Re: Re: The Causes of Dementia

[Guest guest]

>>Cholesterol? According to new research, the brains of Alzheimer's

patients don't get enough of the stuff.

http://www.douglas.qc.ca/news/details.asp?l=e & ty=a & id=136 & yr=2005

Not due to " lack " of cholesterol, but due to clogged arteries.

Recent findings have shown that drugs, which lower blood cholesterol, reduce the

risk of developing Alzheimer disease later in life.

Regards

jeff

[Guest guest]

>>Cholesterol? According to new research, the brains of Alzheimer's

patients don't get enough of the stuff.

http://www.douglas.qc.ca/news/details.asp?l=e & ty=a & id=136 & yr=2005

Not due to " lack " of cholesterol, but due to clogged arteries.

Recent findings have shown that drugs, which lower blood cholesterol, reduce the

risk of developing Alzheimer disease later in life.

Regards

jeff

[Guest guest]

It's not simple to parse out exactly which aspect of the drug is

responsible.

It seems several of the common themes relate to the old inflammation axis.

If they knew, they'd have a cure for it, I'm sure....but in general

reducing inflammation levels is a good thing.

JR

Rodney wrote:

> Hi :

>

> BUT, it says:

>

> " Recent findings have shown that drugs which lower blood cholesterol,

> reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer disease later in life. These

> drugs, called statins, have also been shown to have an impact on

> disease progression in patients already diagnosed with Alzheimer's. "

>

> Am I out to lunch here?

>

> Rodney.

>

>

>>> food for thought?

>>>

>>> http://www.modern-psychiatry.com/causes1.htm

>>> The Causes of Dementia

>>>

>>> While there is much that is unknown about the causes of

> Alzheimer's

>> Disease and other dementias, much research has been done. It

> appears

>> clear that many factors contribute to causing dementia. Of course,

>> aging and the increasing inability of the brain to repair itself

>> undoubtedly plays a major role. I'm still adding to this page.

> Right

>> now, make your choice on the pages listed above and go to the

> topic.

>> There's lots of interesting findings that suggest changes to make to

>> lower your risk.

>>> 1) dietary aluminum and in drinking water, 2) small brain size and

>> lower intelligence, 3) cholesterol, 4) animal, especially mammal,

> meat

>> and fat, 5) low omega-3 fatty acids (low fish oil), 6) head trauma,

> 7)

>> high blood pressure, 8) obesity, 9) low vegetable and fruit intake,

>> 10) occupational exposure to pesticides, 11) smoking, and 12)

> genetic

>> abnormalities of several types.

>>> Since exercise prevents dementia, the lack of exercise is

> obviously

>> a cause of dementia.

>>> Debatable causes include folic acid and B-12 deficiencies, mercury

>> and other heavy metals, and excessive iron levels.

>>> High levels of alcohol increase dementia, but low levels e.g. up

> to

>> two drinks per day, may actually decrease the risk of dementia.

>>> Individuals with diabetes, osteoporosis, schizophrenia, and

>> depression are all at an increased risk of developing dementia.

>>> E. Radecki, M.D., J.D.

>>>

>>> www.modern-psychiatry.com

>>>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

It's not simple to parse out exactly which aspect of the drug is

responsible.

It seems several of the common themes relate to the old inflammation axis.

If they knew, they'd have a cure for it, I'm sure....but in general

reducing inflammation levels is a good thing.

JR

Rodney wrote:

> Hi :

>

> BUT, it says:

>

> " Recent findings have shown that drugs which lower blood cholesterol,

> reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer disease later in life. These

> drugs, called statins, have also been shown to have an impact on

> disease progression in patients already diagnosed with Alzheimer's. "

>

> Am I out to lunch here?

>

> Rodney.

>

>

>>> food for thought?

>>>

>>> http://www.modern-psychiatry.com/causes1.htm

>>> The Causes of Dementia

>>>

>>> While there is much that is unknown about the causes of

> Alzheimer's

>> Disease and other dementias, much research has been done. It

> appears

>> clear that many factors contribute to causing dementia. Of course,

>> aging and the increasing inability of the brain to repair itself

>> undoubtedly plays a major role. I'm still adding to this page.

> Right

>> now, make your choice on the pages listed above and go to the

> topic.

>> There's lots of interesting findings that suggest changes to make to

>> lower your risk.

>>> 1) dietary aluminum and in drinking water, 2) small brain size and

>> lower intelligence, 3) cholesterol, 4) animal, especially mammal,

> meat

>> and fat, 5) low omega-3 fatty acids (low fish oil), 6) head trauma,

> 7)

>> high blood pressure, 8) obesity, 9) low vegetable and fruit intake,

>> 10) occupational exposure to pesticides, 11) smoking, and 12)

> genetic

>> abnormalities of several types.

