Abu Dhabi: Being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s sounds the death knell for many people, especially as there is still no cure for the progressive brain disease.

But the finding that many vascular conditions are closely linked to Alzheimer’s perhaps offers the best hope to those who would like to avoid suffering from the disease in their later years.

“We conducted a two-year study in Finland of 1,260 people aged between 60 and 70, and found a clear beneficial impact of positive lifestyle changes towards modifying the risk or delaying the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s,” Dr Miia Kivipelto, professor of clinical geriatric epidemiology at Sweden-based medical university Karolinska Institute, told Gulf News.

“This is good news because it means that we can do things to reduce the risk of this debilitating disease. We may not be able to change the ageing process, which is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s, but we can live healthy to lower the possibility of suffering from the disease in the future,” she added.

A number of metabolic conditions are today known to increase Alzheimer’s risk, including diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes.

The reason for this link between vascular and brain degenerative diseases is not yet fully understood. But it is hypothesised that high blood sugar causes damage to brain cells, especially because the level of insulin, which plays a protective role for brain cells, is reduced among diabetics. Another reason could be because vascular diseases cause strokes, and a third of patients who have suffered from a stroke develop dementia.

Dr Kivipelto said that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s is three times higher in diabetes patients. At present, diabetes affects 19 per cent of the UAE’s adult population and 40 per cent of those aged 50 and older.

“If a patient is obese, or has high blood pressure or cholesterol, the risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s in 20 years’ time is doubled. And if the patient has all three conditions, the risk is six times greater,” she added.

Two categories of medicines are currently available to treat Alzheimer’s, but they only help improve cognitive function and behaviour for a while. Neither halts or significantly delays the progression of the disease.

“The first set is known as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which are approved for use in patients with mild or moderate forms of dementia. These help reduce the rate at which acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that aids memory and learning, is broken down,” Dr Kivipelto said.

The second drug is memantine, which helps to restore the balance of the neurotransmitter known as glutamate. It is normally prescribed for people with severe dementia.

Both drug categories can be used alone or in combination. At the same time, doctors can prescribe other antipsychotic medicines to reduce behavioural abnormalities and concerns like depression and aggression.

“There is also room for the use of other psychosocial interventions, including physical activity and therapy, and we are currently working with experts in the UAE to determine what activities could be appropriate and suitable for patients here,” Dr Kivipelto added.