During Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month this June, the Alzheimer's Association encourages all Americans to take charge of their brain health. Today, there are nearly 7 million Americans age 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s/dementia, including 22,300 in Delaware.
The lifetime risk for the disease at age 45 is 1 in 5 for women and 1 in 10 for men. The brain changes that cause Alzheimer’s are thought to begin 20 years or more before symptoms start, which suggests there may be a substantial window of time in which we can intervene in disease progression.
Based on mounting scientific evidence, the Alzheimer’s Association launched its Healthy Habits for Your Brain campaign, which encourages Americans of all ages to protect themselves from dementia through positive, everyday actions – encouraging individuals to incorporate 10 healthy habits into their lives to potentially help reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
It is estimated that the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s will reach nearly 13 million by 2050. If we do not take aggressive measures to reduce the prevalence of dementia, by 2050, costs could rise as high as $1 trillion annually. Having lost my father and mother-in-law to dementia, I understand all too well its impact on our families and communities.
Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month is the perfect time to make your brain health a priority. It’s never too early or too late to start. Go to alz.org/healthyhabits to learn more.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
