Is Dementia Preventable or Inevitable - Coursework Example

Is Dementia Preventable or Inevitable? Introduction Dementia is a significant public health issue that has attracted the attention of many. Though there has been contrasting studies on the prevention strategies of dementia, numerous epidemiological studies have identified the risk factors. In essence, the results of these studies offer an opportunity to prevent dementia and move away from the stereotype that dementia is not preventable. Dementia is a phrase used to delineate the symptoms of a huge group of sicknesses that trigger an advanced reduction in an individual’s functioning (Barnes & Yaffe, 2013). Notably, dementia is not a specific disease but a collection of symptoms caused by illnesses that affect the brain (McNamara, 2011). In most cases, dementia refers to the loss of memory, rationality, social skills, intellect and what would be deemed ordinary emotional responses. The brain functioning is affected enough to affect the social functioning of an individual in their daily functioning (Mangialasche, 2012). The mark in dementia is the individual’s inability to perform every day’s activities due to the reduced cognitive capability (Qiu et al., (2011). Individuals suffering from dementia may have problems with solving problems and managing their emotions. They may also encounter personal changes. In essence, the symptoms that a person suffering from dementia experiences depend on the regions of the brain that are affected by the illness causing dementia. Dementia Dementia is a common public health concern and can affect anyone. However, the risk of suffering from it increases with age. Dementia affects the older people, but this does not imply that it is a common disease among the aged. It is a particularly rare disease among people below the age of 65. Numerous illnesses and factors lead to development of dementia. Neurodegenerative illnesses such as Lewy body and frontotemporal result in the development of irreversible and progressive loss of neurons and brain functions (McNamara, 2011). These illnesses have no treatment and prevention. Other illnesses that are not preventable such as Huntington’s disease are hereditary. Dementia caused by other environmental disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer is manageable. Dementia is also caused by kidney and liver disease, stroke, excessive drug abuse, head injury and AIDS. Types of dementia Dementia is categorized according to the different disorders that cause it. The most common forms of dementia include “Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body disease, and frontotemporal dementia” (Mangialasche, 2012). Alzheimer’s disease is a common dementia that causes almost 70% of dementia cases. This form of dementia begins with a memory loss and a steady loss of cognitive abilities (Qiu et al., 2011). Alzheimer’s disease is caused by clumping of proteins inside nerve cells in the brain that affects the functioning of the cells. In Alzheimer’s disease, the cells becomes tangled and form neurofibrillary within the neurons. Alzheimer’s disease is also typified by amyloid plagues (Barnes & Yaffe, 2013). The amyloid plagues are abnormal clusters of proteins that hinders the functioning of the cells and leads to their death. Vascular dementia is a form of dementia typified by damaged blood cells in the brain and loss of cognitive abilities. Vascular dementia is caused by transient ischaemic attacks, which are a series of mini strokes. This form of dementia is diagnosed when it is clear that there blood vessel disease in the brain and an affected daily cognitive functioning (McNamara, 2011). The signs of vascular dementia can commence immediately after a stroke. However, the signs of the disease vary according to the size of the brain damage. Vascular dementia is similar to Alzheimer’s disease. On the other hand, lewy body disease is typified by the manifestation of lewy bodies in the brain. Lewy bodies refers to an anomalous coagulation of alpha-synuclein protein developed in the neurons. These anomalies occur in specific parts of the brain triggering alterations in movement, behavior and thinking. Individuals suffering from lewy body disease encounter huge fluctuations in thinking and attention. These people can move from periods of concentration and attention to those of confusion. They also suffer from visual hallucinations (McNamara, 2011). Frontotemporal dementia refers to a form of dementia that involves advanced damage to the temporal lobes of the brain (Barness & Yaffe, 2013). The signs of this disorder always start to occur when an individual is in his or her 60’s or 50’s. Frontotemporal dementia is typified by two forms of changes, which include those that involve language impairments and behavioral and personality changes. Since the frontal lobes of the brain direct social behavior and