New Hope for Children of Alzheimer’s Sufferers（在线收听）

New Hope for Children of Alzheimer’s Sufferers

By John Fauber/

©2005, Milwaukee journal Sentinel,

Knight Ridder Newspaper. Distributed by

Tribune Media Services International

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Middle-aged sons and daughters of people with Alzheimer’s disease may be able to reduce their risk of getting the disorder. Lifestyle measures such as exercise, avoiding gum disease, and drinking fruit and vegetable juice can help, according to new research.

Taken as a whole, the research suggests that even though family history may predispose a person to developing Alzheimer’s, various behaviors—if started early enough in life—may help preserve cognitive function and delay the onset of the disease.

“The best time to intervene is at birth,” said Mark Sager, professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute. “What we are hoping is that 55 is not too late.”

A possible surge in Alzheimer’s cases

The lifestyle measures, many of which are also good for the heart, were presented in several studies at the first International Conference on the Prevention of Dementia, sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association in Washington, D.C. last June. The findings come amid growing concern about a looming surge in Alzheimer’s cases as America’s population ages. Already, nearly 5 million people have the disease and with the vanguard of the baby boom generation turning 60 this year, the number of cases is expected to increase 70 percent by 2020.

Sager presented findings from the ongoing Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention, a study of nearly 500 middle-aged children of Wisconsin residents who had Alzheimer’s disease. The children, who now have an average age of 53, have been followed for five years. So far, exercisers have performed better on various cognitive tests than sedentary members of the study. “It suggests that exercise may be protective,” said Sager.

Vocabulary Focus

onset (n) [5Cnset] the moment at which something unpleasant begins

surge (n) [sE:dV] a sudden and great increase

looming (adj) [5lu:miN] happening soon and causing worry

sedentary (adj) [5sedEntEri] involving little exercise or physical activity

Specialized Terms

predispose (v) 使易于罹患（疾病）to make someone more likely to suffer from a particular illness or condition

registry (n) 登记处；登记报告 a place where official records are kept

阿尔茨海默症患者子女的新希望

许美鸾 译

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根据新研究，阿尔茨海默症患者的中年子女有可能通彻生活方式疗法，譬如运动、避免牙周病以及饮用果菜汁来降低得病风险。

整体而言，此研究显示即使家族病史使一个人易于罹患阿兹海默症，及早改变许多生活行为可能有助于保持认知功能，并延缓此病侵袭的时间。   

“最佳的改变时机是出生时，”威斯康星大学麦迪逊校区医学系教授暨威斯康星阿尔茨海默症研究中心主任马克·沙杰表示：“但我们希望55岁开始不会太晚。”

阿尔茨海默症病例可能激增   

华府的阿尔茨海默症协会于去年6月主办的第一届国际预防痴呆会议中，好几篇研究报告都提出了生活方式疗法，许多这类疗法也对心脏有益。这些结果发表之时正是美国因人口老化，而使阿尔茨海默症病例随之激增的隐忧日增之时。目前已经有近500万人罹患此症，随着婴儿潮时代前锋在今年迈入60大关，预料2020年时，病例会增加70%。

沙杰发布对于“威斯康星阿尔茨海默症预防登记”的研究结果，这是一项仍在进行中、以威斯康星州罹患阿尔茨海默症居民的近500名中年子女为对象的研究。这些子女目前平均年龄为53岁，已被追踪5年，至今有运动习惯的研究对象在各种认知测验的表现均比久坐不动的对象好。   

沙杰说“这表示运动可能具有保健作用。”