The Alzheimer's Answer: Reduce Your Risk and Keep Your Brain Healthy »

MARWAN SABBAGH, M.D., a geriatric neurologist and leading expert in Alzheimer's research, is a founding member and chief medical scientific officer at the Sun Health Research Institute's Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research. Dr. Sabbagh is also a staffphysician at Boswell Memorial Hospital, where he specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's.

The question Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, a leading expert in Alzheimer's research, hears most often is, "Are there things I can do to keep from getting Alzheimer's disease?" Now he responds in The Alzheimer's Answer, a complete guide to the latest information on preventing and slowing the progress of Alzheimer's. Drawing upon the most up-to-date information available on the disease as well as experiences from his clinical practice, Dr. Sabbagh translates the current ideas driving Alzheimer's treatment into practical information you can use to determine your risk and develop a prevention strategy.

Dr. Sabbagh begins by exploring exactly what Alzheimer's is and how it's related to dementia. You'll receive a set of tools for assessing your personal Alzheimer's risk, and you'll see why the author asserts that preventing Alzheimer's is a reasonable goal. Special "What You Can Do" sections and personal recommendations give you clear actions to follow to keep your brain and your body healthy and to reduce your Alzheimer's risk. Then Dr. Sabbagh addresses the treatment of Alzheimer's and its complications, outlining the available therapies as well as their advantages and downsides. He also takes a close look at promising new developments and forthcoming treatments.

With The Alzheimer's Answer, you'll discover how to:

• Assess your chances of getting Alzheimer's and reduce your risk factors
• Exercise your way to preventing the disease
• Follow a brain-healthy diet and manage your cholesterol
• Stay sharp with mental exercises
• Find support should you or a loved one have Alzheimer's

Whether or not you have a family history of Alzheimer's, it is important to take the steps available to you now to reduce your risk.

Foreword Justice Sandra Day O'Connor ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction 1

Part I Preventing Alzheimer's

1 Alzheimer's Disease 9

2 Alzheimer's and the Brain 35

3 Is Preventing Alzheimer's Disease Really Possible? 45

Part II Real Risks

4 Your Alzheimer's IQ: Know Your Risk 61

5 Diabetes 81

6 Body Weight and Obesity 88

7 Stroke, Cerebrovascular Disease, and Heart Disease 98

8 Cognitive Killers 107

9 Blood Pressure and Hypertension 122

10 Estrogen and Hormone Replacement Therapy 130

Part III Real Recommendations

11 Eating Your Way out of Alzheimer's 139

12 Red Wine and Other Alcoholic Beverages 156

13 Managing Your Cholesterol and Lipids 164

14 Exercising Your Way toward Prevention 175

15 Staying Sharp with Mental Exercises 182

16 Anti-inflammatories and Alzheimer's 191

17 Vitamins May Protect 198

18 Supplements: Real Hope or Empty Promises? 212

Part IV If You Have Alzheimer's Disease

19 Get Help: Alzheimer's Is Treatable 237

20 The Future of Alzheimer's Disease 255

References 267

Index 299