私醫聯招 英文歷屆試題｜第 44 題

Around the turn of the 20th century, the German physician Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915) described a debilitating brain cell disease. This disease, later to bear his name, was both progressive and irreversible; that is, once the disease started, it slowly destroyed brain tissue and made its victims progressively unable to remember dates or even recognize family members. In the worst cases, patients were little better than vegetables.

The number of those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease increases because people are living longer. As many as a quarter of those aged 80 years or older are afflicted with some degree of this life-robbing disease. Four million Americans suffer from this disease.

A new study shows, however, that fish in the diet may prevent or at least slow down the onset of this terrible disease. Those who eat fish may have a reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The study shows that fish contains a fatty acid called omega-3, closely associated with brain tissue health.