Famous director Hou Hsiao-hsien is shocked to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease! Experts urge: "5 brain-nurturing habits" should be done at a young age to avoid worsening of dementia in old age
Hou Hsiao-hsien, the 76-year-old internationally renowned Taiwanese director, has been rumored to have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in recent years. On October 25 this year, his family also issued a statement confirming that after director Hou Hsiao-hsien was diagnosed with COVID-19, the sequelae further affected his condition. , had no choice but to suspend film work. Fortunately, Director Hou’s physical and mental condition is stable and he is not seriously injured. He has now fully returned to family life.
Famous director Hou Hsiao-hsien is shocked to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease! What are the common types of dementia?
According to guidelines issued by the National Institutes of Health’s “Center for Aging Medicine and Health and Welfare”, Alzheimer’s disease suffered by director Hou Hsiao-hsien is a type of “degenerative dementia”; Hollywood movie star Bruce Willis Suffering from “frontotemporal lobe dementia” and the Lewy body dementia diagnosed by Robin Williams, both belong to the category of degenerative dementia.
“Vascular dementia” is the second leading cause of dementia. It is caused by poor blood circulation in the brain caused by stroke or chronic cerebrovascular disease, leading to brain cell death and mental retardation. Common forms include post-stroke vascular dementia and small vessel dementia. About 5% of stroke patients will develop dementia symptoms if they survive, and the risk of dementia after 5 years of age is about 25%. It is characterized by sudden deterioration of cognitive function, ups and downs, and stepwise degeneration. In the early stage, slow movement, slow reaction, unstable gait and mental symptoms appear.
In addition, dementia caused by other factors, such as nutritional disorders, intracranial lesions, metabolic abnormalities, central nervous system infections, drug side effects, drug or alcohol poisoning, etc., may all be causes or risk factors for dementia.
How to distinguish between normal aging and dementia? 4 major processes of dementia
Is “forgetfulness” a precursor to dementia? How to distinguish between normal aging and dementia? According to public information from the Taiwan Dementia Association, normal aging people may suddenly forget something, but will remember it later; if a memory test is taken, although the test object cannot be completely remembered, they will remember that they have taken the test. People with dementia completely forget what they have said and done, and they cannot remember the test objects when taking tests, and even forget that they have taken the test.
The proportion of the elderly population in Taiwan continues to increase, and it is expected that Taiwan will soon enter a super-aging society, and degenerative diseases will become a major health issue. The Taiwan Dementia Association stated that dementia is a “progressive degenerative” disease that gradually progresses from mild to moderate, severe, and terminal symptoms. The disease regression time varies and is subject to individual differences. Generally speaking, the course of dementia can be divided into four major stages: mild cognitive impairment, mild, moderate, and severe:
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): The transitional area between normal aging and the onset of signs of dementia. Clinical statistics show that approximately 10-15% of patients with mild cognitive impairment will develop dementia every year. Patients are prone to problems when faced with more complex work tasks or social environments, but their daily lives are not affected.
Mild dementia: Symptoms are mild and easily ignored and medical treatment delayed. Common forgetful behaviors include forgetting where you put things and always looking for them, forgetting appointments/meetings or conversations with others, and not being able to tell which year or month it is now.
Moderate dementia: Living ability continues to decline, and it becomes more difficult to deal with daily life things. For example, forgetting what has happened (such as whether you have eaten or bathed), asking the same questions repeatedly, making it more difficult to identify people or recognize the environment, and distinguish time, etc., and the decline of long-term and recent memory is becoming increasingly serious.
Severe dementia: Patients at this stage are almost completely dependent on others for care. They may forget familiar people, things, and objects around them, and even some long-term memories; their memory is severely lost, they cannot remember important things in life, and they may not even know who they are.
It’s not just forgetfulness and getting lost that need attention! Taiwan Health Promotion Administration reveals 10 major dementia warning signs
In addition to the gradual inability to remember important things, patients with dementia may also experience changes or degradation in misrecognition, mood changes, personality, verbal expression, sense of direction, delusions, hallucinations, sleep, mobility, diet, etc. Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare, Health Promotion Administration reminds that if the elderly have 10 early symptoms of dementia, they should seek medical treatment as soon as possible:
Memory loss that affects life. Frequently asking questions or performing repetitive behaviors and forgetting what has happened.
