Prevention is far better than a cure

A few months ago, I wrote ‘Your brain health depends on you‘. I believe everyone should take responsibility for their own health, especially their brain health. We all need to be proactive.

It seems like nearly each day when you read the newspaper or a magazine or even online, you will find an article or news item about Alzheimer’s disease. A lot of these articles are about some of the latest scientific research findings related to Alzheimer’s disease.

My mother had Alzheimer’s disease in the 1990s and passed away in 2000.

Even in the ’90s, there was much talk and promise of ‘a cure’ for Alzheimer’s disease.

How many families have been left waiting and hoping for ‘a cure’ to be found for their loved one Only to have their hopes and dreams shattered every single time. Amazingly, nearly 30 years on, researchers are still no closer to ‘a cure’.

One of the recent articles that took my interest and was ‘Could memory loss be reversed with a common painkiller?’ It says: “Researchers have spent decades trying to find new, effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, but new research suggests the answer may reside in an existing painkiller commonly used to treat menstrual cramps.”

The common painkiller that the researchers were referring to is called mefenamic acid.

Delving further into this ‘new hope’ to reverse memory loss I found the Important Warning:

“People who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (other than aspirin) such as mefenamic acid may have a higher risk of having a heart attack or a stroke than people who do not take these medications. These events may happen without warning and may cause death. This risk may be higher for people who take NSAIDs for a long time.

“Do not take an NSAID such as mefenamic acid if you have recently had a heart attack, unless directed to do so by your doctor. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family has or has ever had heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke, if you smoke, and if you have or have ever had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Get emergency medical help right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness in one part or side of the body, or slurred speech.

“NSAIDs such as mefenamic ccid may cause ulcers, bleeding, or holes in the stomach or intestine. These problems may develop at any time during treatment, may happen without warning symptoms, and may cause death. The risk may be higher for people who take NSAIDs for a long time, are older in age, have poor health, or who drink large amounts of alcohol while taking mefenamic acid.”

It then goes on to advise a long list — too many to mention — of other medications that should not be taken if you are taking mefenamic acid.

This particular research study was done on mice that were genetically modified to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

With the above list of such serious side effects, do you think it is worth taking this dangerous risk to your health and life, when the drug has only been proven on mice that were genetically modified to develop Alzheimer’s disease?

The bottom line here is this: Prevention is far better than cure.

You need to be proactive with your brain health. If you notice that your memory is starting to slip, don’t wait and do nothing about it — it will only get worse. This is the time to be proactive and do something about it. Find out what is causing you to have memory problems in the first place. It cannot just happen without a cause or reason.

In my research, I have found there are many causes of memory problems, and some of these causes may be able to be treated.

It is important to start taking responsibility for your own health and especially your brain health — because your brain health depends on you.

What do you do to keep your brain active? Have you noticed any memory issues with yourself or a loved on?