10 things you should know about Alzheimer’s: Why age, family history, lifestyle matter
Alzheimer’s doesn’t just steal memories, it chips away at personality, independence and dignity. Age matters, yes, but so do lifestyle, family history and early action.
Alzheimer’s Is Progressive Disease Some call it forgetfulness. Others say it’s just old age. But when a loved one begins to lose their words, their temper, or even their way home, it’s time to ask tough questions. Alzheimer’s is not a gentle fade. It’s a real, progressive disease. And understanding it better, especially as we grow older, might just change the way we prepare for the future (Images: Canva)
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Watch the Age If you're over 65, you're already in the age bracket where risk starts to double every five years. And no, that doesn’t mean it’s inevitable, but it does mean your chances rise sharply as birthdays tick by. Staying alert to early changes becomes more important as the decades roll on.
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It’s Not Just Ageing Forgetfulness comes with age, yes. But Alzheimer’s is something entirely different. It’s a disease that damages the brain, slowly, cruelly, and irreversibly. When someone starts forgetting names, getting lost, or struggling with simple tasks, it’s not something to wave off as ‘just old age’. It needs attention, not excuses.
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Don’t Ignore Early Signs You notice they repeat themselves. Or they seem unsure in familiar places. Maybe they’ve become withdrawn, irritable, or confused by the calendar. These quiet changes are often missed or excused, especially in older adults. But catching Alzheimer’s early means better support, more time, and sometimes, slower decline.
Know Your Family Story If your mum or dad had Alzheimer’s, or a sibling, you may carry a higher genetic risk, especially if the APOE-e4 gene runs in the bloodline. That doesn’t mean you’re doomed, not at all. But it’s a reminder to be more conscious, more proactive, and to get talking about it early.
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Women, Watch Out Almost two out of three people with Alzheimer’s are women. Yes, women tend to live longer, but hormones, especially after menopause, seem to affect the brain differently. If you’re a woman over 50, it’s worth paying extra attention to changes in memory or mood. This isn’t fear-mongering; it’s foresight.
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Look After Your Heart Your heart and brain are in cahoots. High blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, all these midlife issues can quietly nudge you closer to Alzheimer’s later on. The good news? What's good for your heart (a walk, a salad, less stress) is also good for your memory. Win-win, really.
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It’s Not Just Memory People often think Alzheimer’s is all about forgetting names or misplacing glasses. But it can affect speech, decision-making, mood, behaviour, even movement. It’s a whole-brain condition. Knowing this helps families prepare, and it also reminds us that care needs to go beyond just memory support.
Lifestyle Does Matter This is where you get some power back. Diets rich in greens, berries and healthy fats (like the Mediterranean or MIND diet) have shown real promise. Add in daily movement, social chats, books, hobbies, even gardening. No magic cure, no rigid plan. Just gentle, consistent brain care that adds up over time.
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Not all Decline is Dementia As you age it’s normal to forget some names, or some basic skills, as the brain naturally slows. It’s normal to forget the name of that actor or take longer to learn new gadgets. The brain naturally slows with age. But Alzheimer’s creates physical damage inside the brain—shrinkage, plaques, tangled nerve fibres. This goes far beyond “I had a senior moment.”
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It’s Treatable, Not Curable While there’s no cure, there’s hope. Certain medications may help with symptoms, and some therapies can improve quality of life. Nevertheless, early diagnosis gives time to plan, prepare, and even find moments of joy through the fog.
Namita S Kalla is a senior journalist who writes about different aspects of modern life that include lifestyle, health, fashion, beauty, and entertainment.
