Healthy Longevity without Dementia

Healthy Longevity without Dementia

Copyright © 2024 by Dr. Richard Ng, B.S., D.O.. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of URLink Print and Media.

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Published in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024907262

ISBN 978-1-68486-749-3 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68486-752-3 (Digital)

12.03.24

Mission Statements

To inform the public, the families, caregivers, healthcare providers and friends for better understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, to dispel any of the myths about dementia, and to encourage and bolster awareness of the mitigating and aggravating factors in the development of the dementia.

To give sincere supports to the loving, grieving and steadfast caregivers on their long, grueling journey with their silently-suffering loved ones.

To help individuals with dementia to have some quality of life and dignity with as much as independence and inter-dependence in their struggles.

To support continuing medical research in collaboration with beneficial cultural input, positive social changes, NGO involvements, and non-partisan governmental policies so that we can defeat dementia in 20 years, within my life time at my current age of 70.

To promote and achieve healthy longevity, and to reduce social burden and human sufferings of dementia.

Contents

1: Introduction

2: The Five Blue Zones

3: Lifestyle Changes for Healthy Longevity

4: Nutrition and longevity, the dietary approach to a healthy, long lifespan:

5: Dementias

6: Treatable and reversible dementia

7: Post-operative Delirium and Dementia

8: Signs and Symptoms of Dementia in General

9: Factors that increase the risk of dementia

10: Memory and Dementia

11: Inflammation and dementia

12: Dementia’s impact on the caregivers:

13: Epilogue

Introduction

With the advances in our medical knowledge and technology, people are living longer, but that does not necessarily mean that we are living healthier. Living more years in poor health is actually not what most, if not all, the older people want; this causes not only a lot of financial stresses, grief and sadness for both the patients and caregivers, but also carries a stupendous burden for the society.

As of the year 2020, the numbers of adults aged over 30 made up half the total global population, marking the start of an increasingly aging world. The world’s older population, the geriatric group, continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. About 9% of the people worldwide are aged 65 and over. This percentage is projected to jump to nearly 17 percent of the world’s population by 2050 ( 1.6 billion approximately ). In the U.S., the 65- and over- population is projected to almost double from the current 54 million by the year 2050. This undoubtedly will increase the number of Americans needing long-term care services.

Aging is a multi-faceted process in which bodily structures and functions undergo a negative deviation either gradually or quickly from the optimum – growing old. The time of life when age-related physical and physiological changes appear depends on a variety of factors:

Genetics

Diet

Culture

Activity levels

Environmental exposures

Mental health and well-being

As you can see, there is very little, if any, you can change in your heredity; the other factors are within your control to modify and change for betterment, meaning you can do something about it.

Aging, in general, is the process of becoming older, with biological changes over time that lead to deterioration and eventually death. There are several theories about aging: the aging-clock theory, the genetic theory, the immunological theory, and the free-radical theory. The free-radical theory is the most commonly accepted theory at the present time; it is based on the fact that on-going bio-chemical reactions of the cells in the body produce free radicals which are harmful to the body under oxidative stress.

Everyone knows their chronological age with their birthdays, unless they have and are suffering from memory issues. We are used to measure age chronologically, counting the number of candles on your last birthday cake. However, do you know your biological age ( or health age )? Chances are, like most of the people, you probably don’t. Biological age has a lot to do with what is going on inside your body, and the goal is to bring this age down. In actuality, biological age is essentially the same as physiological age. There are different methods of calculating or estimating your biological age, applying and using different parameters. To make yourself biologically younger, it is not one-size-fits-all; it is quite individualized when it comes to lowering your biological age.

The Biological Age calculator starts with your actual age:

Based on your body weight,

Add 2 years, if you are obese

Add 1 year, if you are overweight

Minus 1 year, if you are underweight

Minus 2 years, if your BMI is normal and physically fit

Based on your physical activity levels,

Add 2 years, if you do 150 minutes of aerobic exercise weekly

Add 1 year, if you try to walk as much as you can

Minus 2 years, if you do no exercise and walk very little

Based on your levels of mental stimulation,

Minus 2 years, if you are learning a new language, or a new music instrument

Minus 1 year, if you enjoy reading or playing video games

Add 2 years, if you just sit down and watch TV all the time

Based on your diet,

Minus 2 years, with a balanced diet of 75-80 percent fruit and vegetables

Add I year, diet is not plant-based, with fried and junk foods most of the time

Add 2 years, living on fast food and convenience meals with sweets

Based on your job,

Minus 2 years, if you are active and do not have a sedentary job

Add 2 years, if your job is sedentary, sitting about eight hours a day

No change essentially if you are able to move around and to get up and down every hour at your job

Based on smoking history,

Minus 2 years, if you are non-smoker, and not around smokers

No change, if you don’t smoke anymore despite smoking history

Add 2 years, at least, if you smoke regularly

Based on your sleeping habits,

Minus 2 years, if you have at least 7 hours of quality sleep most of the nights, waking up and feeling refreshed

Add 2 years, if you sleep less than six hours a night

Add 2 years at least, if you struggle with sleep all the time

Based on alcohol consumption,

Minus 1-2 years, if you have one or two glasses of red wine occasionally

Minus 1 years, if you do not use alcohol

Add 2 years, if you drink everyday including wine, beer and liquor

Based on your stress levels,

Add 2 years, if you feel stressed all the time and find it overwhelming, with irritability and moodiness

Minus 1 year, if you feel under short-term stress sometimes but able to perform your daily activities and enjoy being with family and friends

Biological age is a better health indicator than the numbers of years you have lived. No two people age the same way and rate. Biological age, in reality, is a more accurate measure of health-span–the number 0f years lived in good health. Some people are ‘ rapid agers ‘, experiencing a faster rate of functional deterioration relative to their chronological age. With the rapid growth of the world’s elderly population, finding out ways to assess and measure biological age and how to maintain or delay its advance is not only critically important for individual health, but also for social, political and economic health for our society.

Biological age is multifaceted, and is influenced by many factors including genetics, microbiome composition, environment you live, lifestyle, stress levels, diet and exercise. Our genes probably account for about 20% to 30% of biological age. Researchers have identified genes that play a role in resilience and protection from stress, repairing DNA, protecting cells from free radicals and regulating fat levels. However, currently there is no effective test to measure biological age. There are some promising molecular markers that may serve as biological age fingerprints. One of the promising markers is epigenetics–chemical modification of DNA that control gene function, for example, DNA can get marked by methyl groups in a pattern that changes with age and could potentially act as a marker for aging. Another marker of biological age is the build-up of dysfunctional cells called senescent or zombie cells. These dying cells become senescent because they are so damaged that they cannot divide anymore, releasing toxic molecules that cause low-grade inflammation.

The American Heart Association coined the ‘ the essential 8 of life ‘, describing and recommending eight ways to slow down biological aging. As follows:

Eat better – here you can have some healthy choices such as the Mediterranean diet, or follow your own meals with at least 80% plant based ( fruits and vegetables ).

Move more – Being more active with regular exercise.

Stop smoking – to avoid toxic substances and powerful free radicals.

Get quality sleep, 6 to 8 hours a day.

Watch and manage your body weight.

Watch and control your cholesterol.

Watch and manage your blood sugar – diabetes is notorious to cause damage to the heart, eyes, kidneys and nerves.

Watch and manage your blood pressure ( medications and/or diet).

Research has demonstrated that Biological age may be slowed significantly when people adopted the eight behaviors recommended by the American Heart Association.

The word longevity is sometimes used as a synonym for life expectancy . To be precise, the term longevity usually refers to especially long-living members of a population, whereas life expectancy is defined statistically as the average number of years remaining at a given age. Longevity has been the desire of humanity for thousands of years, and the topic for the scientific researchers, writers of science fictions and utopian novels. Many societies are aging fast, but their governments are ill-prepared. Indeed, it is a ticking time bomb!

The Five Blue Zones

Around the world, certain groups of people enjoy exceptionally long lives. The Pacific Islanders of Okinawa, Japan, have an average life expectancy of more than 81 years, compared to 78 in the U.S., and a world-wide average of 67. Here in the U,S., members of the Seventh Day Adventists, who typically are vegetarians, outlive their American counterparts by 4 to 7 years on average.

Residents of the San Blas Island off the coast of Panama very rarely suffer from hypertensive cardiovascular disease and enjoy a longer lifespan than the mainlanders. Indeed, researchers have found that their rate of cardiovascular disease is only 9 per 100,000 people, compared to 83 per 100,000 among the Panamanians on the mainland. More and more evidence suggest that diet is one of the important contributing factors to longevity and healthy aging.

Knight Templars’ secret of longevity might lie in their unique diet, according to researchers. Their diets usually included lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes and fish, and drinking moderate amount of wine with aloe pulp. Their diets historically enabled the Knight Templars to live much longer compared to the people of the Middle Ages, whose life expectancy averaged 26 to 40 years.

