Alzheimer’s Awareness: Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease

Cecile Bazaz was a wife, mother, and successful banking executive in her 40s when she began showing subtle signs that something might be wrong. At first, it was little things, like forgetting her zip code and her computer password, but soon her forgetfulness started to impact her at work. That’s when she and her family knew it was time to consult a doctor.

More Than Forgetfulness

Allan Levey, MD, and Thomas Wingo, MD, were the first to meet with Cecile and her husband, Alister, at Emory Brain Health Center.

“I remember thinking it was very worrisome that she could not perform pretty basic addition easily,” Dr. Wingo recalls.

With further examination, Drs. Levey and Wingo determined the symptoms that Cecile and her family had hoped were caused by menopause were actually the result of Early (Young) Onset Alzheimer’s disease.

“Early-onset Alzheimer’s is devastating because it affects people who are often in the prime of their lives,” says Levey. “People who are diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s still have children at home and careers that are flourishing.”

Watch how Early Onset Alzheimer’s has affected Cecile Bazaz and her family.

Emory Doctors Give Tips for Reducing Risk of Alzheimer’s

Emory Brain Health Center neurologists, Allan Levey, MD, and James Lah, MD, offer the following suggestions to help improve your brain health and lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Exercise

“There’s an enormous overlap in the risk for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Levey explains. It appears that exercise can support a healthy heart and brain aging. Perform 30 minutes of exercise (that elevates your heart rate) at least five times a week.

Feed Your Brain

Once again, what’s good for your body can also be good for your brain. Eating heart-healthy foods like fruits, nuts, and light meats and fish can give your brain a boost.

Keep Your Brain Active

Your brain is stimulated by activities that require deep thinking, problem-solving, and learning new things. Fun hobbies like putting together a puzzle, solving a Sudoku, reading a good book, or learning a new language can actually reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Start Young

Alzheimer’s disease begins decades before symptoms appear. While it’s never too late to reap the rewards of living a healthier lifestyle, the biggest impact is likely to occur if you start young — by your 30s or 40s. In fact, Dr. Lah says, “I absolutely expect to see, during my lifetime, people who are in their 30s and 40s being screened for Alzheimer’s, so they can prevent themselves from developing the disease or delay it for an extended period of time.”

 

Learn more about the Emory Brain Health Center or call 404-778-7777.

Emory University and the Emory Brain Health Center have partnered with Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) on a television series, Your Fantastic Mind, which features compelling stories on brain-related health and wellness.

Your Fantastic Mind will begin airing season 2 in late 2020 on GPB’s statewide television network. The news magazine-style show highlights patient stories and reports on cutting-edge science and clinical advances in neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, sleep medicine and rehabilitation medicine.

Season 1 of Your Fantastic Mind examined topics including sleep apnea, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, PTSD, Huntington’s disease, migraines and video gaming disorder, which has been designated a mental health disorder by the World Health Organization.

Jaye Watson is the show’s host, writer and executive producer. She is an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning veteran Atlanta journalist and video producer for the Emory Brain Health Center.