How to Control the Rising Ocean of Dementias in the United States

Effective treatment of vascular risk factors early in midlife is critical for the prevention of dementias. Despite therapeutic progress, currently there is no treatment for neurodegenerative dementias, but progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be slowed down with appropriate treatment of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and other cardiovascular conditions, as well as with the use of vitamin B-group supplements (cobalamin, folic acid, pyridoxine), Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil, and regular exercise. To date, only some vascular forms of dementia, Hashimoto encephalopathy, and normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) can be effectively cured. Abnormal sleep, mainly from obstructive sleep apnea, is a major, treatable, and usually overlooked risk factor for late-life dementias, including most vascular dementias, Alzheimer’s disease and NPH.

Keywords:Alzheimers disease; Cobalamin; Dementia; Exercise; Folate; Frontotemporal dementia; Hypertension; Lewy body disease; Mediterranean diet; Obstructive sleep apnea; Olive oil; Parkinson’s disease; Pyridoxine; Sleep; Vascular dementia; Vitamin B