Fixing The Lack Of Racial Mix
Dr. Derek M. Griffith, the founding co-director of the Racial Justice Institute, founder and director of the Center for Mens Health Equity, and professor of health systems administration and oncology at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, shared further insights with MNT.
Dr. Griffith, who was not involved in this research, believed that Black participants have been left out of clinical research because healthcare providers are not inviting them to participate.
He said that providers have to think that youre eligible and that youll actually do it. So often, we are not asked, or the assumption is that we wont keep up with the protocol
However, Dr. Griffith said he has observed higher participation rates with studies that specifically target Black populations.
What Are Risk Factors
- Risk factors are aspects of your lifestyle, environment and genetic background that increase the likelihood of getting a disease.
- Risk factors on their own are not causes of a disease. Rather, risk factors represent an increased chance, but not a certainty, that dementia will develop.
- Similarly, having little or no exposure to risk factors does not necessarily protect a person from developing dementia.
There are some risk factors that can be changed, and some that cannot â read on to know which are which!
Read about risk factors for dementia in our downloadable, print-friendly infosheet.
This sheet also contains strategies and lifestyle changes that can help you reduce your risk of developing dementia.
Keep Your Added Sugar Intake Down By Avoiding These Foods
The worst culprits for added sugars are processed foods like candy, soda, pastries, and desserts. However, added sugar also hides in condiments, salad dressings, cereals, soups, and lunch meats. Your best bet for protecting your brain health and lowering your dementia risk is to eliminate these foods from your diet. Instead, eat an abundance of plant-based whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
Keeping your added sugar intake within an acceptable range is essential for cognitive health. “The goal for added sugar is to keep it to less than 10 percent of your total daily calories,” Palinski-Wade says. “By eating more whole foods and fewer processed foods, you can begin to reduce added sugars. Read food labels and be on the lookout for added sugar sources,” she advises.
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What Is The Difference Between Alzheimer’s And Dementia
First, some explanation of dementia vs. Alzheimer’s. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability that interferes with daily life. Not a normal part of aging, most dementias are typically caused by damaged brain cells.
Of all the dementias, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common, accounting for 60-80% of the cases. In other words, it is a specific disease while “dementia” is a general term for a life-altering decline in brain function .
What Made Researchers Think There Is A Connection Between Dementia And Nose
According to Dr. Ulm, “There’s been an intriguing series of medical discoveries, over recent years and decades, that are increasingly linking at least some patient cohorts afflicted by chronic diseases including many autoimmune disorders with subtle and often unappreciated microbial infections or activity, upending our understanding of their pathophysiology and pathogenesis . Perhaps the most classic example is that of peptic ulcers, once associated simply with stress or the consumption of spicy or fatty foods, but now known to be firmly linked with GI tract colonization by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium in a vast swath of cases. The practical significance of this finding has been incalculable, since it means that a large cohort of peptic ulcer patients can be cured or at least solidly managed with sequential courses of two antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor , in a so-called triple therapy regimen. Similarly, the primary culprit responsible for cervical cancer is now known to be infection by HPV, the human papillomavirus. More recently, a firm nexus has been found between multiple sclerosis and, in many cases, a prior infection by the Epstein-Barr virus , the cause of infectious mononucleosis or, as it’s more commonly been known by generations of school kids who’ve felt its wrath, mono.
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Causes Of Alzheimers Disease
Researchers are rapidly learning more about the chemical changes that damage brain cells in Alzheimers disease. Apart from the few with familial Alzheimers disease, it is not known why some people develop Alzheimers disease and others do not. It is likely that a number of factors contribute to development of the disease, including environmental, genetic and health factors.Alzheimers disease is characterised by specific changes in the brain that include the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles . An abnormal build-up of a protein called beta-amyloid causes amyloid plaques to form outside the brain cells. Inside the brain cells, another protein called tau builds up and causes neurofibrillary tangles.These protein accumulations disrupt messages within the brain because they damage connections between brain cells. The brain cells eventually die and brain volume shrinks. These brain changes occur gradually and actually begin many years before the symptoms of Alzheimers disease occur. The brain is able to compensate for the early damage, but eventually the damage becomes too great and brain function is affected.
How The Study Worked
The researchers analyzed the primary healthcare records of 20,214 people with Alzheimers disease in the United Kingdom and 19,458 people with Alzheimers in France.
They compared each persons medical records with a control matched for sex and age who had not received a diagnosis of a progressive brain disease during the 15-year study period.
Out of the 123 health conditions they investigated, 10 had a statistically significant association with a diagnosis of Alzheimers disease 210 years later in France and the U.K.
Some of the conditions, such as depression, hearing loss, and sleep disorders, are already known risk factors for Alzheimers.
However, this study was the first to identify constipation as a possible risk factor. The link between the two conditions became apparent 7 years before the diagnosis of Alzheimers.