Let us look at the five blue zones of the world where centenarians are common:

Okinawa, Japan – a gregarious, closely-knit community with considerable social support through all of life’s ups and downs. They value and maintain strong social ties, thus, reducing mental stressors and reinforcing shared healthy behaviors. It is unquestionably accepted by researchers and conclusively supported by many social studies that isolation and loneliness lead to shorter lifespan and premature death.

Japan, as a country, has the highest number of people per capita over the age of 100 than anywhere else in the world. Admittedly, there may be some genetic differences at play, but more importantly, there are also diet and lifestyle practices that lead to longer lifespan with fewer of the age-related chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes mellitus, and Alzheimer’s disease. Here are some of the habits that are rooted in the Japanese culture:

Japanese diet is filled with many nutritious plant foods including seaweed. These marine plants are packed with minerals, such as iodine, copper and iron along with antioxidants, clean protein, fiber and beneficial omega-3 fats.

A Japanese person in Japan eats about 70 pounds of seafood annually, compared to a typical American who consumes about 16 pounds of seafood a year.

Japanese drink a lot of green tea, which is rich in polyphenol antioxidants. The green tea promotes gut health, where majority of the immune cells and neuro-chemicals are produced.

Eating and enjoying the food with mindfulness is practiced by Japanese; they usually stop at eating when they are almost full, the 80% rule.

Forest bathing is a form of nature therapy practiced and enjoyed by Japanese. Studies have shown that when compared to being in a city setting, being in a forest setting ( or being outdoors ) is associated with lower blood pressure, lower levels of stress hormone, cortisol, and an increase in para-sympathetic nervous system activity, which promotes the feeling of calmness.

Loma Linda, California USA – this blue zone is a haven for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a protestant denomination. Their emphasis and shared principle of community and adherence to the Sabbath – a day of rest, reflection and recharging – help the resident-Adventists of Loma Linda live at least 10 years longer than their fellow Americans. It is noteworthy that many of them avoid meat, and a typical Seventh Day Adventist diet includes:

Fruits – bananas, apples, grapes, berries, peaches, pineapple and mango

Vegetables – dark leafy greens, broccoli, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, carrots, union and parsnips

Nuts and seeds – almonds, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds and flax seeds

Legumes – beans, lentils, peanuts and peas

Grains – quinoa, rice, amaranth, barley and oats

Plant-based protein – tofu, tempeh, edamame and seitan

Eggs – occasional

Dairy – usually low fat

Sardinia, Italy – a predominantly plant-based diet, regular daily activity and familial closeness have given this Blue Zone the highest concentration of male centenarians in the world. Most of the men are sheep herders, who usually walk at least five miles a day. Their plant-based diet is traditionally accented with lean meat. The classic Sardinian diet consist of whole- grain bread, bean, garden vegetables and fruits. They also eat pecorino cheese made from grass-fed sheep, whose cheese is rich in omega=3 fatty acids. It also does not hurt that the M26 marker, a genetic variant linked to longevity, has been passed down through generations in this secluded community.

Nicoya, Costa Rica – the residents of this Blue Zone in Costa Rico tend to avoid processed foods and traditionally these Costa Ricans get the majority of their calories from beans, squash, corn and tropical fruits. Their plant-based nutrient-dense diet with plenty of outdoors activities promote strong, well-nourished bodies, along with devoted, guiding life purposes, many of them stay mentally-sharp and spiritually fulfilled to the age of 90 and beyond.

Ikaria, Greece – this island of Ikaria has been around for a very long time. Historical records and archeological findings suggest that Ikaria has been inhabited since at least 7,000 B.C. Despite successive wars that caused great losses in human life, the people on this island live on. The older population of this island is mostly free of dementia and other chronic diseases. Their strong sense of self-respect and pride keeps the Ikarians invested and involved in this island community. Their strict adherence to the Mediterranean diet, which includes lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, red wine with moderation in meats, keeps the islanders of Ikaria in Greece healthy, both physically and mentally with longevity. There are also other factors contributing to Ikarian’ long healthy lives, which include their mountain lifestyle: the residents of this Blue Zone walk up and down hills maintaining muscle mass and dexterity for decades longer than most Americans. Research advises that it is important to work against gravity when exercising such as walking, performing squats and pushups.

Another interesting factor observed in the Ikarians is the inclusion of health-promoting herbs, like the popular rosemary, in their meals. Rosemary is high in polyphenols that help feed the good bacteria of your gut