Alzheimer’s disease is often misunderstood. These misunderstandings create a false sense of fear and futility. We are bombarded by new studies that are often contradictory. We are inundated with “alternative” treatments that are supported by anecdotal testimony and clever marketing. We live in a time of reductionist medicine that promises cures and preventative lifestyles but can’t deliver on all of its promises.

We can treat chronic diseases: diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease, and chronic pain. Alzheimer’s is a chronic disease that is also easier to manage and treat if caught early. The key is to identify small changes early and, as with any chronic disease, focus on life style and proactive planning.

1. Alzheimer’s unfolds over the course of decades. There is a great deal of time to plan treatment strategies that work. Plan to have a good life even if you don’t remember it.
2. The onset of Alzheimer’s is very subtle and overlaps with changes that are a natural consequence of aging. The key is to know how to tell senior moments from early memory loss.
3. We still don’t know the pathology underlying Alzheimer’s. Are plaques and tangles the cause or the result of Alzheimer’s? We do know that removing plaques in those already diagnosed does not help and may worsen the symptoms.
4. Many who have Alzheimer’s never become demented. Many who are demented do not have Alzheimer’s.
5. The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s is age. Age trumps everything else: genetics, head injury, stroke, Lewy body disease, etc.
6. Alzheimer’s is not an inevitable consequence of aging.
7. Available treatments produce reliable but small benefits in many who can tolerate them.
8. There are effective treatments. Don’t believe those who tell you there’s nothing you can do.
9. Life style interventions are effective for Alzheimer’s as they are for any other chronic disease. Prevention is unrealistic. We can’t prevent stroke, cancer, or heart attacks. But we can proactively manage chronic conditions by interventions like medications, eating habits, and exercise.
10. Alzheimer’s is a progressive deterioration of short term memory and initiative. Short-term memory can be treated and rehabilitated and loss of initiative can be treated by re-engagement.

There are no short cuts in treating Alzheimer’s. Treatment involves careful evaluation and monitoring of short-term memory by a memory specialist (just as you do for blood sugars, thyroid function, blood pressure, and polyps in your colon). Liberal use of external memory supports is essential. It’s OK to use a calendar and speed dial. It’s OK to write down what you want to remember.

Your brain and body will work better if you are in good physical condition. There are no proven supplements despite extensive marketing. Develop healthy eating habits 80% of the time. Finally, keep engaged and be social. Build on your strengths, interests, and passions. Make a written plan that includes all of these elements and commit it to your calendar for 2012.