Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects the whole life and causes difficulties even in meeting basic needs as it progresses. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, which causes disorders in brain functions, plays an important role in the treatment of the disease. A recent study showed that a symptom seen while on the toilet is a warning before Alzheimer’s disease develops.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE RESEARCH
A study published in The Lancet medical journal identified 10 early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Using medical data from 39,672 people in the UK and France, the researchers reviewed symptoms experienced in the 15-year window before diagnosis to help identify early signs of the condition. The patients displayed a total of 123 health conditions in the years prior to their Alzheimer’s diagnosis. From there, the researchers identified 10 of them most commonly associated with the neurodegenerative condition.
Constipation is among the important symptoms
Perhaps the most surprising symptom on the list was constipation. The team noted that constipation is among the 10 most common health conditions associated with Alzheimer’s. However, researchers fell short of establishing causality. “The question remains whether the health problems encountered are risk factors, symptoms or warning signs of the disease,” Thomas Nedelec, a researcher at the ICM Brain Institute in France and lead author of the study, told The Sun.
Constipation Can Occur EARLY
In some patients with Alzheimer’s disease, constipation appears to be a side effect of dementia medications. Therefore, it usually occurs during the progression of the disease, an average of seven years after the diagnosis of dementia. However, this study revealed that constipation may occur earlier in some AD patients and may help predict a future dementia diagnosis, especially when other symptoms are present.
SHARE YOUR TOILET CHANGES WITH YOUR DOCTOR
Constipation is quite common over the age of 65, and not all constipation is related to Alzheimer’s disease. Roughly half of all adults over the age of 65 suffer from constipation. Experts recommend that you discuss your concerns with your doctor, especially if you go to the toilet less than three times a week, or if you experience pain when you go to the toilet, or if you have trouble going to the toilet.
EARLY ALZHEIMER SYMPTOMS
In addition to constipation, the study identified nine other conditions that can occur in the years prior to Alzheimer’s diagnosis. These include major depression, anxiety, abnormal weight loss, severe stress response, sleep disturbances, hearing loss, a type of arthritis called cervical spondylosis, falls, and fatigue, The Sun reports.