THE STAND

SUBJECT: DEMENTIA / ALZHEIMER’S

We hear much about Dementia these days, an ever-growing disease. Dementia is an umbrella term which encompasses a broad range of:

COGNITATIVE DISEASES

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of Dementia, accounting for as much as 80% of all cases of Dementia in the United States. Many people who have Alzheimer’s disease also have other forms of Dementia at the same time.

That can include a form of Dementia known as VASCULAR DEMENTIA, itself a devastating mental disease. Coupled with Alzheimer’s, that combination can devastate the brain.

Virtually every family in the U.S. has known, or even now experiences, this terrible disease. The individuals in that family who so suffer need constant care, and very expensive treatments, and become, in time, a mere shadow of their former self.

In its early stages, Alzheimer’s is often difficult to diagnose. The symptoms of this disease are many. They include fatigue, behavior changes, thinking problems, memory difficulties, and often sleep disturbances, visual hallucinations, difficulty making decisions/planning/organizing, changes in personality, difficulty with language, short or nonexistent attention spans, and even more. Some or all of these conditions in combination, in time, destroy what was once a normal and well-functioning human being.

No matter the symptoms, Alzheimer’s is very difficult to diagnose. But now comes the very first blood test which was approved by the FDA which is called:

LUMIPULSE

This exciting new test has made it through the challenging regulatory approval process (FDA). The test seems accurate, safe, and compared to previous testing, significantly reduced in cost. In some cases, LUMIPULSE may even be covered by insurance. This test will gradually replace the expensive and often painful existing test of a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan of the brain and a lumbar puncture or spinal tap which, with a sample of fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord, can detect these terrible disease biomarkers. If detected early, any treatment for Alzheimer’s can be far more effective, halting the spread of the disease, and hopefully even in some cases reversing it altogether.

A team of researchers at Harvard Medical School has found that the loss of the mineral LITHIUM, which occurs naturally in the brain, is one of the earliest indicators of the onset of Alzheimer’s. Experiments with mice, which were treated with LITHIUM OROTATE, found that it prevented brain cell damage and restored memory, even in older mice with the advanced disease. Adamant lithium levels in early life prevented the onset of Alzheimer’s! The Harvard scientists cautioned that experiments with mice are not the same as human beings, but they were anxious to begin testing on humans to determine whether or not LITHIUM OROTATE could be both curative and preventative for this dreaded disease.

The ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION developed a US POINTER STUDY which confirmed that healthy behavior has an extremely powerful impact on brain health. Positive lifestyle factors included:

• Physical Exercise
• Nutrition
• Cognitive Challenge
• Social Engagement
• Heart and Health Monitoring

Exercise moderately for 20-30 minutes every day. Engage in proper nutrition and diet. Challenge the brain. Engage with other people. And for Christians, fellowship with your church congregation. And by all means, monitor that heart and take blood pressure and pulse readings, even at home, and on a regular basis. Those lifestyle factors can halt the progression of Alzheimer’s and, if applied in early life on a regular basis, can actually help to prevent it from happening.

Of those lifestyle factors, perhaps exercise is the most ignored. Studies show that moderate exercise should be accomplished at least four times weekly. In addition, twice weekly there should be 10-15 minutes of stretching, and 15-20 minutes of resistance training (weightlifting).

The researchers found that the older the brain, the more it needs to be challenged.
YOU USE IT OR LOSE IT! Challenge the brain at all times.

If Dementia in the form of Alzheimer’s has affected someone in your family, someone you love, there is no greater motivation than to witness the development of these devastating disease factors, make you aware, and motivate you to eliminate all risk factors and develop a more positive lifestyle.

My fellow Americans, more than 7 million of WE THE PEOPLE are living with Alzheimer’s, and perhaps even more. Alzheimer’s kills more people than Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer combined. In 2025, Alzheimer’s and other Dementia’s will cost $384 BILLION, and by the year 2050 those costs will rise to some $1 TRILLION. The ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION works diligently to find that cure, and recent developments, testing, and experimentation indicate the cure may be near. Let us hope and pray so.

SOUND MIND.

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.