Can You Reverse Cognitive Decline?

Many doctors would say no. In fact, I’ve had several patients who have received a diagnosis of dementia and are told that there is no treatment that can truly stop or reverse the progression of this brain disorder. Compassionately, they’re told to get their affairs in order. For so long we believed that the brain is unchangeable and even worse, we thought that once we started to experience cognitive decline, it was all downhill from there. We now know this is not true. My friend and scientist Dr. Dale Bredesen is at the forefront of changing the way we approach neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Dr. Bredesen’s research has led to new insights that explain the erosion of memory seen in Alzheimer’s disease and has opened the door to a new therapeutic approach which uses the power of Functional Medicine. This interview is just the first part of an entire month and a half focused on brain health. For the next few weeks, my team and I will be sharing cutting edge information about how to protect your brain and how to treat brain disorders. This is all leading up to my brand new 8-part docuseries called Broken Brain. Stay tuned in the next couple of weeks to hear more about it. I hope you enjoy this interview. If you have any questions about the brain, tweet me using the hashtag #housecallwithdrhyman, and maybe next week I’ll make a House Call to you. Wishing you health and happiness, Mark Hyman, MD