WARNING SIGNS
The six surprising signs you’re at risk of Alzheimer’s – from dressing scruffy to swearing
Read on to find out how to lower your risk of Alzheimer's
ALZHEIMER'S disease can be a devastating condition for those who have it as well as their families.
The condition, which is the most common type of dementia, affects everyone differently.
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It's currently estimated that almost a million people are living with dementia in the UK, projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.
It was announced that former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott passed away at the age of 86 following a battle with Alzheimer's.
The powerhouse Labour politician - who served as Deputy PM from 1997 to 2007 - been living in a care home following a stroke in 2019.
He died "peacefully" surrounded by family.
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In a statement announcing his death, Lord Prescott's wife and two sons said: "We would like to thank the amazing NHS doctors and nurses who cared for him after his stroke in 2019 and the dedicated staff at the care home where he passed away after latterly living with Alzheimer's.
"In lieu of flowers and if you wish to do so, you can donate to Alzheimer's Research UK."
Symptoms of Alzheimer's in the early stages of the disease can be subtle at first.
But over time they become more pronounced and begin to interfere with a person’s daily life.
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You may become aware of your loved one having the disease by subtle changes to their behaviour.
Your painstakingly polite loved one may pick up a new swearing habit or start dressing sloppy after previously taking great care with their appearance.
Former deputy prime minister John Prescott has died aged 86
Here are six early signs of the disease to know.
1. Giving out money
Elderly people in general are at high risk of being scammed.
But has shown that giving out money could be a sign of early Alzheimer’s.
It involved 67 adults around the age of 70.
Each person was paired with another participant that they had never met before.
They were handed $10 (£8) to share as they pleased.
Researchers discovered that those who were at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's gave more money to the person they had just met.
It means those who have the disease are more vulnerable to forking out cash.
Dr Duke Han, a neuropsychology professor at USC who led the research, said: “Trouble handling money is thought to be one of the early signs of Alzheimer's disease, and this finding supports that notion.”
2. Changes to humour
discovered that a change to your sense of humour could mean you are at risk of Alzheimer’s.
They revealed people with the disease are more likely to enjoy slapstick over more complicated forms of comedy.
They gathered friends and family of 48 people with the disease and asked them questions about their loved ones' sense of humour.
In the study they were asked whether their relatives enjoyed shows like Mr Bean, or more satirical shows like South Park.
Then they were asked if there was a difference between their humour 15 years ago.
The research revealed that Alzheimer's patients started to prefer slapstick jokes around nine years before the start of typical dementia symptoms.
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3. Dressing scruffy
Family members of someone who has Alzheimer's know that sufferers can struggle to get ready in the morning.
Patients may choose clashing clothes, or wear things that are not weather-appropriate.
And published in Sociology of Health and Illness in 2018, shows this could also be an early sign of what is to come.
They studied 32 people across three care homes and 15 regular homes in Kent.
Researchers interviewed 29 family carers and relatives and 28 care home staff to see how their patient’s dress.
They discovered that Alzheimer's could caused people to start dressing differently.
4. Bad parking
Alzheimer’s affects peoples motor skills - meaning as their condition progresses their driving can get worse.
It slows down people’s reactions, making them bad at parking.
Researchers from Washington University in St Louis studied driving habits in 139 people - half of which were diagnosed with early Alzheimer's.
The study found those with the disease were more likely to make abrupt changes in direction and drive slower.
The results were so significant that they were able to create a model to predict if people had Alzheimer's based on their driving alone.
It predicted cases accurately in 90 per cent of the people.
Ways to lower your risk of dementia
There are things you can do to reduce your own risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's.
No single behaviour is guaranteed to prevent dementia - but there's lots of evidence to suggest that making tweaks to your lifestyle choices could affect your risk.
Dementia risk is lowest in people who have healthy behaviours in mid-life - from the age of 40 to 65 - according Alzheimer's Society.
Here are a few easy changes you can make:
- Exercise regularly to boost your heart health and circulation and help maintain a healthy weight.
- Drink less alcohol - try to have no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, about one pint of beer or a small glass of wine each day. If you regularly drink much more than this, you are increasing your risk of damage to your brain and other organs, and so increasing your risk of dementia.
- Don't smoke - it does a lot of harm to the circulation of blood around the body, particularly the blood vessels in the brain, as well as the heart and lungs.
- Engaging in social activities to help to build up your brain’s ability to relieve stress and improve your mood - depression and social isolation have both been linked to dementia.
- Manage health conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, which can increase the risk of getting dementia.
- Protect your eyesight and hearing - vision loss increases a person’s risk of developing dementia. The same goes for hearing loss, which can also be an early symptom of dementia.
- Wear a helmet - as traumatic brain injuries can start a process in the brain where the substances that cause Alzheimer’s disease build up around the injured area.
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5. Swearing
Swearing is another sign that someone is developing Alzheimer’s.
When people have the disease, the filter in their brain that would usually tell them the correct situations to swear in is no longer as strong.
This can lead to awkward situations such as swearing in front of children.
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, found 18 per cent of people with Alzheimer's used the word 'f**k' when prompted to name words beginning with 'f'.
6. Having no filter
Like with swearing, as someone develops Alzheimer's their ability to filter what to say becomes hazy.
That’s because the part of the brain that controls our internal filter, the frontal prefrontal cortex, is known to shrink with age, according to experts.
This means patients can say or do outlandishly inappropriate things without realising it is wrong.
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Alzheimer’s Society explained: “These situations can be very confusing, distressing, shocking or frustrating for someone with dementia, as well as for those close to them.
“The person with dementia may not understand why their behaviour is considered inappropriate. It’s very unlikely that they are being inappropriate on purpose.”
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