Reduce Alzheimer’s dementia conditions

In the UK we face a growing crisis around how we deliver health services relating to mental health.

Part of the upswell in adverse mental health within the population is to do with improved awareness and better education – more people understand the symptoms of common mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, stress and trauma, and so more people feel empowered to access professional help and support.

But part of the increase in cases of mental health conditions can be attributed to an ageing population. Better clinical medicine means improved mortality as people live for longer – but age brings with it its own challenges around mental health.

Dementia now affects more than 850,000 people in the UK and latest statistics from the Alzheimer’s Society show that 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 have some form of dementia.

The Society also predicts that if the current trend continues and isn’t addressed, the number of people living with dementia in the UK will rise to 1 million by 2025 and to 1.6 million by 2040.

Alzheimer’s dementia is a serious and complex condition that is typically defined by memory and language loss punctuated by decreasing episodes of lucidity as the disease progresses.

For many years it was thought that the brain damage and memory impairment caused by the condition couldn’t be reversed, even in the early stages of the disease.

However, there are now preliminary human trials that have shown it is possible to achieve an improvement in cognitive function and a reduction in the symptoms related to Alzheimer’s dementia using functional medicine interventions.

Cognitive ability is affected by several genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that influence the development and progression of Alzheimer’s dementia. How we evolve understanding of these factors allows us to develop network-based interventions, rather than those that are target based.

Currently, science tells us that genetic changes that almost guarantee an individual will develop Alzheimer’s dementia account for fewer than 5 per cent of all diagnosed cases.

What that means is that 95 percent of all cases of Alzheimer’s are caused by lifestyle and environmental factors – over which we have much more control and which we are better able to influence.

Human trials now show that by using interventions that target changes in lifestyle and the environment, cognitive function can be improved and the common debilitating symptoms of Alzheimer’s that are so distressing to both the patient and those close to them can be reduced or mitigated.

Here at the London-based 360 Health Clinic, we are trained in the Bredesen Protocol, which was developed by internationally renowned cognitive health expert Professor Dale Bredesden and uses a functional medicine approach to diagnose the underlying cause of dementia and address reversible causes.

The interventions required to achieve effective and sustainable results in cognitive function are complex and require commitment, time and often significant lifestyle changes, not just for the patient but also for those living with or caring for them.

However, it is no longer the case that Alzheimer’s dementia is necessarily a life sentence and achieving a better outcome through the interventions we apply and the support we can offer is possible – and we’re here to help.

For more information about our Alzheimer’s Dementia Treatment in London or to speak to our specialists, please contact us today.