Some Alzheimer's sufferers never develop symptoms, study shows, and keeping active may be the secret
Alzheimer's disease does not need to bring memory loss or confusion if sufferers keep themselves fit and strong in later life, a new study suggests.
Researchers followed 456 elderly people who were enrolled in a memory and ageing project until their deaths, and then looked at their brains to find out who was suffering from clinical dementia.
Surprisingly many who had clear signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains had shown no symptoms before their death.
Those who appeared protected against the disease had consistently scored lower on tests which measured fatigue, joint and heart problems, osteoporosis, mobility and ability to prepare meals.
“While more research is needed, given that frailty is potentially reversible, it is possible that helping people to maintain function and independence in later life could reduce both dementia risk and the severity of debilitating symptoms common in this disease,” said Professor Kenneth Rockwood, of the Nova Scotia Health Authority and Dalhousie University, Canada.
“By reducing an individual’s physiological reserve, frailty could trigger the clinical expression of dementia when it might remain asymptomatic in someone who is not frail.
“This is an enormous step in the right direction for Alzheimer’s research.”
Around 850,000 people in Britain suffer from dementia, and the majority will have Alzheimer's disease. But despite billions of pounds being poured into research, and multiple trials, there is still no drug which can prevent or reverse symptoms.
Researchers say the findings support the idea that dementia, and particularly Alzheimer’s disease, is a complex phenomenon, which is related to other changes in the body, rather than a single disease.
Most people who develop Alzheimer’s dementia are older than 65 years and have several other health problems.
In the new study, 35 participants (8 per cent) had substantial Alzheimer’s disease-related brain changes without having shown symptoms while 50 (11 per cent) had Alzheimer’s dementia but few of the tell-tale brain plaques and tangles associated with the disease.
While previous research has found that keeping fit and healthy in later life can stave off dementia, it is the first study to suggest that it prevents the devastating symptoms if the disease does emerge.
Alzheimer’s charities said the findings could pave the way to a future where dementia could be delayed before it ruined lives.
Dr Carol Routledge, Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “Interesting research like this can help to identify factors that affect the brain’s ability to cope with damage from diseases like Alzheimer’s.
“Finding ways to boost our resilience to such damage could delay the start of symptoms to a point where dementia is never able to take hold of a person’s life in the way it does today.
“While there is no simple way to tackle frailty, it is important to remember that our brains do not work in isolation to the rest of our body and there are things we can all do to maximise our brain health as we age.”
The charity said people could help themselves to avoid dementia by stopping smoking, eating well, staying active, keeping weight down, and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.
The research was published in The Lancet Neurology.