Inability to do things that are familiar to you. For example, I could count quickly, but now I can’t even figure out what 1+1 equals.
Visual difficulties with the relationship between images and space. For example, mistaking the person in the mirror for another person.
Having difficulty planning things or solving problems. For example, being unable to handle accounts, to-do items, or work that you manage every month.
Confusion about time and place. For example, getting lost and finding your way around your home.
Difficulty in speech expression or writing. For example, forgetting that the tool used to write is called a “pen”.
Things are placed in a disorderly manner and the ability to retrieve them is lost. For example, put slippers on the bed and put clothes in the refrigerator.
Worsened or diminished judgment. For example, crossing the road without looking at the traffic lights.
Withdraw from work or social activities. Feeling more passive or losing interest in various activities.
Mood or personality changes. For example, unusual anger, agitation, suspicion of serious illness, and arrogant speech.
Dementia cannot be reversed but can only be prevented? “5 Brain-nurturing Habits” You Should Do When You’re Young
As for whether dementia can be prevented by improving living habits? Taiwan Health Promotion Administration emphasizes that although there are still no effective measures to completely cure dementia, people can still prevent the risk of dementia in old age through the “5 Essentials and 4 Preventions” measures:
Get used to using your brain: Research shows that engaging in mental activities or creative activities that stimulate brain function can reduce the risk of dementia, with the relative risk reduced by nearly 50%. For example: stay curious, get in touch with new things, take courses, learn new knowledge, read books, newspapers and magazines, etc.
Be active: Engaging in regular exercise more than twice a week has a protective effect on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, with the relative risk reduced by nearly 60%. For example: walking, hiking, swimming, cycling, gym, calisthenics, aerobics, yoga, etc.
Participate in social activities: Research shows that participating in more social activities can reduce the risk of dementia, with a relative risk reduction of 40%. For example: participating in class reunions, charity societies, community activities, religious activities, volunteering, playing cards, etc.
Eat a balanced diet: daily food intake can refer to: 2-3.5 bowls of whole grains and roots, 4-6 servings of beans, fish, meat and eggs, 1.5 cups of low-fat dairy, 3-4 servings of vegetables, 2-3.5 servings of fruits , Oils and nuts and seeds: 3-5 teaspoons of oil and 1 serving of nuts and seeds.
To maintain weight: obese people in middle age (BMI≧30) have a three-fold increase in the relative risk of Alzheimer’s disease, overweight people (BMI between 25-30) have a two-fold increase, and those who are too thin in old age (BMI <18) The risk of dementia is also increased. Recommendation: The elderly should not be too thin and maintain a healthy posture (18.5≦BMI<24).
Prevent the three highs (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia): Blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and other diseases will increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Previous studies have shown that diabetes can cause memory or cognitive decline; those with systolic blood pressure greater than 160 mmHg and untreated have a risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease that is five times higher than those with normal blood pressure.
Prevent smoking addiction: Smoking is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, with the relative risk nearly doubling, while quitting smoking can reduce the risk. Studies have shown that smokers who continue to smoke experience faster cognitive decline every year.
Prevent head trauma: Severe head trauma is a risk factor for dementia. People who have suffered serious brain injuries have a risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease that is more than four times that of the general population. Therefore, people should avoid the chance of head injury.
Prevent depression: People who have suffered from depression have a risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease that is approximately twice that of people without a history of depression.
The prevention and treatment of dementia is a long road. The patients themselves should face it bravely, and their families should also provide support. If family members have symptoms such as changes in temperament, repeated questioning, memory loss, etc., they should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Brain imaging examinations and blood tests can be used to detect early to facilitate diagnosis and provide early mental resuscitation to improve degeneration and delay the worsening of the condition.
Source:
Dementia and the Ten Warning Signs of Dementia,
Dementia Prevention - Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare, Health Promotion Administration,
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