The Role of Geroscience in Alzheimer’s Disease

For more than three decades, researchers have identified and measured genetic and behavioral risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias. Despite intensive research, the fundamental mechanisms behind these neurodegenerative illnesses are still poorly understood, and effective AD management is taking longer than anticipated. There is an urgent need for creative methods, like geroscience, to tackle this long-standing condition. IOS Press (now part of Sage) has issued a special supplement commemorating the 100th volume of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (JAD), which gives a unique and informative assessment of the field’s current state of knowledge.

Aging is related with a steady deterioration in cellular stability, which reduces overall health. This process in the brain is intimately linked to an increased risk of neurodegenerative illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s. Understanding the causes of brain aging is critical for finding solutions to increase longevity and health span. Recent advances in geroscience, the study of the relationship between aging and age-related diseases, have begun to reshape our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, guiding the development of preventive medical strategies that target the aging process rather than just treating the disease’s symptoms.

An editorial by Virginia Boccardi, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Perugia, Italy, and colleagues proposes the following modifiable lifestyle measures that may impact the disease’s progression or reduce its risk factors:

• Healthy eating: A nutritious diet is essential for preserving brain function.
• Regular Exercise: Aerobic activity, especially brisk walking for forty minutes three times a week.
• Social Engagement: Prolonged social isolation can harm brain health and raise the risk of dementia.
• Quality sleep: Sleep disruptions can increase brain proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Stress management: Chronic stress is linked to an increased risk of cognitive impairment.
• Mental stimulation: Keeping the brain engaged helps to create cognitive reserves and enhance neural connections.

“While lifestyle prevention holds promise for reducing the risk of dementia, the practical challenges of achieving and sustaining behavior change, especially among high-risk populations, cannot be overlooked.”-Virginia Boccardi, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Perugia

“For more than 30 years, researchers have identified and quantified genetic and lifestyle factors for AD and other dementias,” adds William B. Grant, PhD, Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center, San Francisco, CA, USA, in a literature review. “Genetics plays an important role in the risk of AD. However, many lifestyle choices also play a part. It might be said that genetics loads the gun and lifestyle/nutrition pulls the trigger.”

The supplement also discusses alternative techniques to lowering and preventing Alzheimer’s disease risk. In Improving Cognition Without Clearing Amyloid: Effects of Tau and Ultrasound Neuromodulation, Jürgen Götz, PhD, Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, and colleagues describe the use of neuromodulation to improve neuronal connectivity, activate plasticity, and other mechanisms that mediate resilience and neural compensation.

The addition also addresses AD assessment, genetic coding, environmental factors, symptoms, disease development, treatment and clinical trials, early diagnosis with recently established tools like as biomarkers, and patient well-being and outcomes.

Commenting on the publication of the 100th volume of JAD, George Perry, PhD, Semmes Foundation Distinguished University Chair in Neurobiology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, TX, and Editor-in-Chief of JAD, says, “When my esteemed colleague Dr. Mark Smith and I founded JAD, we thought it essential to have a journal that embraced diversity of novel ideas rather than starting with dogmatic views. The dream of a journal focused on a community, committed to changing the course of AD, has been maintained for nearly 30 years by embracing and enhancing new ideas, engaging authorship and readership from the global AD community, and fostering careers in AD research.”

Source Link: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease