Although many stories in the popular press have advanced the idea that a healthy lifestyle can help prevent Alzheimer's, the scientific evidence is unclear.
Even if preventing Alzheimer's becomes a reality, some people will still develop it.
There's new data that's coming out that estrogen helps prevent Alzheimer's.
But there is no good evidence that keeping active prevents Alzheimer's.
It does not seem to prevent dementia or Alzheimer's, however.
Some studies with patients suggested that anti-inflammatories prevented Alzheimer's, whereas others did not.
Currently, there are no effective treatments to delay or prevent Alzheimer's.
While there are drugs to protect against heart disease and osteoporosis, there is nothing yet to prevent Alzheimer's.
Researchers have done studies finding that mental exercise, like reading and doing a puzzle, does not prevent Alzheimer's, but rather delays the onset of the disease.
An open question is whether similar drugs might prevent Alzheimer's in people who do not have symptoms.