>>> Since exercise prevents dementia, the lack of exercise is

> obviously

>> a cause of dementia.

>>> Debatable causes include folic acid and B-12 deficiencies, mercury

>> and other heavy metals, and excessive iron levels.

>>> High levels of alcohol increase dementia, but low levels e.g. up

> to

>> two drinks per day, may actually decrease the risk of dementia.

>>> Individuals with diabetes, osteoporosis, schizophrenia, and

>> depression are all at an increased risk of developing dementia.

>>> E. Radecki, M.D., J.D.

>>>

>>> www.modern-psychiatry.com

>>>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

If there is one disease that bothers me, it's dementia, the risk factor in my parents, gparents. You don't die of a heart attack, or cancer - you merely waste away as your brain dies. First memory, and it can be sudden. One day you seem ok, the next you don't remember who you are.

An experience in my family, not blood relative in someone whose parents lived to 96 - she doesn't remember me this year. She was a lifelong health fanatic - low fat, low animal intake (mostly fish), no milk, low calories, exercise. But she did have high TC, and quit taking ERT. What a shock. She did do a glass or two of red wine each day.

She wasn't skinny - weight control was always a problem even with low intake. She was not college educated, but never wanted for anything.

So what do I do with that info? There is actually little info on dementia, and what is written is mostly Alzheimer's, stroke. The people I know who have had this, did not have a stroke. They just lost their memory and personality.

And when they go to the doc, there isn't the rush to treat it like in a stroke, I guess because there isn't the paralysis occasioned by the stroke.

One of the reasons I take L-carnitine, but I have really no idea if that will prevent dementia.

So we have CVD, PAD (peripheral artery disease), and a third is Cerebrovascular Disease.

Noble: Textbook of Primary Care Medicine, 3rd ed

Cerebrovascular Disease

....Cerebrovascular disease, however, does produce dementia if lesions are strategically placed. One series demonstrated a 38.7% prevalence of vascular dementia in a white Northern European cohort of 85-year-old people,[32] which is even higher than previously reported. Also, vascular causes of dementia can also coexist with AD. A patient who has several strokes in areas important for cognitive function (e.g., deep temporal lobe, frontal lobes) can be easy to diagnose. However, in other patients, multiple small lacunar infarcts can occur, often in "silent" areas of the brain. Hypertension or diabetes significantly increases the risk for lacunar infarctions. A careful history may elicit several episodes of clear-cut deterioration in function. Since multiinfarct dementia can be difficult to distinguish from AD, a scoring system called the Hachinski ischemic score ( Table 158-1 ) can be a useful reminder of features that suggest vascular disease. [12] MRI can also be helpful in this diagnosis because very small infarctions can be seen using this modality. This diagnosis is important to make, since careful control of hypertension while maintaining adequate perfusion and avoiding episodic hypotension may be the key to preventing further deterioration. Another dementing cerebrovascular disorder is Binswanger's encephalopathy. The dementia in this case is accompanied by bilateral pyramidal signs (weakness, increased reflexes) and intense frontal lobe signs. The patient may appear abulic and have diffusely increased muscle tone. Prominent palmar and plantar grasp reflexes are often present, and urinary incontinence and a slow, unsteady gait are common. MRI shows multiple white-matter infarcts in a periventricular distribution becoming confluent. Unfortunately, MRI also shows this pattern in patients who do not exhibit a clinical syndrome. The diagnosis of Binswanger's disease and other forms of dementia are in evolution, and several criteria have recently been proposed.

Metabolic Disorders

Metabolic disorders may cause gradual changes in mental status, and the aged brain is extremely vulnerable to a host of changes in the metabolic state. Mild degrees of pulmonary, renal, hepatic, or cardiac failure that would not cause mental changes in younger individuals seem capable of causing mental disease in older persons. Small imbalances in endocrine function, particularly hypothyroidism and the apathetic form of hyperthyroidism, are frequently associated with change in mental status as the dominant clinical feature. Disturbances in electrolyte or acid-base balance and mild anemia or anoxia may also present with mental changes. Laboratory examinations are available to confirm or deny clinical suspicion of most of these metabolic, endocrine, or deficiency states. Even chronic constipation causes decreased mental acuity and confusion in elderly persons. Hepatic encephalopathy, common in alcoholic patients but found in patients with other forms of liver disease or with various medications such as valproic acid, produces a drowsy confusional state that sometimes may be misinterpreted as dementia.

