The effect of major lifestyle changes on mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer's disease is no small matter.  It is really important to actually prove that lifestyle changes work for Alzheimer’s.  Rigorous clinical trials are needed to test whether lifestyle interventions can help.  Drug trials have high standards.  This is a good thing.  Study designs, data analysis, and how results are published are all important for life-style changes.  They must be just as solid as with drug trials.

         To better understand Alzheimer’s, we must be very careful with trials about lifestyle changes.  With Alzheimer’s, we have so many questions.  The first big question is what lifestyle changes are worth trying?  Science can’t answer this yet.  The second big question is how should lifestyle changes be tested for Alzheimer’s?   Science has not evaluated this in a good way yet. People with Alzheimer’s could be affected in different ways.   This is why it is so important to consider these questions.  During a trial, one group people get the change.  The other group gets nothing or a placebo.  If there is a good design, the results are more likely to be accurate.  This is the same for lifestyle changes and drugs.

        We need to upgrade the way we study life-style changes.  Drug trials are strict and careful.  Lifestyle changes need to be just as careful.  Lifestyle changes include diet and exercise.  They might also include things such as how you sleep and how much you think about your life.  These things are hard to test.  They also tend to have big differences in people.  People can have very different opinions about what works and what doesn't.

          Researchers must have strict rules.  They also need to check their results carefully.  Every detail must be very clear.  The rules might need to be strict.  Every side effect must be recorded.  There are many things to check.  Lifestyle changes can be very complicated.  They need to carefully test all these things.   Every change.  Every difference.  Even small differences must be checked carefully.

        We need to take a good look at what we know.

          How did we find out what we know so far?

          What can we learn from this?

          How much can this tell us about the future?

        Is there hope?

          These trials might help us help understand Alzheimer’s.

          They also might help us understand other diseases.

Can Lifestyle Changes Help Alzheimer’s Disease?

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