Alzheimer’s: Too Common, and So Mysterious | Dr. Verna Porter

The Think Neuro podcast from Pacific Neuroscience Institute takes you into the clinic, operating room and laboratory with doctors and surgeons who are tackling the most challenging brain diseases and disorders. Host: Anthony Effinger

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Simplecast

Show Notes

One in ten Americans who are 65 and older suffer from Alzheimer’s dementia. It’s the 6th leading cause of death in the country, and it is a scourge worldwide. But little is known about what causes Alzheimer’s, and cures have been elusive. Dr. Verna Porter specializes in treating people with Alzheimer’s, and she remains optimistic. Until we have a remedy, she advises people to eat well and get plenty of sleep. Patients with Alzheimer’s often have abnormal levels of a gummy plaque called amyloid protein crowded around the neurons of the brain. No one knows for sure what causes it to accumulate. What we know for sure is that sleep clears toxins from the brain, amyloid protein among them. Yet, so few of us get enough of it. Eating a diet that’s low in sugar, and intermittent fasting, also may clear toxins. Even when we do invent a cure for Alzheimer’s, prevention will still be the best medicine, Dr. Porter says. Listen now for more on the mysterious origins of Alzheimer’s and what you can do to live with it if it strikes you or a relative.

For more information: pacificneuro.org | (310) 582-7640

About Dr. Verna Porter

Verna R. Porter MD, FAAN, FANA, is an adult and geriatric neurologist with board certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and subspecialty certification from the United Council for Neurological Subspecialties in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry. She is also distinguished as a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (FAAN) and a Fellow of the American Neurological Association (FANA).