Interestingly, constipation is also associated with depression and is an established early sign of other brain diseases, such as Lewy-body dementia and Parkinsons disease.
The connections made allowed us to confirm known associations, such as hearing problems or depression, and other less-known factors or early symptoms, such as cervical spondylosis or constipation, says Thomas Nedelec, Ph.D., the first author of the study.
The question remains as to whether the health problems encountered are risk factors, symptoms, or warning signs of the disease, he added.
In their paper, the authors conclude:
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This Disgusting Habit Can Increase Your Risk Of Dementia And Alzheimer’s
New research suggests there’s a connection between nose-picking and dementia. While there’s many risk factors for dementia such as age, family history, poor diet, lack of sleep and not enough physical activity, nose-picking might be added to the list. The bad habit can result in bacteria traveling through the nasal cavity’s olfactory nerve and reaching the brain creating markers that are “a tell-tale sign of Alzheimer’s disease,” according to research by Australia’s Griffith University.
The study, which was published in Scientific Reports in February, has recently generated a lot of media attention after a press release from the university was sent out suggesting nose picking could increase the chance of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Professor James St. John, the study’s co-author and head of the Clem Jones Center for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, said in a press release, “We’re the first to show that Chlamydia pneumoniae can go directly up the nose and into the brain where it can set off pathologies that look like Alzheimer’s disease.”
Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with Dr. J. Wes Ulm, Harvard and MIT-trained MD, PhD with a background in bioinformatics, gene therapy, genetics, drug discovery, consulting and education who was not affiliated with the study, but explains the findings of the research and what to know about the data. Read onand to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
Hardening Of The Arteries
For example, there is a connection between âAlzheimer neuropathologyâ and âatherosclerosis.â Atherosclerosis is termed a âvascularâ disease because it afflicts the blood vessels of susceptible people. Itâs sometimes referred to as a âhardeningâ of the arteries due to the fact that atherosclerosis involves gunk building up on the inside of those anatomical tubes.
These deposits are usually made of fat and, like their neurological cousins, are called plaques. One might get the impression that atherosclerosis and Alzheimerâs might both be characterized by the bioaccumulation of garbage inside the body.
From my point of view, this underscores the importance of living an overall healthy lifestyle, including getting adequate exercise and sleep as well as maintaining a proper diet. For more on some of these, see: âThe Alzheimerâs âMIND Dietâ: What Should You Eat?â âAlzheimerâs and Sleep: Too Little, Too Much, and Just Rightâ and âAlzheimerâs and Sleep: Herbs, Spices, and Other Supplements.â
However, it is worth noting that âatherosclerosis potentially reversibleâ and the link between it and dementia is far from being completely understood.
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Factors That Increase Your Risk For Alzheimers Disease
After reading through the subtypes, youre aware there are many facets to assessing risk and type of Alzheimers.
What are the risk factors of Alzheimers disease? The 14 most well-known risk factors of Alzheimers disease include:
Patients with one or more of these risk factors are at a higher odds of developing Alzheimers or dementia. Here are the details on each category.
Disproportionate Impact On Women
Globally, dementia has a disproportionate impact on women. Sixty-five percent of total deaths due to dementia are women, and disability-adjusted life years due to dementia are roughly 60% higher in women than in men. Additionally, women providethe majority of informal care for people living with dementia, accounting for 70% of carer hours.
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How Is Alzheimers Disease Treated
Alzheimers is complex, and it is therefore unlikely that any one drug or other intervention will successfully treat it in all people living with the disease.
Scientists are exploring many avenues to delay or prevent the disease as well as to treat its symptoms. In ongoing clinical trials, scientists are developing and testing several possible interventions. Under study are drug therapies aimed at a variety of disease interventions, as well as nondrug approaches such as physical activity, diet, cognitive training, and combinations of these. Just as we have many treatments for heart disease and cancer, we will likely need many options for treating Alzheimers. Precision medicine getting the right treatment to the right person at the right time will likely play a major role.
Current approaches to treating Alzheimers focus on helping people maintain mental function, treating the underlying disease process, and managing behavioral symptoms.
The Basics Of Alzheimers Disease
Scientists are conducting studies to learn more about plaques, tangles, and other biological features of Alzheimers disease. Advances in brain imaging techniques allow researchers to see the development and spread of abnormal amyloid and tau proteins in the living brain, as well as changes in brain structure and function. Scientists are also exploring the very earliest steps in the disease process by studying changes in the brain and body fluids that can be detected years before Alzheimers symptoms appear. Findings from these studies will help in understanding the causes of Alzheimers and make diagnosis easier.
One of the great mysteries of Alzheimers disease is why it largely affects older adults. Research on normal brain aging is exploring this question. For example, scientists are learning how age-related changes in the brain may harm neurons and affect other types of brain cells to contribute to Alzheimers damage. These age-related changes include atrophy of certain parts of the brain, inflammation, blood vessel damage, production of unstable molecules called free radicals, and mitochondrial dysfunction .
