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Angela Lunde
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Angela Lunde
Angela Lunde is a dementia education specialist in the education core of Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Abigail Van Buren Alzheimer's Disease Research Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Angela Lunde
The transfer of information about dementias, as well as understanding the need for participation in clinical trials, is an essential component of the education core.
Angela is a member of the Alzheimer's Association board of directors and co-chair of the annual Minnesota Dementia Conference. She is a member of the Dementia Behavior Assessment and Response Team (D-BART), a multidisciplinary outreach service assisting professional and family caregivers in understanding and managing difficult behaviors often present in dementia. She facilitates several support groups, including Memory Club, an early-stage education and support series, and more recently, helped to develop and now deliver Healthy Action to Benefit Independence and Thinking (HABIT), a 10-day cognitive rehab and wellness program for people with mild cognitive impairment.
Angela takes a personal interest in understanding the complex changes that take place within relationships and among families when dementia is present. She is particularly interested in providing innovative and accessible ways for people with dementia and their families to receive information and participate in valuable programs that promote well-being.
"Amid a devastating disease, there are tools, therapies, programs and ways to cope, and it is vital that families are connected to these resources," she says.
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Alzheimer's blog
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Sept. 19, 2008
Lifestyle strategies may slow or prevent decline
By Angela Lunde
A few of you have asked about what can be done to prevent Alzheimer's or keep the symptoms from worsening. This is an excellent question and one that remains at the top of the research agenda.
The latest medical research suggests that one strategy for preventing or slowing down Alzheimer's may be to adopt a lifestyle that includes the following:
- Staying engaged in social activities with friends, family and others
- Engaging in intellectually stimulating activities
- Eating a 'heart' healthy diet (a heart healthy diet is not only good for the heart but good for the brain)
- Participating in regular physical activity
One study just published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) looked at 170 people who all had memory complaints including mild cognitive impairment, but did not meet the criteria for a dementia like Alzheimer's disease.
Half of these people were asked to complete a 24-week home based physical activity program consisting of 50 minutes of moderate exercise, three times a week. The other half received education on a variety of health related topics (not including physical activity) and 'usual' care with no specific physical activity intervention program.
After an 18-month follow up period, the people who'd been doing the home-based physical activity program did slightly better in memory tests than people who hadn't. While the improvements were small, the fact that they were engaging in a relativity modest amount of exercise and still received a small improvement is particularly noteworthy.
More research is needed to know to what degree adding physical activity or any of the lifestyle strategies listed above can have on improving memory or slowing the progression of cognitive decline. And of course, we all know of individuals who have Alzheimer's disease in spite of living a healthy lifestyle. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that these lifestyle strategies have numerous other benefits including lower risk for heart disease, diabetes, reducing stress, improving sleep, and alleviating depression.
Time for a walk?
7 comments posted
April 24, 2009 Midnight
I participate in YWCA program called "silver sneakers" involving gentle yoga, very specific, targeted, exercise routines three times a week. Program claims to forestall or perhaps prevent Alzheimers and there has to be some truth in it. A recent Wall Street Journal article documented the effectiveness of lifetime sports such as golf on Alzheimers. All these activities involve motor learning, motor memory that seem to supercede other areas of memory. Social connections absolutely make a difference as well Mayo is spot on track -- keep going!
- norma S. Holmes
February 6, 2009 10:59 p.m.
I have been searching the internet tonight for articles about Alzeheimers and memory loss. I am concerned about my aging Mother. she exhibits a lot of the symptoms listed and is definitely declining. I am an only child and we are very close. She does not want to go to the doctor for her memory. I believe she is afraid the news may be Alzeheimers. I am not sure about how much to encourage her to be tested. she exercises, eats a heart healthy diet and reads a lot.I would appreciate any thoughts about the benefits of early testing. My Mom does not like to take meds. Many of them she is allergic to.
- Anna
December 8, 2008 12:02 a.m.
What are we going to do with grandpa? Grandpa doesn't have Alzheimer's yet, but last year he didn't remember much of anything except to tell the same old stories. It's obvious his short term memory is fading fast and he often struggles with remembering the grandkid's names. His memory medication doesn't seem to provide much relief and it's very expensive. Having a family member suffering from cognitive decline is reason enough for us all to be concerned ourselves. It appears omega-3 DHA has been suggested by John's Hopkins and I give grandpa supplements from algae oil for DHA. He likes them. He doesn't like to walk much. We got them from a site promoting a DHA therapy, which we found searching the net. Great stuff.
- Gary
October 11, 2008 9:45 a.m.
My Dad's short term memory is all but gone. Still, we want to do everything we can to keep his symptoms from worsening, and perhaps even get a little better. He walks, and walks, and walks, but all this restlessness is a symptom of the disease. He can't walk without company (he's been lost at least 3 times). Is there such a thing as too much walking? Should we try to limit him to a couple of nice, long walks a day? What can we do for all this restlessness?
- Ann
October 7, 2008 1:32 a.m.
About four years ago my husband was diagnosed with early onset AD ....he has been extremely active both physically and mentally and has surprised many people with how well he has done. He continues to do household chores, plays cards, walks about 2 1/2 miles a day, and loves to dance. There is no question that he has AD; however, as he has increasing problems with language and decision making, but there is no question in my mind that exercise and diet have played an important role in the rate of progression of his disease.
- deb
October 1, 2008 5:34 a.m.
Alzheimers also claimed my father, how tragic he was a soldier in Tabrook in 2nd world war, came home married raised nine children all who went on to become successful adults he was grandfather to 12 grand children and provided all with love support and the benefit of his wisdom and interllect only to suddenly forget not only who he was but who we were also. I considered it a priveledge to lool after him but because I was a care with a sick child that became impossible and my family placed him in a nursing home and that was the greatest tradged of his Alzheimers for me, the fact that suddenly he could so easily be deemed to hard to look after. I believe modern science already has made progress with this disease through diet medication early screening etc and will find a cure for this hidious disease. But what conserns me as much is that as a society we have become so selfish when did we stop looking after our elderly and sick sure its hard I know I have been looking after a son for 33 years because of his chronic illness and im hear to tell Im blessed every day. Its very hard seeing someone you love suffer, and its hard haveing someone so dependent but along the way you get to meet some exptional people some of there lives have been very short they have never even got to be a teenager but they touch your life in such an incredible way that you sometimes feel you have indeed been touched by an angel.The thing I regret athe most about my dads Alzheimers is that hhe was handed
- Jillian
September 30, 2008 4:48 p.m.
This may be so true, the lifestyle suggested was once ours.. maybe that is why it is hard for all of us to believe he has Alzheimers.. he held on as long as possible ... once diaganosed he went from mild to severe in just a few months..what would he have been like had he not been involved in all the activities? we think a lot worse off.. once we knew - he let down his gaurd and accomplished all he wanted to, with my help - the final summer he was home with us.. he is truly an amazing and loving person, and as he said ..he didn't want it this way...we all look back and wonder if we would have wanted to know sooner...he is now in the final stage...He walks and walks and walks some more, is fed pureed food and does not communicate...how long can that go on..???? We have to find a CURE SOON...this is too hard for all of us..it eats your life away!
- Mary
7 comments posted