Two people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s claim to have conquered the disease through simple lifestyle changes. Dementia and Alzheimer’s have been the leading killers in the UK for the last ten years, accounting for 11.4% of deaths in 2022 .
Although new drugs can reduce the disease’s progression, more evidence is emerging that something as simple as integrating a healthy lifestyle can “reverse” symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease can be split in two subgroups, familial and sporadic. Only 5% of patients with Alzheimer’s are familial , inherited, and 95% of Alzheimer’s patients are sporadic , due to environmental, lifestyle and genetic risk factors.
Consequently, the most effective tactic for tackling Alzheimer’s is preventative and living a healthy lifestyle. This has led researchers to study risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s. Two Alzheimer’s sufferers, Cici Zerbe and Simon Nicholls, claim to have beaten the deadly disease with straightforward lifestyle changes.
The pair have detailed their journey in a CNN documentary The Last Alzheimer’s Patient . Zerbe experienced a reversal of symptoms after participating in a clinical trial in the US. The trial explores the effects of intensive lifestyle changes on mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.
The study has not yet been published. Lifestyle changes include switching to a plant-based diet, regular exercise, group support sessions, yoga and meditation. Zerbe.
