A dementia doctor has detailed how a little-known symptom in his 50s revealed he would develop Alzheimer’s later in life.
Neurologist Dr. David Gibbs had studied the disease and treated patients for more than 25 years, so when he started losing his sense of smell at age 50, he became concerned.
Dr Gibbs told DailyMail.com that “almost all people with Alzheimer’s have at least some impairment of smell.” But “most are not aware that this happens gradually.”
Dr. Gibbs’ sense of smell began to disappear around age 55, which he joked was a good thing because “I don’t get upset easily.” I don’t mind picking up dog poop or doing other smelly jobs.
A genetic test revealed that he had two copies of a gene that would almost certainly mean he would develop Alzheimer’s.
He said this discovery surprised him, as his parents had died of cancer in middle age, “but looking back a generation or two, there was clearly a family history of dementia.”
Nine years after his diagnosis in 2015, Dr Gibbs tells DailyMail.com that by implementing a series of lifestyle changes, he managed to slow the progression.
It encourages other people who know they are at risk of developing the condition to start making changes in their lives immediately to delay or prevent it.
Spending more than two decades caring for patients with dementia, leading neurologist Dr. David Gibbs never dreamed the shoe would be on the other foot.
He takes 10,000 steps a day and has even practiced tai chi, as studies suggest the ancient Chinese martial art can help improve cognitive function.
Multiple studies have shown that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by up to 50 percent, so in light of this, Dr. Gibbs says, “the sooner you start, the better.”
Next, the retired neurologist says that diet is of utmost importance, and “the data for adopting a plant-based diet is almost as strong as the data for exercise.”
His message to others in his position is to make lifestyle changes as soon as possible, “preferably before cognitive decline sets in.”
“For those with a family history of Alzheimer’s, these changes could be adopted even before diagnosis,” adds Dr. Gibbs.
He follows a variant of the Mediterranean diet, which has “a greater emphasis on berries and strict restrictions on dairy products.”
The diet, Dr. Gibbs says, has been shown to slow disease progression by 30 to 50 percent.
She admitted that cutting out cheese was a struggle at first as it is one of her favorite foods, but when she discovered she was lactose intolerant cutting out dairy was no longer an option.
Alcohol is another thing Dr. Gibbs has given up.
Traditionally I drank a glass of beer or wine a day, but studies have shown that even modest amounts of alcohol can accelerate the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Fortunately, the non-alcoholic beverage market has grown with more products to choose from and Dr. Gibbs says he has been “surprised” to find that non-alcoholic beer tastes “pretty good.”
Sleep is another thing Dr. Gibbs attributes to his ability to stay as alert as possible.
“Almost always” he sleeps about eight hours.
Dr Gibbs says: ‘My wife Lois (pictured) has been an angel. “She is making it possible for me to continue living at home for the foreseeable future.”
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. The disease can cause anxiety, confusion and short-term memory loss.
Studies have shown a link between inadequate sleep and a higher chance of dementia later in life and it is suggested that 7.5 hours is the optimal amount of sleep to counteract this risk.
While this becomes increasingly difficult as your dementia progresses, “staying socially and intellectually engaged” is another thing Dr. Gibbs advocates.
To stay on top of this, schedule meetings with only one or two friends at a time.
In the meantime, to stay mentally active, he does a crossword puzzle every day while eating lunch and tries to continue reading and writing.
In addition to socializing, Dr. Gibbs says reading and math are things he is now having more and more difficulty with.
He explains: “I can still read, but I do better reading books with only a few characters because I can’t keep them in order.”
‘Now my wife Lois also takes care of all the financial matters. I can’t balance a checkbook anymore.’
Looking ahead, Dr. Gibbs’ greatest hope is to continue slowing the progression of his Alzheimer’s.
Looking back, his first symptom of Alzheimer’s disease occurred in 2006, when he was 55 years old and realized that his sense of smell was not as keen as it once was.
At the time he assumed it was due to aging. But after five years, “I couldn’t smell anything.”
Dr. Gibbs said he wasn’t “particularly concerned” until in 2012, while doing genealogical research (his wife, Lois, thought DNA testing would help fill in some of the missing branches on their ancestral trees), he discovered that I had two copies. of the APOE-4 allele.
Dr. Gibbs runs a blog detailing the ins and outs of his condition called Tattoo On My Brain, which is also the title of his first book and spin-off documentary.
The pie chart above was created from data from Rajan et al. Percentages do not add up to 100 due to rounding.
This is a variant of the APOE gene and is the most important genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease: having one copy increases the risk approximately threefold; two copies for approximately 12 times.
Before this, Dr. Gibbs said Alzheimer’s was not on his radar.
He revealed that he was “surprised” by this news. It wasn’t until 2015 that Dr. Gibbs’ Alzheimer’s diagnosis was confirmed.
And he concludes: “What I want is to spend time with family and friends, continue to advocate for early treatment and die of something else before reaching the final stages of dementia.”
‘As a neurologist, I can see that my disease is progressing very slowly, probably due to the changes I have made to my lifestyle, and that is very encouraging.
‘My wife Lois has been an angel. She makes it possible for me to continue living at home for the foreseeable future.’
Dr. Gibbs has an ongoing blog detailing the ins and outs of his condition called Tattoo on my brainwhich is also the title of his first book and spin-off documentary.
His most recent book, Messages from the land of Alzheimer’spresents an up-to-date discussion of recent advances and setbacks in Alzheimer’s research.
Dr. Gibbs says the biggest drawback is that ‘fWell, everything tastes more or less the same, it’s not bad, but it’s not very interesting.”
He adds: “I really miss the smell of bacon frying in the pan.”
There are also some dangers associated with not being able to smell, such as not being able to smell a gas leak or smoke from a house fire.
However, on the other hand, Dr. Gibbs says there are some notable advantages.
He explains: ‘I don’t spend money on expensive wine. I can’t smell a skunk. And I’m not grossed out by cleaning up dog poop or changing a diaper.
‘When my sense of smell completely disappeared, I began to become aware of something else. It doesn’t disgust me anymore.
‘At first I thought this was simply because I couldn’t smell unpleasant things anymore, but it seems to be more complicated than that.
‘I have become a more tolerant person. I’ll strike up a conversation with a homeless person, something I’m ashamed to admit I wouldn’t have done in the past.’
Nine years after his diagnosis, Dr. Gibbs tells DailyMail.com that by implementing a series of lifestyle changes, he managed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
Dementia is a general term used to describe a variety of neurological disorders.
A GLOBAL CONCERN
Dementia is a general term used to describe a variety of progressive neurological disorders (those affecting the brain) that affect memory, thinking and behavior.
There are many types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Some people may have a combination of different types of dementia.
Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience dementia in their own way.
Dementia is a global concern, but is seen more frequently in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live to a very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?
The Alzheimer’s Society reports that there are currently more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK. This number is expected to increase to 1.6 million by 2040.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 percent of those diagnosed.
In the United States, there are an estimated 5.5 million Alzheimer’s patients. A similar percentage increase is expected in the coming years.
As a person’s age increases, their risk of developing dementia also increases.
Diagnosis rates are improving, but it is believed that many people with dementia are still undiagnosed.
IS THERE A CURE?
There is currently no cure for dementia.
But new medications can slow its progression and the earlier it is detected, the more effective the treatments can be.
Source: Alzheimer’s Society