BRAIN AGING: ANTI-AGING RESEARCH REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Dementia is a collection of symptoms that result in a loss of cognitive functioning. The ability to think, remember, and reason are compromised to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. It is important to understand that although the condition is common in very elderly individuals,dementia is NOT a normal part of the aging process – that’s according to the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke, NINDS.
Alzheimer’s Disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually erodes the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s Disease, symptoms first appear after age 60. Indeed, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people. Alzheimer’s Disease comes with a massive economic and social cost. The UK group, Alzheimer's Disease International, recently issued a sobering report on the Global Economic Impact of Dementia. It warned that the worldwide costs of dementia exceeded 1% of global Gross Domestic Product in 2010, at 604 billion US dollars. The Report projected that the number of people with dementia will double by 2030, and more than triple by 2050, with the costs of caring for people with dementia posed to rise even faster than the disease’s prevalence. [“The World Alzheimer Report 2010,” Alzheimer’s Disease International (United Kingdom), 21 Sept. 2010.]
It is a MYTH that "Senior Moments" are a normal part of aging. In September 2010, researchers at Rush Medical Center reported their findings from cognitive function assessments and brain autopsies involving 354 Catholic nuns, priests, and brothers. The team found that that cognitive function gradually declined with age until the last four to five years of life, when it declined rapidly., While suggesting that the study found that Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are the root cause of virtually all loss of cognition and memory in old age, the Rush scientists urge that other factors may more profoundly affect how vulnerable we are. [Wilson RS, Leurgans SE, Boyle PA, Schneider JA, Bennett DA. Neurodegenerative basis of age-related cognitive decline. Neurology. 2010 Sep 15.]
Scientists are now investigating possible causal links between cognitive decline and vascular and metabolic conditions. The potential role of nutritional deficiencies, as well as that of the environment, are also actively being explored. Understanding these relationships aims to help us understand whether reducing risk factors for these diseases may help with Alzheimer’s as well.
RISK FACTORS
The Diabetes – Alzheimer’s Connection
People with insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes appear to be at an increased risk of developing plaques in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's Disease. Scientists from Kyushu University in Japan studied 135 Japanese men and women, average age 67 years, among whom blood sugar levels were monitored routinely and the onset of symptoms of Alzheimer's disease was tracked for the next decade.During that time, about 16% developed Alzheimer's disease. After the participants died, researchers examined their autopsied brains for the physical signs of Alzheimer's disease, namely the telltale plaques and tangles. While 16T had symptoms of Alzheimer's disease while alive, a total of 65% had plaques.Further, the study found that people who had abnormal results on three tests of blood sugar control had an increased risk of developing plaques. Plaques were found in 72% of people with insulin resistance and 62% of people with no indication of insulin resistance. The researchers conclude that: “The results of this study suggest that hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia caused by insulin resistance accelerate [plaque] formation in combination with the effects of [the Alzheimer’s gene].” [T. Matsuzaki, K. Sasaki, Y. Tanizaki, J. Hata, K. Fujimi, Y. Matsui, A. Sekita, S.O. Suzuki, S. Kanba, Y. Kiyohara, and T. Iwaki. “Insulin resistance is associated with the pathology of Alzheimer disease: The Hisayama Study.”Neurology, Aug 2010; 75: 764 - 770.]
Low Vitamin D Correlates to Higher Risk of Dementia
A number of studies have established a wide range of health benefits for Vitamin D, deficiencies of which have been correlated to osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, and some types of cancers. Researchers from Peninsula Medical School in the United Kingdom studied 1,776 men and women, ages 65+, assessing levels of cognitive function and sampling blood markers of vitamin D. The team found that people with normal cognitive function had higher levels of a blood marker for Vitamin D, as compared to study subjects with cognitive impairments. Further, those with the lowest Vitamin D markers were four-times more likely to be cognitively compromised. Observes the team: “This is the first large-scale study to identify a relationship between Vitamin D and cognitive impairment in later life.” [Llewellyn DJ, Langa K, Lang I. “Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration and Cognitive Impairment,“ J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2008 Dec 10. ]
Lifetime Lead Exposure Linked to Cognitive Deficits In Aging
In a 22-year long study involving exposure to lead in an occupational setting, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh found that cumulative exposure to lead had a significant negative impact on cognitive scores, particularly affecting spatial ability, learning, and memory. The team found that in lead exposed workers, the effect of lead on overall cognition was 17% greater than for those without occupational exposure. The team concludes that their study “supports the inference that past history of occupational lead exposure may lead to longer term, possibly progressive, effects on cognitive decline as a function of cumulative dose.” [Khalil N, et al "Association of cumulative lead and neurocognitive function in an occupational cohort" Neuropsychology 2009; 23: 10-19.]
Electrical Towers and Alzheimer’s Risk
Swiss researchers at Bern University studied data collected from 4.7 million people enrolled in the Swiss National Cohort. The team found that those people who lived within 150 feet (50 meters) of an electrical tower were 24% more likely to die from dementia (as compared to those who lived more than 2,000 feet (600 meters) away. The risks for Alzheimer’s Disease also increased with the length of time that people spent near electrical towers. Those who lived in a tower’s shadow for more than 10 years were 78% more likely to die from dementia, and twice as likely if they lived there for more than 15 years. [Huss A, Spoerri A, Egger M, Röösli M; for the Swiss National Cohort Study. “Residence Near Power Lines and Mortality From Neurodegenerative Diseases: Longitudinal Study of the Swiss Population.” Am J Epidemiol. 2008 Nov 5.]
Excess Weight Increases Age-Related Cognitive Decline
A Johns Hopkins University team completed a meta-analysis involving data resulting from 10 independent studies. They found that obesity, or having a body mass index of 30 or higher, increased a person’s risk of dementia by more than 40%. Obesity was found to have a particularly strong effect on Alzheimer’s Disease, increasing the risk of that disorder by 80%. [Beydoun MA, Beydoun HA, Wang Y. “Obesity and central obesity as risk factors for incident dementia and its subtypes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” Obes Rev. 2008 May;9(3):204-18. Epub 2008 Mar 6.]
High Cholesterol in Your 40s Increases Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
People with high cholesterol in their early 40s are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease, as compared to those with low cholesterol, reports scientists from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research (California USA). The group studied 9,752 men and women, finding that the subjects with total cholesterol levels between 249 and 500 mg were 1.5-times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease, compared to those with levels of 198 or less. People with cholesterol levels of 221 to 248 mg were more than 1.25-times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease. The researchers conclude that: “High mid-life cholesterol increase[s] the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease regardless of diabetes, blood pressure, obesity, smoking, and stroke [later in life].” [Whitmer R. et al. Presented at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, April 16, 2008.]
Next we discuss recent advancements in how to prevent, slow, or delay Alzheimer’s Disease.
Alzheimer’s Disease research has developed to a point where scientists can look beyond treating symptoms to think about addressing the underlying disease process. Following the anti-aging lifestyle, hallmarks of which include a eating nutritious diet, addressing nutritional deficiencies with supplements, engaging in routine physical activity, and opting for healthy lifestyle choices not only promote quality oflife – doing so very well may extend your number of years, and particularly those enjoyed with full cognitive alertness.
Reduce your health risks now. Learn more about personalized physician supervised preventative programs and the science behind functional medicine at Milwaukee Center for Longevity Medicine.
Alexandra Solano, MD
(O) 414.501.4707
www.milwaukeelongevitymedicine.com
info@milwaukeelongevitymedicine.com
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