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Stages Of Alzheimers Disease
People with Alzheimers disease differ in the patterns of problems they experience and in the speed with which their abilities deteriorate. Their abilities may change from day to day, or even within the same day. What is certain is that the persons abilities will deteriorate sometimes rapidly over a few months, sometimes more slowly, over a number of years.Some of the features of Alzheimers disease are classified into three stages. It is important to remember that not all of these features will be present in every person, nor will every person go through every stage. But these stages are still a useful description of the progression of Alzheimers disease.At all stages of Alzheimers disease, treatments and support services are available. Use these to make sure of the best possible quality of life for everyone affected by Alzheimers disease.
Bring Down Blood Pressure Now
While more research investigates the brain benefits of blood pressure meds, you can play it smart by taking healthy lifestyle steps to keep blood pressure in a healthy range. Here are some of the best strategies.
Eat real.
That means nixing processed foodseven canned vegetables, which are oftenhigh in sodium. Among the most successful blood-pressure-lowering diets area Mediterranean diet or DASH .Both diets are high in fruits, vegetables,whole grains, low-fat dairy, poultry, fish and nuts, but low in harmful fats, red meat,sweets and sugary drinks. The effects can be quick, with blood pressurereductions in just two weeks.
Shed extra weight.
In one analysis of 25 clinical trials, losing an average of 11 poundsshaved 4.4 points offsystolic blood pressure and 3.6 points offdiastolic. Other studies have found that modest weight loss canprevent hypertension in overweight people, even if they dont reduce theamount of sodium in their diet.
Check blood pressure at home.
Monitoring your blood pressure at home can improve blood pressuremanagement more than just seeing your doctor. You can purchase automaticblood pressure cuffs for as little as $35 ask your doctor for arecommendation. Many pharmacies and drugstores also offer free bloodpressure readings.
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How Certain Are Researchers That Chlamydia Pneumoniae Bacteria Introduced Via Nose
Dr. Ulm tells us, “There remain many unanswered questions and further investigations needed on this topic, and more broadly speaking, the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease and similar disorders continues to be somewhat murky and unexplained. As a result, researchers can’t firmly attribute much to any proposed cause, let alone one with a still somewhat tenuous linkage like the Chlamydia pneumoniae bacteria tracking the olfactory nerve into the CNS as a result of recurrent nose-picking.
It’s been challenging to tease out the physiological chains of events that lead to disease onset, alongside the ongoing riddles about causes vs. correlations . The pathophysiology of such dementias is likely to be multifactorial, however, in which case these bacteria may well be a contributor in at least some cases if, indeed, amyloid plaques are firmly established as a true causative factor.”
An Algorithm For Estimating The Risk Of Disease
What is the cause of AD dementia? There are changes in the brain when people grow old, but not every person will have dementia.
A study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has developed an algorithm that can estimate the risk of AD within the next five years, helping participants predict whether they may face the risk of a debilitating disorder. It is said that this five-year estimate calculator can compute the absolute risk of AD dementia.
According to principal investigator Jessica Mozersky, Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine in the universitys Bioethics Research Center, people wanted to know how much risk of the disease they might face, rather than just receiving a report showing whether their test results were normal or not.
In the study, researchers used demographic information, such as brain imaging test results and genetic biomarkers, to constructively articulate the risk of developing early symptoms of dementia from Alzheimers.
Co-principal investigator Sarah M. Hartz, MD, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry, said that there were thousands of volunteers participating in the study at Alzheimers research centers around the country.
This algorithm is a way to help illuminate that information and to let individuals know whether they have a significant risk for dementia related to Alzheimers disease, she added.
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Who Is Most At Risk Of Dementia
Dementia is the most feared diagnosis in the over 55s in the UK, affecting around 850,000 people across the country. You often ask us why some people develop the condition and others dont, and whether its possible to predict who will go on to get dementia.
Predicting who will develop dementia is not an easy process. Risk factors for diseases like Alzheimers are hugely complex and include age, genetics and lifestyle. These three influencers dont act alone either they interact and are likely to vary in importance at different stages of your life.
Understanding who is most at risk of diseases like Alzheimers and why, is key to shaping prevention initiatives but also for identifying those who may benefit most from future therapies. Here are just a few examples of the groundbreaking research in this area being presented at the Alzheimers Association International Conference in Toronto.
Research Shows How Low Should You Go
Lower is not necessarily better when it comes to blood pressure. A 2013 study published in the journal JAMA Neurology found that people with heart disease or stroke who had lower-than-normal blood pressure were more likely to show changes in the brain that can affect cognition and memory. National guidelines recommend people with hypertension who are 60 and older aim for a goal of less than 150/90 mm Hg, while those ages 30 through 59 aim for a diastolic goal of less than 90 mm Hg. Younger people should aim for a goal of less than 140/90 mm Hg. Consult with your doctor about the best target for you.
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