Lack of dementia in ancient Greece and Rome suggests contemporary causes to diseases like Alzheimer's

[BootinUp]

The Wild Hunt - Pagan News and Perspectives reports:

Scholars, and probably most people, have assumed that Alzheimer’s disease, which was first described in 1906, and similar age-related dementia have been a persistent issue throughout history, but only recently medically identified. A new analysis of classical Greek and Roman medical texts challenges this idea.

A new study published this week in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease challenges the notion that Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) have been with us all along. Rather, these dementias may be a contemporary affliction.

The research is driven by the limited references to significant cognitive decline in ancient Greek and Roman texts. These historical accounts primarily focused on the physical challenges associated with aging rather than delving into advanced cognitive impairments.

The study, led by USC researchers suggests that severe memory loss, prevalent in contemporary society, was exceptionally rare 2,000 to 2,500 years ago during the era of The Greek “Father of Medicine” Hippocrates, the Greek Pliny the Elder philosopher Aristotle, the ancient Greek physician Galen, and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder. All three were famous for recording their observations.

https://wildhunt.org/2024/01/lack-of-dementia-in-ancient-greece-and-rome-suggests-contemporary-causes-to-diseases-like-alzheimers.html

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Yes, and civilization developed processed seed oils about 1870

and of course modern society has a plethora of seed oils, processed animal proteins, pesticides, pollutants, plastics, vitamins, dairy, additives and stretchers.

Or was it that, mostly, people didn't live that long in ancient societies or prior to 1900?

I'll cling to the idea that our brains and neurons are drowning in seed oils as well as most other types of oil and fat. The outcome won't be uniform, as in Alz Disease Type A. We are different organisms with varying genetics. So the pathology varies.

[BootinUp]

3. Processed foods and lack of enough physical activity

would be my top guesses.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. Length of life is huge.

In the past, even up to WWII in this country, early death affected average life span a lot. These days, in first world countries, a relatively small percentage of people die before age 10. Most people live to grow up, and even grow old.

It's also possible that the ancients simply didn't bother to record dementia. Perhaps they thought it was so normal, they didn't bother to write about it.

Here are some links:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31220848/
https://www.verywellhealth.com/longevity-throughout-history-2224054

Length of life throughout history is complicated by early deaths, compared to those who make it past those early years and live nearly as long as people do now.

[BootinUp]

5. Today I only read the story linked in the OP

so I have not read or even looked at the actual published paper. I would emphasize that these are researchers at a top schools, and they are making a case. Perhaps it is worth a look.

[stopdiggin]

6. your last sentence reflects the much truer picture.

and it belies (at least partially) a very persistent misunderstanding that many currently still labor under. "People died early in the olden days .." A lot of them did, yes. But, standing right beside that - old age was not at all a rarity either.

[CountAllVotes]

4. Not many were living to be 80+

Most were dead by the age of 40 not that long ago.

Ah technology!

[stopdiggin]

7. that's a bit of a misapprehension - (or at least so I've been told) -(nt)-