Many people are working towards understanding Alzheimer’s better, and finding ways to prevent it.
Prevention Through Study
One of the long-term studies on Alzheimer’s disease has been in progress since 1986. It’s funded by the National Institute on Aging and involves the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato, MN. They are part of on-going research about Alzheimer’s in a project nicknamed “The Nun Study”. This research is a collaborative effort between the School Sisters of Notre Dame congregation and the University of Kentucky, plus many scientists from other universities.
The goal of the Nun Study is to hopefully promote better healthcare by determining the causes and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Each of the 678 participants in the Nun Study agreed to participate in annual assessments of their cognitive and physical function, plus have medical exams and blood drawn for genetic and nutritional studies. Upon their death, they have also agreed to donate their brains for neuropathological studies.
Most studies most contend with major diversities in environment, lifestyles, etc. These nuns make such an excellent group for study because they’re all non-smokers, drink little if any alcohol, have the same marital status and reproductive history, have lived in similar housing, held similar jobs, and had similar access to preventive and medical care. In other words, many of the variables are missing that would be found in a large population outside the convent.
The book, “Aging With Grace: What the Nun Study Teaches Us About Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives”
Health News Update – What They’ve Learned
This research has already made news in health, showing that traits in early, mid, and late life have strong relationships with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the mental and cognitive disabilities of old age.
There are things you can do for better healthcare that will help prevent the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Check in tomorrow to learn about those!
Time Magazine, May 14, 2001
University of Kentucky, The Nun Study (mc.uky.edu/nunnet)
