We fear Alzheimer's as we fear no other disease for two reasons. It is the only all one of the nation's ten most common causes of death for which there has been no effective treatment. And it is not only fatal: it robs its victims of their lives long before they are gone. But Dale E. Bredesen, MD, shows that Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline can not only be prevented but, in many cases, reversed. He brings hope, and the first good news, to Alzheimer's patients, with a new understanding of the disease and a new program they can put into effect themselves. Dr. Bredesen reveals that Alzheimer's is not one condition, as it is currently treated, but several. They are driven by different mechanisms and typically manifest in different ways and at different ages. But all are dramatically influenced by imbalances in thirty-six metabolic factors that can trigger "downsizing" in the brain. He explains his research-based protocol, which addresses ways to rebalance these mechanisms by adjusting lifestyle factors; including micronutrients, hormone levels. stress, and sleep quality. The critical role of diet in cognitive decline as well as the importance of autophagy, which involves a strict overnight fast. With wide-ranging patient stories that allow us to understand what it's like to recover when recovery is deemed impossible, and specific information that will help patients, caregivers, physicians, this book will fundamentally change how we treat, prevent, and even think about Alzheimer's disease. Dale Bredesen earned his M.D. from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. He came to the Buck Institute in 1998. He is the chief medical officer of MPI Cognition.