2023-08-09 21:43:15
[김주연 바른세상병원 뇌신경경클리닉 원장] Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth (40), famous for his Thor character, decided to stop acting following learning that he had the ApoE4 gene, a high-risk gene for Alzheimer’s disease. The gene was found to be 8 to 10 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than the general population.
Is dementia a disease that can be diagnosed with a blood test? Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for more than 60% of dementia patients, is a disease caused by damage to nerve cells as abnormal proteins accumulate in the brain. Representatively, there are amyloid beta and tau proteins. To detect this, cerebrospinal fluid test or amyloid PET CT scan technique has been tried for several years, and now
Ju-Yeon Kim Bareunsang Hospital Brain Neuroscopy Clinic’s director’s fluid test can also detect amyloid protein and use it to diagnose dementia. It is known that deposition of amyloid beta, which causes Alzheimer’s disease, begins 10-15 years before the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, drugs approved for the treatment of dementia in Korea are not drugs that reduce or eliminate the deposition of amyloid protein, but drugs that improve cognitive function by increasing the neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Currently, dementia is diagnosed and treated by discriminating other brain diseases that may cause cognitive decline and dementia through neuropsychological tests in Korea. However, as the causative protein of Alzheimer’s disease has been identified, and methods for diagnosing and treating it are gradually developing, I hope that it will become a disease that can be gradually prevented and managed in the aging society.
So what can be done to treat Alzheimer’s disease?
Current available treatments are symptomatic treatments that cannot stop the progression of the disease. However, by controlling and managing symptoms during a treatable period, you can enjoy life with your loved ones longer. In addition, antibody preparations targeting amyloid beta protein have also been approved by the FDA, but side effects, inconvenience of injection treatment, and expensive drug prices act as obstacles.
In order to prevent dementia, regular dementia check-ups, proper nutrition intake, sufficient sleep and exercise are more important than anything else to prevent dementia. For over 20 years, a Mediterranean/DASH (dietary approach to stop hypertension) diet that increases intake of unsaturated fatty acid-rich fish, olive oil, vegetables, fruits and whole grains and reduces intake of red meat, trans fats and sugar reduces the incidence of dementia. Studies are continuously being published. In preparation for the upcoming super-aging era, it is time to make efforts to enjoy more precious daily life through steady care and appropriate treatment.
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