Danzon Therapy May Ward Off Alzheimer's

Danzon, the slow and elegant musical genre that's popular in the Latino community, may help ward off Alzheimer's. Latinos across the country are part of LAMDA (Latino Alzheimer's and Memory Disorders Alliance), and started "Bailando por la Salud (Dancing for health), to inspire Latinos who are uncomfortable with other forms of exercise to get fit and healthier- which in turn may help stave off Alzheimer's and other memory loss conditions.

Latinos develop Alzheimer's in greater numbers than the general population, and the condition could grow by 600% by 2050. New research suggest that Mexican Americans develop risk factors that could lead to Alzheimer's as early as a decade earlier than other groups. Getting the Latino population in better shape could help both their hearts and their minds. At the University of North Texas Health Science Center Dr. Sid O'Bryant studied 1,500 Mexican Americans who were already participating in clinical studies on aging. He found that factors such as education level, depression and diabetes were important considerations into whether the participants developed mental impairment and early stages of Alzheimer's.

Danzon is an elegant way to keep fit, both physically and mentally. Research suggest that higher incidences of heart disease and other risks, like diabetes, may play roles in the effect of Alzheimer's in the Latino community. Educating the community is a first step, but then the community must go out and practice what they have learned. (healthy eating habits and exercise). Mexican Americans are nearly twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes and 50% more likely to die from the disease. The costs of caring for diabetic patients and those with Alzheimer's is huge. Care for Alzheimer's patients cost $203 billion in 2013, and is expected to jump to $1.2 trillion in less than four decades. While early onset of cognitive impairment was a scary finding for researchers, this also means that the disease can be identified and treated sooner.