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

New Hope for Children of Alzheimer’s Sufferers

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Lifestyle changes

Moderate drinkers also performed better on cognitive and verbal fluency tests than non-drinkers. Although he would not recommend that people at risk for Alzheimer’s begin drinking, Sager said he would not discourage anyone — who can handle a glass or two of wine a day—from drinking. “It’s all moderation,” he said.

However, a second study suggests that fruit and vegetable juices may be just as effective. It looked at juice consumption in 1,800 older Japanese men and women in Seattle. Those who drank at least three glasses of juice a week had 75 percent less risk of developing dementia than those who drank less than one glass a week.

“This is the first study to try to get at polyphenol exposure,” said Amy Borenstein of the University of South Florida College of Public Health.

Polyphenols, also known as flavonoids, are substances found in plants that have antioxidant properties. Borenstein said polyphenols generally are found in higher concentrations in juices than in whole fruits and vegetables.

Other factors

A third study followed 109 pairs of identical twins in Sweden to find any lifestyle factors associated with developing dementia. “Studying twins allows us to isolate genetic and non-genetic factors,” said lead author Margaret Gatz of the University of Southern California and foreign adjunct professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

The study found that twins who had suffered a stroke were six times more likely to develop dementia; those who had periodontal disease earlier in life were four times more likely; and those with lower levels of education were 1.6 times more likely.

Gum disease is considered a marker for inflammation, which is believed to play a role in brain cell death. Higher levels of education as well as staying mentally active may help people develop more brain reserve power.

“Good brain health in old age reflects influences that begin much earlier in life,” Gatz said.

Vocabulary Focus

fluency (n) [5fluEnsi] the ability to perform easily, quickly and well

exposure (n) [iks5pEuVE] the instance of experiencing or being affected by something in a particular situation or place

inflammation (n) [7inflE5meiFEn] a red, painful and often swollen area in or on a part of the body

Specialized Terms

periodontal (adj) 牙周的；牙龈的 of the gums; relating to something that surrounds or holds the teeth

阿尔茨海默症患者子女的新希望

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改变生活方式

有节制的饮酒习惯的人在认知和口头表达流畅性的测验中也表现得比不喝酒的人好。沙杰虽然不建议有罹患阿尔茨海默症风险的人开始饮酒，却说他不会反对那些一天小酌一两杯的人喝酒。他说：“关键在于节制。”   

不过，另一项研究显示果菜汁可能和酒一样有效。此项研究观察西雅图1800位上了年纪的日本老年男性和女性的果汁摄取量，那些一星期至少喝3杯（果菜汁）的人得痴呆症的风险比一星期摄取少于一杯的人少75%。   

“这是第一个针对多酚的接触所做的研究。”南佛罗里达大学公共卫生学院的艾美·伯南斯坦说。   

多酚亦称类黄酮素，是存在于有抗氧化特性的植物中的物质。伯南斯坦说相对于整个水果及蔬菜，果汁中的多酚通常浓度较高。

其它因素   

第三个研究追踪109对瑞典同卵双胞胎，希望发现与罹患痴呆症有关的生活方式因素。“研究双胞胎让我们得以区分基因和非基因因素。”研究报告的主要作者，南加大的玛格丽特·盖兹指出。她也是斯德哥尔摩凯洛林斯卡研究中心的外籍兼职教授。   

研究结果发现双胞胎中，曾中风者得痴呆症的可能性比其它双胞胎高出6倍；早年就有牙周病者则高出4倍；教育程度较低者高出1.6倍。   

牙龈疾病被视为是发炎的指针，一般相信发炎会导致脑细胞死亡。较高的教育程度以及保持心智活跃可能有助于人们培养更多大脑储备能力。   

“老年时健康的大脑，反映的是在人生很早期即种下的影响。”盖兹说。