Lesandu Wickramasinghe and His Research #2
I am Lesandu Wickramasinghe, a high school junior from New Jersey, who has a strong interest in reading books and articles. My hobbies are lifting weights and playing cricket with my friends.
Reviewed Article: A Review of the Current Status of Disease-Modifying Therapies and Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease
Main Argument & Findings:
This article explores the situation of Alzheimer's disease, the work to find new drugs, and lifestyle changes to prevent disease. One of the points discussed is that currently 6.9 million adults aged 65 and over in the US are living with Alzheimer's and as model studies. This figure will be doubled by 2050 with healthcare costs accounting over 1 trillion dollars. Reading this article has really made me see the disease differently. This article woke me up to the reality that this isn't just a health problem, but also a huge social and economic one.
Importance for Youth:
The study showed that removing 14 risk factors that are possible to change, could bring down the cases of dementia by 45%. In the senior years, many of those risk factors such as lack of physical activities, unhealthy diet and loneliness. Additionally, if the youth understand that the habits of today will have an impact on the brain of the many years to come they will be able to make better choices from now. Disease prevention should be the focus long before the symptoms appear.
What I Learned:
I learned that most people do not realize how doable it is to prevent Alzheimer's. Experts are saying that among all ways to stay off Alzheimer's, physical activity is the number one factor yet they are still figuring out what happens biologically. That is very closely related to daily life. Even minimal efforts like physical activity, proper nutrition and social interaction can keep your brain healthy over time. It gives me an idea that neighborhoods have a role in encouraging these practices not only from the fitness but also maintaining a good brain health.
Citations: Parums, D. V. (2024). A review of the current status of disease-modifying therapies and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Medical Science Monitor, 30, e945091. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.945091
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesandu-wickramasinghe-6ba4123ba