Nutritional deficiencies are a prominent problem in elderly persons, who may lead isolated lives on inadequate incomes. This, combined with depression, may result in severe neglect of dietary intake of vitamins. The most common vitamin disorder that can produce dementia is vitamin B12 deficiency. Most traditional American diets are rich in vitamin B12 , but occasionally, strict vegetarians can become deficient. Gastric surgery or pernicious anemia may be the cause. Signs of a peripheral neuropathy and myelopathy are often present. Neuropsychiatric manifestations of B12 deficiency can occur in the absence of anemia or macrocytosis. A vitamin B12 level should be performed routinely in evaluation of dementia. In patients with other signs of B12 deficiency, it is important to remember that tissue stores can be depleted before the serum level falls. If B12 deficiency is strongly suspected, a normal B12 level should prompt a request for methylmalonic acid assay, a metabolite of vitamin B12 that is increased in B12 deficiency.

Thiamine deficiency can produce an acute Wernicke's encephalopathy, sometimes followed by Korsakoff's psychosis, also known as alcoholic amnestic syndrome (see Chapter 51 ).

http://www.alz.org/

An almond-rich diet does a body good A daily run, a diet rich in almonds and other healthful foods and a stimulating environment — all may keep aging brain cells in shape, according to research out Monday. - USA Today

Read the entire article at: www.usatoday.com

Regards.

RE: [ ] Re: The Causes of Dementia

>>Cholesterol? According to new research, the brains of Alzheimer'spatients don't get enough of the stuff.http://www.douglas.qc.ca/news/details.asp?l=e & ty=a & id=136 & yr=2005Not due to "lack" of cholesterol, but due to clogged arteries.Recent findings have shown that drugs, which lower blood cholesterol, reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer disease later in life.Regardsjeff

[Guest guest]

If there is one disease that bothers me, it's dementia, the risk factor in my parents, gparents. You don't die of a heart attack, or cancer - you merely waste away as your brain dies. First memory, and it can be sudden. One day you seem ok, the next you don't remember who you are.

An experience in my family, not blood relative in someone whose parents lived to 96 - she doesn't remember me this year. She was a lifelong health fanatic - low fat, low animal intake (mostly fish), no milk, low calories, exercise. But she did have high TC, and quit taking ERT. What a shock. She did do a glass or two of red wine each day.

She wasn't skinny - weight control was always a problem even with low intake. She was not college educated, but never wanted for anything.

So what do I do with that info? There is actually little info on dementia, and what is written is mostly Alzheimer's, stroke. The people I know who have had this, did not have a stroke. They just lost their memory and personality.

And when they go to the doc, there isn't the rush to treat it like in a stroke, I guess because there isn't the paralysis occasioned by the stroke.

One of the reasons I take L-carnitine, but I have really no idea if that will prevent dementia.

So we have CVD, PAD (peripheral artery disease), and a third is Cerebrovascular Disease.

Noble: Textbook of Primary Care Medicine, 3rd ed

Cerebrovascular Disease

....Cerebrovascular disease, however, does produce dementia if lesions are strategically placed. One series demonstrated a 38.7% prevalence of vascular dementia in a white Northern European cohort of 85-year-old people,[32] which is even higher than previously reported. Also, vascular causes of dementia can also coexist with AD. A patient who has several strokes in areas important for cognitive function (e.g., deep temporal lobe, frontal lobes) can be easy to diagnose. However, in other patients, multiple small lacunar infarcts can occur, often in "silent" areas of the brain. Hypertension or diabetes significantly increases the risk for lacunar infarctions. A careful history may elicit several episodes of clear-cut deterioration in function. Since multiinfarct dementia can be difficult to distinguish from AD, a scoring system called the Hachinski ischemic score ( Table 158-1 ) can be a useful reminder of features that suggest vascular disease. [12] MRI can also be helpful in this diagnosis because very small infarctions can be seen using this modality. This diagnosis is important to make, since careful control of hypertension while maintaining adequate perfusion and avoiding episodic hypotension may be the key to preventing further deterioration. Another dementing cerebrovascular disorder is Binswanger's encephalopathy. The dementia in this case is accompanied by bilateral pyramidal signs (weakness, increased reflexes) and intense frontal lobe signs. The patient may appear abulic and have diffusely increased muscle tone. Prominent palmar and plantar grasp reflexes are often present, and urinary incontinence and a slow, unsteady gait are common. MRI shows multiple white-matter infarcts in a periventricular distribution becoming confluent. Unfortunately, MRI also shows this pattern in patients who do not exhibit a clinical syndrome. The diagnosis of Binswanger's disease and other forms of dementia are in evolution, and several criteria have recently been proposed.

