Alzheimer's disease afflicts approximately 45 percent of Americans over 85 years of age. It has robbed many men and women of the pleasures and rewards of the last stage of life. Dr. David Snowdon, an epidemiologist, began the Nun Study in 1986, and it is now one of several studies on aging and Alzheimer's disease being conducted at the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.
Participants in this project are members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame congregation living in the seven main convents of the order in the United States. They range in age from 75 to 106 years and have turned out to be ideal subjects for research given their carefully regulated lives and copious records. The nuns undergo rigorous annual mental and physical testing and give Snowdon and his colleagues access to their medical and convent records. They also have agreed to donate their brains upon death.
In this fascinating volume, the author discusses the ongoing research related to Alzheimer's and the data being tracked in regard to diet, exercise, linguistic ability early in life, the damage from small strokes, the role of the immune system, and hereditary factors. Snowdon believes that a positive outlook, keeping the mind alert and sharp through continuing education, and the love and support of a caring community are all factors in longevity.
The author concludes: "The School Sisters of Notre Dame have shown me that old age is not something to fear and revile. It can be a time of promise and renewal, of watching with a knowing eye, of accepting the lessons that life has taught and, if possible, passing them on to the generations that will follow."