Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Save Our Sanity

You've probably heard by now that a study presented today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in France says inactivity and depression are the two biggest contributors to Alzheimer's in the United States.  In a way this is a double whammy because depression contributes to inactivity and vice versa.

I was particularly interested in this study because both sides of my family have had many members who lived very long lives but were seriously affected by dementia in their later years. Any hope that I won't have to worry about this myself was quashed when my mother was recently diagnosed with short-term memory loss.  Sadly, she is allergic to the medication that might delay any further deterioration.  Her condition is one reason I'm moving closer to my parents.

I feel pretty good about most of the risk factors identified in the study.  I never smoked.  I don't have diabetes.  My weight and my blood pressure are under control.  I have a master's degree and keep on learning new things.  I must admit, though, that I haven't been exactly the blue bird of happiness for the past couple of years, and the worse I feel, the less I exercise.

I occasionally used to joke that I would lose my mind if I spent the rest of my life with Barry.  Apparently I was more right than I knew.

"Depression is rage spread thin." ~George Santayana

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