judgment, individuals with frontotemporal dementia have socially inappropriate behaviors. They tend to be rude, irresponsible, aggressive, and repetitive and may act impulsively. There are two primary forms of frontotemporal dementia (Mangialasche, 2012). Semantic dementia engrosses a slow loss of the definitions of words, problems and memory of people’s names. The other form of frontotemporal dementia is the progressive non-fluent aphasia, which affects an individual’s ability to speak fluently. Prevention of dementia Over the previous years, there has been an extensive study on the etiology of dementia to determine favorable treatment and prevention strategies. Though the pathways that result to dementia are less apprehended, numerous etiological hypotheses have been proposed. These include inflammatory hypothesis, vascular hypothesis, toxic hypothesis and oxidative stress hypothesis. These hypotheses show prospective associations of numerous risk factors to the neurodegenerative and vascular brain pathologies that can trigger dementia, qualifying the validity of dementia as a mark for prevention. Not so long ago, the National Institute of Health issued a report that established that the current evidence on the protective factors for dementia is not strong enough. However, this report has been refuted since the development of epidemiological evidence such as the use of antihypertensive drugs, increased physical activity and reduced smoking, which produces cognitive benefits among the aged. Qui et al. (2011) acknowledge that the risk of dementia in later years is dependent on the numerous factors encountered in the lifespan. For instance, high cholesterol levels, body mass index and blood pressure at both older and younger years are linked to increased risk of dementia. Smoking also attributes to dementia in the older years. Qui et al. (2011) note that 14% of dementia cases among the aged can be attributed to smoking in the early years. Qui et al. (2011) identifies some protective factors against dementia, which include mentally stimulating activities, non-smoking, social engagement and regular physical activity. Social engagement such as living with a partner in the later years has been associated with reduced cases of dementia. Additionally, Rovio et al. (2010) acknowledges that healthy diet can reduce chances of acquiring dementia. It is now apparent, according to Qui et al. (2011) and Rivio et al. (2010), that dementia is preventable through eating healthy, maintaining social relations, exercising and keeping stress in check. Mangialasche (2012) denotes that exercising has the potential to reduce the risk of dementia. This is because exercising ensures that there is adequate blood and oxygen supply in the brain. Rivio et al. (2010) supports this by articulating that individuals who exercise in their early life have a low probability of getting dementia. On the other hand, Qui et al. (2011) assert that keeping the mind active can assist in preventing dementia. In reference to Mangialasche (2012), engaging in activities that engaged the brain reduce chances of obtaining dementia. Rovio et al. (2010) denotes that exercising the brain by engaging in stimulating activities through an individual’s lifespan keeps the brain active and healthy. Keeping the brain active reduces levels of amyloid proteins that cluster inside nerve cells in the brain affecting its performance. Conclusion Though the pathogenesis is not entirely understood, primary prevention of dementia seems feasible since most of the factors engrossed in dementia’s inception and advancement are manageable. Synthesis of the articles reveals that prevention strategies in dementia need an apprehension of the risk and preventive factors for dementia. Vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s dementia have similar risk factors since they are attributable to neurodegenerative and vascular brain damage. As a result, preventive strategies are feasible. References Barnes DE, Yaffe K. (2013). The projected effect of risk factor reduction on Alzheimer’s disease prevalence. Journal of Lancet Neurology, 10:819-828. Brooker, D. (2013). Nursing & health survival guide: Dementia care. Mangialasche F, (2012): Dementia prevention: current epidemiological evidence and future perspective. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, 4:6. McNamara, P. (2011). Dementia: Vol. 3. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger. Qiu C, Kivipelto M, von Strauss E (2011). Epidemiology of Alzheimer’s disease: occurrence, determinants, and strategies toward intervention. Journal of Dialogues Clinical Neuroscience, 11:111-128. Rovio S, Kareholt I, Helkala EL, Viitanen M, Winblad B, Tuomilehto J, Soininen H, Nissinen A, Kivipelto M (2010), Leisure-time physical activity at midlife and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Lancet Neurology, 4:705-711. Read More