Press
Release
Dr.
Vagnini's Health &
Longevity E-Report
November
2005
Heart
Disease and Alzheimer's
What's
the Connection?
In a
nutshell . . . whatever
you do to lower the risk
of heart disease –
control blood pressure
and weight, exercise,
lower cholesterol, quit
smoking – will also
protect you against developing
dementia and/or Alzheimer’s
disease. That’s
been proven in research
conducted among 9000 adults
in a study sponsored by
Kaiser Permanente in California.
Study findings indicate
that each of the cardiovascular
risk factors we are all
familiar with was a predictor
of dementia: Those identified
in the study with diabetes
were 46 % more likely
to develop dementia; those
with high cholesterol
were 42 % more likely;
people who smoked were
26% more likely, and those
who had hypertension were
24 % more likely to develop
dementia in later years.
And when researchers looked
at a combination of the
risk factors, they found
the risk for dementia
increased from 27 % for
one risk factor to 237
% for having all four
risk factors, compared
with having no risk factors
at all. That means you
are more than twice as
likely to suffer dementia
if you have all of these
risk factors.
Five
Questions and Answers
about Alzheimer's Risk
and Pervention.
| 1. |
How
does exercise lower
the risk of Alzheimer’s
disease?
The researchers don’t
know exactly how exercise
works to lower A.D.
risk, but like the
effect of exercise
on heart disease risk,
exercise increases
blood flow and counters
arterial plaques,
which are a factor
in A.D. It’s
been proven that people
on a vigorous exercise
program will significantly
reduce their risk
of dementia. Alzheimer’s
is a type of dementia.
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| 2. |
How
early in life might
Alzheimer’s
Disease strike?
A.D. is a progressive
disease. It is usually
in late life that
symptoms are recognized.
Medical authorities
estimate that 50%
of the population
over 85 has some form
of dementia. If the
disease develops rapidly
in an individual case,
it could be diagnosed
as early as in the
50s. And in such a
case there is probably
a genetic factor involved. |
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| 3. |
Can Alzheimer’s
Disease be diagnosed
in a visit to the
doctor?
The diagnosis of A.D.
is made by exclusion;
that is, by ruling
out other causes of
the patient’s
symptoms, such as
stroke or depression.
The MMSE (Mini Mental
State Exam) is a single
page test administered
orally in the doctor’s
office. It is widely
used to assess cognitive
impairment. If dementia
is suspected, the
patient is referred
for a radiological
imaging of the brain
– a PET scan,
which can be more
conclusive. |
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| 4. |
What
is the distinction
between Alzheimer’s
Disease and dementia?
A.D. is a form of
dementia. There are
other forms, but Alzheimer’s
is the most common
and the most lethal,
and it progresses
to death. All are
neurological disorders
of the brain. Some
of the other forms
can be treated successfully.
The definitive diagnosis
of A.D. can only be
made in an autopsy. |
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| 5. |
What
can you do in the
doctor’s office
for someone at risk
for or suspected of
Alzheimer’s
Disease?
Because we
know more about A.D.,
about some nutritional
factors involved,
about lifestyle therapies
that work to prevent
it, and because there
are improved diagnostic
methods for diagnosing
it, it is important
in clinical practice
to begin preventive
evaluations. |
Alzheimer’s/Dementia
Evaluation Program
A number
of cognitive impairment
conditions are seen in
a cardiovascular practice.
They may be the result
of stroke or the effect
of cerebral vascular disease
or of untreated hypertension.
All of these conditions
call for a neurological
assessment. It is important
to be aware of the possibility
of A.D. in an early stage.
You hear patients speak
of a “senior moment.”
Not good.
So far
drugs have not been successful
in treating A.D. But there
are prudent preventive
steps that can be taken.
Keeping the brain active
through reading and mental
exercise will ward off
or slow down the disease.
Dr. David Perlmutter,
renowned neurologist and
author of a bestseller,
The Better Brain Book,
argues that we should
not give up on finding
a cure; in his research
he has found antioxidant
nutrients C vitamins E
to be effective in warding
off dementia. Glutathione,
a master anti-oxidant
protein obtained in fruits
and vegetables, enhances
brain function. It can
also be taken as a food
supplement as well as
administered intravenously.
Gingko biloba has been
reported to slow down
A.D. High homocysteine
is a severe risk factor.
These and many more findings
from today’s research
in functional neurology
give the impetus to the
Center’s
Alzheimer’s /Dementia
Evaluation Program.
Pass
it On
Sobering
News about Obesity
Just
when we thought we couldn't
get any fatter, a new
study suggests that over
the long haul, 9 out of
10 men and 7 out of 10
women will become overweight.
Even if you are one of
the lucky few who made
it to middle age without
getting fat, don't congratulate
yourself; keep watching
that waistline. Half of
the men and women in the
study who had made it
well into adulthood without
a weight problem ultimately
became overweight. A third
of those women and a quarter
of the men became obese.
"You cannot become
complacent, because you
are always at risk of
becoming overweight,"
said Ramachandran Vasan,
an associate professor
of medicine at Boston
University and the study's
lead author. He and other
researchers studied data
gathered from 4000 white
adults over 30 years.
Participants were between
the ages of 30 and 59
at the start, and were
examined every four years.
By the end of the study,
more than 1 in 3 had become
obese. The study defined
obesity as a body mass
index of more than 30.The
findings, published the
Annals of Internal
Medicine, show that
obesity may be a greater
problem than indicated
by studies that only look
at a cross-section of
the population at one
point in time. Those so-called
"snapshots"
of obesity have found
about 6 in 10 are overweight
and about 1 in 3 are obese.
Check that same sample
in 10 years and you will
find more overweight and
more obesity. These latest
findings re-emphasize
that people must continually
watch their weight.
[Reprinted
with edits from the weblog:
straightfromthedoc.com].
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