DEMENTIA is a modern condition largely caused by laziness and pollution, a study claims.
Analysis of classical Greek and Roman medical texts suggests Alzheimer’s was rare and only developed as cities, air pollution and couch potato lifestyles grew.
GettyAlzheimer’s could be linked to laziness and pollution[/caption]
Ancient Greeks had noted that ageing brought memory issues, but nothing like a major loss of memory, speech and reasoning as caused by dementia.
Centuries later in ancient Rome, a few mentions sprung up.
For example, Galen remarked that at 80 years-old, some elderly people struggled to learn new things.
Authors speculate that as Ancient Roman cities grew, pollution increased, creating more cases of cognitive decline.
Furthermore, Roman aristocrats used lead cooking tools, lead water pipes and even added lead into their wine to sweeten it – unwittingly poisoning themselves with the strong neurotoxin.
The University of Southern California study found low rates of Alzheimer’s in a present-day indigenous tribe in Bolivia.
Professor Caleb Finch, from the University of Southern California, said: “The ancient Greeks had very, very few – but we found them – mentions of something that would be like mild cognitive impairment.
“When we got to the Romans, we uncovered at least four statements that suggest rare cases of advanced dementia – we can’t tell if it’s Alzheimer’s.
“So, there was a progression going from the ancient Greeks to the Romans.”