Alzheimer’s Disease not inevitable in this 115 year old
Alzheimer’s Disease is not an inevitable part of ageing, according to researchers who found that a Dutch woman who died at the age of 115 had a normal-functioning brain and was an “alert and assertive lady”.
The woman originally donated her body to medical science at the age of 82, and the doctors in the Netherlands were able to perform neurological tests from that time, as well as being able to examine her brain after death.
At the age of 113 the results were normal,with no signs showing of either dementia or memory or attention problems. The doctors said their subject was “full of interest in the world around her” and had a good knowledge of politics and sports.
An examination after death revealed very few abnormalities, and the brain cell count was very similar to a healthy person aged 60 to 80. Abnormalities typical of Alzheimer’s were absent or very mild and there was almost no sign of narrowing of the arteries.
The executive director of Alzheimer’s Australia in Victoria, Lynette Moore, said it was further proof that a healthy diet and an active mind could reduce the risk of the disease.
“It’s a wonderful story. It seems that all of those things that were good for her heart have also been good for her brain”, Ms Moore said.
