Dementia is preventable in about half of at-risk individuals through known, modifiable measures such as exercise, social engagement, quality sleep, mental stimulation, blood pressure and blood sugar control, and correcting hearing loss. Homocysteine is a byproduct of protein breakdown that is normally present, but elevated levels—hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy)—can disrupt brain chemistry and impair memory. Homocysteine often receives little attention despite research linking it to cognitive decline. Understanding individual cognitive strengths and weaknesses and measuring/addressing elevated homocysteine can be important, actionable components of a comprehensive brain health strategy.
You and almost every one of my patients gets that same bewildered look when I mention homocysteine. It's a technical word that you will not hear on a TV commercial for a "memory support" product that relies on a jellyfish protein or that shows a cartoon elephant touting his superb memory. And you won't hear this in a commercial where actors struggle to find the name of a friend they encounter in a grocery store aisle.
It is now well-established that dementia of all types, including Alzheimer's disease, is preventable in half of all people who are at risk[1][2][3]. Many of the modifiable factors, i.e., things that each of us can do to protect our brains, are well known. Exercise, social engagement, quality sleep, mental stimulation, blood pressure and blood sugar control, and correcting hearing loss are just a few. But homocysteine does not usually come up on your radar screen.
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