Can you avoid getting Alzheimer's?

In a word, maybe.

"Scientists now think a complex mix of lifestyle, genes, age, environment, and health conditions leads to the brain changes of Alzheimer's--up to 20 or 25 years before obvious symptoms."

"'Alzheimer's is finally joining the list of diseases we can have an early effect on,' says Harvard neurologist Reisa A. Sperling, MD. She compares it to heart disease or diabetes, which are treated preventatively with a mix of lifestyle fixes (like diet) and targeted medications (like statins), and to cancer, for which there are now routine screenings."

That's from my article on the state of Alzheimer's prevention in a Parade Magazine cover story, based on my visit to the first Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic in the U.S., at Weill-Cornell Medicine in New York City.

Increasingly, scientists have grown optimistic about "upstream" solutions to Alzheimer's prevention. The NYC clinic focuses on the personalized assessment of risk factors and treatment of those that are modifiable.

You can read the full article in the slideshow above or via the above link. In the online version, don't miss the red sentences pointing you to related slideshows on prevention strategies and diet tips.

Paula Spencer Scott is the author of Surviving Alzheimer's: Practical Tips and Soul-Saving Wisdom for Caregivers.