Alzheimer's Study: evidence slim on preventive advice

A comprehensive analysis by an independent government panel has found that there is not enough scientific evidence to date to support the advice doctors currently give - such as exercising, doing crossword puzzles or eating a Mediterranean-style diet - for preventing or controlling symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.


As rates of age-related dementia and Alzheimer's disease have continued to rise in the U.S. - largely because Americans are living longer and the over-65 population has swelled to record highs - researchers have worked relentlessly to understand the causes of these mind-robbing diseases and to help prevent or slow their progression. To clarify the state of the current evidence and offer physicians clearer treatment guidelines, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in early 2009 commissioned a detailed analysis of existing studies, covering 165 papers published between 1984 and 2009. (See how to prevent illness at any age.)

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