as getting lost in familiar places. This happens because the tau protein first accumulates in brain areas responsible for orientation.
Memory issues become more noticeable when the disease spreads to the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center.
Breakthroughs in Brain Research
The team at the Allen Institute examined post-mortem brain samples (average age 88) using advanced machine learning. They discovered that even low levels of tau and amyloid can lead to the loss of inhibitory neurons—key brain cells responsible for calming and balancing neural activity.
This early loss could subtly unbalance the brain, making it more vulnerable to further damage over time. According to the researchers, these “canary in the coal mine” neurons may be critical targets for early treatment.
Early Detection Is Key
There are now several tools for identifying the disease early:
MRI scans and spinal taps are options but are costly and invasive.
Blood tests are emerging as a promising alternative, though most currently lack the sensitivity needed to detect proteins at very low concentrations.
A 2024 breakthrough has changed that. Scientists developed a blood test capable of detecting a form of tau protein called p-tau217, even during the stealth phase. This test can predict Alzheimer’s with up to 92% accuracy and may become widely available in the next decade.
Genetics and Risk: What Your DNA Can Tell You
One of the strongest predictors of Alzheimer’s risk is your APOE gene type:
APOE3 – Most common, neutral risk.
APOE2 – Rare, may offer some protection.
APOE4 – Increases risk. One copy doubles the likelihood; two copies raise it up to 10 times.
Actor Chris Hemsworth, for example, carries two copies of APOE4, putting him in the highest risk category—shared by just 2% of the population.
I’ve already decided to take a DNA test myself. If it’s negative, I’ll feel some relief. If it’s positive, it will only make me more proactive in safeguarding my brain health.
What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk
So, what happens if you find out you’re at risk? Or worse, if you’re already in the early stages?
Researchers believe that acting during the stealth phase could significantly delay or even prevent the disease from advancing.
Here are evidence-based ways to reduce your dementia risk:
1. Protect Your Heart
There’s a strong link between heart health and brain health. Keep an eye on your blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight. If your heart is struggling, your brain likely is too.
2. Cut Back on Alcohol
A long-term study showed drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week significantly increases dementia risk. That’s about six pints of beer or glasses of wine.
3. Exercise Regularly
Physical activity not only improves heart health but has also been linked to a 20% lower risk of dementia.
4. Quit Smoking
Smoking accelerates cognitive decline and damages blood vessels, increasing your chances of brain degeneration.
5. Manage Diabetes
Poorly controlled diabetes can double your risk. Monitor your blood sugar and stay active.
6. Protect Your Hearing and Vision
Hearing loss is one of the most overlooked risk factors for dementia. Even mild hearing impairment can double your risk. Moderate loss can triple it.
Wearing a hearing aid—and correcting vision problems—can dramatically lower these risks by reducing social isolation and brain strain.
The Bottom Line: Prevention Is Possible
Nearly half of all dementia cases could potentially be prevented through lifestyle changes. But a widespread belief still exists that dementia is just part of getting older.
Professor Albert Hofman of Harvard puts it simply: “We have to stop thinking of dementia as inevitable. We need to treat it like we do heart disease or stroke—something that can be detected early and tackled head-on.”
By delaying its onset, we can offer people longer, higher-quality lives—and more time with the people they love.
Understanding the early, silent phase of Alzheimer’s might be the key to stopping it before it truly begins.
Source: https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/how-to-spot-dementia-early-reduce-risk-alzheimers
