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SIU Med School experts get word out on Alzheimer's disease

BY SCOTT FITZGERALD, THE SOUTHERN

Thursday, May 15, 2008 11:29 AM CDT

SPRINGFIELD - Currently there is no cure and no treatment that stops or slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a deterioration of the mind consisting of cell synapse and neuron abnormalities.

People afflicted with AD show acute memory loss and confusion. The gift of recognizing other people and things begins diminishing.

The prevalence of AD doubles every five years after age 65. And with an aging baby boomer population, the current 5.1 million individuals with AD in the U.S. are projected to grow to 7.7 million by 2025 and 16 million by 2050, according to numbers from the National Institute on Aging.

"Unless we find ways of decreasing the risk of AD, this could account for an epidemic," said Ron Zec, associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

Zec and his colleagues at SIUM's Center for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders, one of three state-supported centers in Illinois, hosted "Alzheimer Disease: Environmental Risk Factors, Prevention and Early Intervention," a conference Tuesday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center.

Approximately 200 people from throughout the state and a few Missouri locations attended.

Zec opened the conference with an hour-long presentation that was an overview of environmental risks and protective factors for AD.

Other SIU medical school staff members giving presentations were Greg Kyrouac, director of outreach programs, and Dr. Tom Ala, who spoke about recent pharmacologic interventions to detect and treat the disease.

"I think prevalence is a realizable goal," Zec said later during an afternoon interview.

He noted that delaying the onset of AD by five years cuts its prevalence in half.

So how can an individual delay the onset of AD?

By the same things many baby boomers are doing now to prevent heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and some forms of cancer - eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, lower stress, socially interact and stimulate the brain with cognitive activity.

"We're diagnosing AD at earlier stages now. It's a disease with a gradual progression. With early diagnosis, people still have a lot of living to do," Zec said.

Studies have proven that a diet low in saturated fat and rich with green vegetables, fruits, legumes, cereals and fish lowers the risk and onset of the disease, he said.

"Exercise is a very powerful thing. The more challenging a mental activity, the better," Zec said.

Some theories that certain environments such as industrial settings that expose people to certain elements such as aluminum or copper can heighten the onset and progression of AD have not been proven, the SIUSM professor said.

"I'd say in general, I'd be concerned with environments where a high exposure to toxins, herbicides or pesticides is prevalent," Zec said.

scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com  

351-5076