30 % of cases of major neurocognitive disorders (dementia) could have been avoided with current knowledge.

With each heartbeat, 20 to 25% of blood nourish the brain. When you're concentrating hard, the brain uses up to 50% of oxygen and nutrients. For the brain to age well, it must be well nourished and well oxygenated (http://www.alz.org/braintour/blood_vessels.asp)

I often hear: "Everyone in this family has Alzheimer's, it's genetics". For more than 95% of people, genetics is a fragility rather than a defective gene transmitted from one generation to the next. In the case of a gene, mutation is more common than transmission. Frontotemporal dementia (very rare), Huntington's and early-onset Alzheimer's (age 50) are more often the result of genetic inheritance.

ApoE, the "fragile" protein found in some people, increases or decreases the risk of being affected. In the case of apoE4, it is impossible to carry out screening, as the risk may be either increased or decreased. ApoE3 does not affect risk. ApoE2 reduces risk, while ApoE1 increases it.

Here are the internationally recognized risk factors:

• The main non-modifiable risk factor is : _____ (answer at the end of the document).
• The 2nd non-modifiable risk factor is genetics/family history.

Modifiable risk factors :

• Type 1 and 2 diabetes diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 79 / poorly managed
• Hypertension started between the ages of 40 and 60 / poorly managed
• Obesity, especially abdominal obesity
• Smoking
• Low stimulation at an early age
• Sedentary lifestyle (***physical activity reduces risk = feeling out of breath 150 minutes/week)
• Depression, especially after age 65 (not yet understood, but it is known that depression before age 65 does not increase risk)

*** It used to be thought that the brain stopped growing in adulthood. New research has proven that after 12 months of exercise, we see biological changes: the volume of the hippocampus increases, neuron connections increase, new synapses are formed, memory is enhanced, total brain volume increases. It's never too late to start! (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21282661?dopt=Abstract)

WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOUR HEART IS GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN!

Conclusion: the lifestyle choices we make influence our risk much more than the genetic factor. This doesn't guarantee that you won't get the disease, but it does put you in the low-risk group.

Look out for my next article, which will take a look at some of the myths surrounding Alzheimer's disease, and I'll also talk in more detail about depression and education.

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Mireille Guillemette inf.B.ed., president and trainer for Mire Formation Conseil inc.

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Main risk factor: Age