The Alzheimer's Project - Season 1 - Episode 5

Amidst the stories of heartbreak and despair involving Alzheimer’s, there is real reason for optimism. This two-hour, two-part documentary takes viewers inside the laboratories and clinics of 25 leading scientists and physicians, who seek to discover what can be done to detect and diagnose Alzheimer’s better, delay the onset of memory loss, affect the changes occurring in diseased brains, and ultimately prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Two years in the making, the documentary travels coast to coast to explore this complex disease which has no single cause, but which develops from multiple factors that interact over many years. Scientists are zeroing in on both genetic and environmental factors that might cause Alzheimer’s or protect against it, including intriguing links to heart disease, as well as the very real benefits of exercise. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that a healthy body will result in a healthier mind. Exercise, and healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels all contribute to increasing one’s chances for a long and healthy cognitive life. Groundbreaking advances in brain imaging are allowing scientists to peer into the living brain to see the disease at its earliest stages. And revolutionary approaches to treating and preventing Alzheimer’s, such as vaccinations, are reaching final stages of drug testing.Show more