The Cheese Grates It: For the Umpteenth Time, You Can't Brain Your Way Out Of Dementia

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The post in question

Ugh, not another one of these!
No, no, no, no, no, and also no!
The only thing you can do to prevent Alzheimer's is to not have the genetic trigger for Alzheimer's.

Let's break this down.

1. Stimulate Your Brain
People who use their minds a lot also get Alzheimer's. I took care of a number of people with Alzheimer's who had been college professors. There are musicians who get Alzheimer's. There are writers. The idea that you can stave off Alzheimer's by using your brain is bunk. 
I'm not saying don't use your brain. Too few people do, it seems to me. It's just that every time I read an article like this one, I start wanting to throw stuff.
It seems to me that stem cell research is the best hope we have for eradicating diseases like Alzheimer's.

2. Take an aspirin

Aspirin is a blood thinner. It is helpful for preventing clots. If you are prone to clots, which can cause strokes and heart attacks, then by all means, take aspirin with your doctor's approval.

Aspirin can help stave off vascular dementia. It doesn't do jack against Alzheimer's.

3. Take a fish oil containing Omega 3's.

This can help with mild depression. It can help somewhat with hypertension. It's nutritionally valuable. Still won't prevent Alzheimer's.

4. Help your brain by helping your heart

"Doctors have identified seven risk factors they think may lead to Alzheimer’s: high blood pressure, mid-life obesity, diabetes, smoking, lack of exercise, low level of education, and depression."

A lot of people do "heart healthy" things and still have the aforementioned "health horrors."

Idiopathic hypertension is...well...idiopathic. Nobody knows the exact cause. Hypertension can also be exacerbated by medications. Particularly thyroid medications. So--do you stop taking the thyroid medication, or do you take blood pressure medication as well? Because if you take thyroid medication, the likelihood is, your blood pressure will be elevated.

There have been studies that show that people with a heavier body type are actually more likely to survive a cardiac event. While there is correlation between having a larger body type and conditions such as diabetes, correlation is not causation. Endocrine problems tend to cause people to gain weight and have trouble losing it. There may be a correlation between endocrine problems and Alzheimer's, but again, correlation is not causation.

Obviously, though, if you're as fat as this guy, you're just asking for it. I mean, fuck's sake, you'd think he'd be able to exert a little self-control and not always be eating every second of the day. Just look at him!

As to that "low education" thing, how about we make education affordable for everybody so people can get more educated. However, since as I said before, FREAKING COLLEGE PROFESSORS DEVELOP ALZHEIMER'S. If they have the genetic trigger, having 50 doctorates isn't going to stop a person from getting Alzheimer's.

As for depression causing Alzheimer's, well, fuck you. 

This is one where there may be a definite correlation. All kidding aside about the "massive girth" of the skinny fellow above (who, unfortunately, does have Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia), he did struggle with depression and addiction. I bet he would like to not have struggled with those things. I know I'd like to not have bipolar disorder.

There's a huge "blame the victim" component with statements like the above. Are we just supposed to snap our fingers and stop having mood disorders?

I could snap my fingers until they fell off. I'd still have a mood disorder.

If this means that I'm more likely to develop dementia (which it may, if both the mood disorder and the dementia are triggered by the same gene), there's nothing I can do about it, and fuck you for making it sound like I'm at fault.

5. Drink champagne (moderately)

BIIIIIIIG FUCKING HELP to people who can't drink!

That would really help our fat friend above, who went through rehab for alcoholism in 1988.

In other words, the referenced post is saying the same shit that wasn't true when other people said it a million times before.

Damon Salvatore agrees with me.

~The Cheese (and Damon Salvatore) Hath Grated It~