Sherzai Ayesha - The Alzheimers solution: a breakthrough program to prevent and reverse the symptoms of cognitive decline at every age

We dedicate this book to two of the

greatest men weve ever known:

our grandfathers,

Dr. Zahir and F. M. Zikria,

who planted the seeds of knowledge and

discovery, and ultimately lost their lives to the

very disease we set out to cure.

If you would have told us fifteen years ago that wed be writing the first book about the only scientifically proven solution to the international epidemic of Alzheimers disease, we never would have believed you. Fifteen years ago we were young neurologists practicing medicine the way wed been taught. We were hopeful that the billions of dollars donated to fund Alzheimers research would soon result in a cure, some kind of pill that could affect the pathology wed learned so much about. We pursued the most prestigious fellowships in our fieldat the National Institutes of Health and University of CaliforniaSan Diegoand worked with leading researchers at the forefront of the fight against Alzheimers. We wanted to find a solution. And we did, eventuallyjust not the solution we expected.

It was during those fifteen years that we uncovered promising scientific research about the factors that significantly influence Alzheimers disease, research we will reveal to you in Chapter 2 of this book and that revolutionized the way we practice medicine. It was during those fifteen years that we conducted one of the most comprehensive studies on the incidence of dementia and designed a groundbreaking protocol for Alzheimers treatment and prevention, work that began at Loma Linda University and then took us to Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles before we returned to Loma Linda to continue our research and serve communities throughout Southern California and beyond. And it was during those fifteen years that we treated thousands of patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimers disease with our innovative NEURO Plan, helping them reverse symptoms, prevent further decline, add years to their lives, and change the trajectory of their health.

So many of these patients have shared their stories with us. Theyve told us that their parents or grandparents had Alzheimers, and that developing the disease themselves was their single greatest fear. Theyve told us about the humiliation of having to rely on caregivers to meet their basic needs. Theyve assumed there was no treatment, that they would be ostracized if others found out about their condition. Some of these patients are in denial. Some of them are having trouble remembering names or have gotten lost in a familiar place. Some of them already have a formal Alzheimers diagnosis when they arrive at our clinic, unable to express themselves or recognize their loved ones. If youve picked up this book, then theres a good chance you or someone you love has one of these stories. You may be feeling little hope for the future. We know you are looking for something, anything you can do. We know you are incredibly afraid.

There is reason to be afraid. While every chronic disease you can think ofcardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, HIVis in decline, deaths due to Alzheimers have increased by nearly 87 percent in the last decade. The next decade could be even worse: 10 percent of people over the age of sixty-five will develop some form of dementia, and people over the age of eighty-five have a 50 percent chance of developing the disease. Many of us can reasonably expect to live beyond eighty-five, especially as treatments for cancer and other major diseases continue to improve. This means that almost everyone, and certainly every family, will be affected by Alzheimers.

In 2016, Alzheimers disease was the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Some researchers believe that Alzheimers is grossly underreported on death certificates. Oftentimes the official cause of death for a person with Alzheimers is a dementia-related condition like aspiration pneumonia. This means that Alzheimers may in fact be Americas third-most deadly disease, behind only heart disease and cancer. The question is no longer if we will develop the disease, but when.

As if the emotional costs werent high enough, there are also staggering financial costs. Alzheimers is by far the most expensive disease to manage, with costs reaching $226 billion in the United States this year, and $604 billion worldwide. This annual cost will likely increase to several trillion dollars over the next few decades, overwhelming our already strained health-care system. In 2015, the World Health Organization estimated that the total number of people with Alzheimers worldwide will rise to 135.5 million by 2050. By then, global costs will surpass twenty trillion dollars. This figure doesnt take into account the vast amount of unpaid caregiver hours. In 2015 alone, caregivers provided an estimated eighteen billion hours of unpaid care. The demands of this disease could crash not only our health-care system, but our entire financial system.

Fifteen years ago, we had no idea our field of study and research would play a crucial role in our health as a nation, and as a species. Back then we accepted the conventional approach to neurology, though we could see it came up painfully short for patients with cognitive decline. That approach went a lot like this: Patients were examined, put through comprehensive neuropsychological testing, and sometimes underwent brain MRIs. A diagnosis would be made based on the stage of cognitive decline, and in a follow-up appointment with family members, patients would be told that their disease was chronic and had no treatment. They were given pamphlets for nursing homes and encouraged to make major life decisions now, while their faculties were still intact. Many of these patients were then passed off to primary-care physicians, as it was believed there was little a neurologist could do beyond diagnosis and symptomatic treatment. Because of this conventional approach, patients assumed their symptoms were completely driven by unfortunate genes. They believed decline was inevitable, that nothing could be done. The whole process was devastating for our patients and it was devastating for us.

If this sounds familiar to you, we want you to know there is hope. There is a way to prevent cognitive decline, to slow its progression and improve quality of life for those who already have a diagnosis. What conventional medicine hasnt told you or your loved ones, or any of the nearly six million people living with Alzheimers in the United States, or the forty-seven million people living with Alzheimers worldwide, is that within the normal life span, 90 percent of Alzheimers cases can be prevented. This figure bears repeating: 90 percent of grandparents, parents, husbands, and wives should have been spared. Ninety percent of people living with Alzheimers or dementia didnt have the resources or knowledge they needed to prevent this devastating disease. Ninety percent of us can avoid ever getting Alzheimers, and for the rest of us, the 10 percent with strong genetic risk for cognitive decline, the disease can potentially be delayed by ten to fifteen years.

This isnt just an estimate or wishful thinking: its a figure based on rigorous science and the remarkable results weve seen in our clinic, which we will share with you in this book. As it turns out, the solution to Alzheimers has been hiding in plain sight. We now know that Alzheimers disease and overall cognitive health are deeply influenced by five main lifestyle factors represented by the acronym NEURONutrition, Exercise, Unwind, Restore, and Optimize. Direct links exist between poor nutrition, lack of exercise, chronic stress, poor sleep, the extent to which we challenge and engage our brains and neurodegenerative disease. The truth is that the choices we make every day determine our cognitive fatebut there is almost no awareness of this crucial fact, despite the veritable crisis were in when it comes to Alzheimers.