Metabolic Disorders

Metabolic disorders may cause gradual changes in mental status, and the aged brain is extremely vulnerable to a host of changes in the metabolic state. Mild degrees of pulmonary, renal, hepatic, or cardiac failure that would not cause mental changes in younger individuals seem capable of causing mental disease in older persons. Small imbalances in endocrine function, particularly hypothyroidism and the apathetic form of hyperthyroidism, are frequently associated with change in mental status as the dominant clinical feature. Disturbances in electrolyte or acid-base balance and mild anemia or anoxia may also present with mental changes. Laboratory examinations are available to confirm or deny clinical suspicion of most of these metabolic, endocrine, or deficiency states. Even chronic constipation causes decreased mental acuity and confusion in elderly persons. Hepatic encephalopathy, common in alcoholic patients but found in patients with other forms of liver disease or with various medications such as valproic acid, produces a drowsy confusional state that sometimes may be misinterpreted as dementia.

Nutritional deficiencies are a prominent problem in elderly persons, who may lead isolated lives on inadequate incomes. This, combined with depression, may result in severe neglect of dietary intake of vitamins. The most common vitamin disorder that can produce dementia is vitamin B12 deficiency. Most traditional American diets are rich in vitamin B12 , but occasionally, strict vegetarians can become deficient. Gastric surgery or pernicious anemia may be the cause. Signs of a peripheral neuropathy and myelopathy are often present. Neuropsychiatric manifestations of B12 deficiency can occur in the absence of anemia or macrocytosis. A vitamin B12 level should be performed routinely in evaluation of dementia. In patients with other signs of B12 deficiency, it is important to remember that tissue stores can be depleted before the serum level falls. If B12 deficiency is strongly suspected, a normal B12 level should prompt a request for methylmalonic acid assay, a metabolite of vitamin B12 that is increased in B12 deficiency.

Thiamine deficiency can produce an acute Wernicke's encephalopathy, sometimes followed by Korsakoff's psychosis, also known as alcoholic amnestic syndrome (see Chapter 51 ).

http://www.alz.org/

An almond-rich diet does a body good A daily run, a diet rich in almonds and other healthful foods and a stimulating environment — all may keep aging brain cells in shape, according to research out Monday. - USA Today

Read the entire article at: www.usatoday.com

Regards.

RE: [ ] Re: The Causes of Dementia

>>Cholesterol? According to new research, the brains of Alzheimer'spatients don't get enough of the stuff.http://www.douglas.qc.ca/news/details.asp?l=e & ty=a & id=136 & yr=2005Not due to "lack" of cholesterol, but due to clogged arteries.Recent findings have shown that drugs, which lower blood cholesterol, reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer disease later in life.Regardsjeff

[Guest guest]

I'd say that was pretty accurate eval, Tony.

I think it's hard to analyze one's diet without something like DWIDP, which she did not have.

The main thing is, there isn't a lot of medications for this. Now they give her fosamax and statins. But she wouldn't have taken them anyway, had they been prescribed before the change. Old people don't listen a lot. I'd call it inflexible.

Dementia, like sudden death, you might not know you got.

Regards.

RE: [ ] Re: The Causes of Dementia> > > >>Cholesterol? According to new research, the brains of Alzheimer's> patients don't get enough of the stuff.> > http://www.douglas.qc.ca/news/details.asp?l=e & ty=a & id=136 & yr=2005> > Not due to "lack" of cholesterol, but due to clogged arteries.> > Recent findings have shown that drugs, which lower bloodcholesterol, reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer disease later inlife.> > Regards> jeff> >

[Guest guest]

I'd say that was pretty accurate eval, Tony.

I think it's hard to analyze one's diet without something like DWIDP, which she did not have.

The main thing is, there isn't a lot of medications for this. Now they give her fosamax and statins. But she wouldn't have taken them anyway, had they been prescribed before the change. Old people don't listen a lot. I'd call it inflexible.

Dementia, like sudden death, you might not know you got.

Regards.

RE: [ ] Re: The Causes of Dementia> > > >>Cholesterol? According to new research, the brains of Alzheimer's> patients don't get enough of the stuff.> > http://www.douglas.qc.ca/news/details.asp?l=e & ty=a & id=136 & yr=2005> > Not due to "lack" of cholesterol, but due to clogged arteries.> > Recent findings have shown that drugs, which lower bloodcholesterol, reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer disease later inlife.> > Regards> jeff> >