alzheimer’s Articles

Walking away from vascular dementia is literally just putting one foot in front of the other. People 65 and older who walk on a regular basis, and do some moderate exercise appear to have a lower risk of developing vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s has the number one spot. This came from a published study in the December 2007 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Exercise such as walking has been shown to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and depression. These are risk factors for dementia. In animal studies exercise increases the blood flow, stimulates nerve cell growth in brain regions associated with memory.  Some studies have seen a correlation of being physically active and a lower risk for dementia. Activities such as walking are known to improve general health. Walking about two-and-a half hours a week will  offer some protection.

There is no doubt that physical activity produces results. The Journal of the American Medical Association published an 18 month study, conducted by the University of Western Australia, of 170 men and women over the age of 50 who reported experiencing memory problems, but were not classified as having dementia. The volunteers were divided into two groups. One group did their usual activities; the other group participated in a 24 week physical activity program that encourages participants to walk for 50 minuets three times a week.

This was a six month trial and the exercised group scored better on cognitive and memory test at completion of the trial. The results continued six months later and again after retesting twelve months later.  “We know that exercise is the one intervention that has the most powerful and consistent effect on the prevention of dementia and Alzheimer’s,” says William J. Evans, director of the Nutrition, Metabolism and Exercise Laboratory with the Institute for Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Not only does exercise promote the growth of new neurons in the brain, so does mental exertion. There was a four year study of 749 men and women in Italy who were 65 and older. Researches tracked the amount of energy exerted in the participant’s weekly physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, and house and yard work, gardening and carpentry. The study found the top one-third who exerted the most energy walking were 27 percent less likely to develop vascular dementia, than those in the bottom one-third of the group.

 “Our findings show moderate physical activity, such as walking, and all physical activities combined lowered the risk of vascular dementia in the elderly independent of several sociodemographic, genetic and medical factors,” said study author Giovanni Ravaglia, MD, with University Hospital S. Orsola Malpighi, in Bologna, Italy. “It’s important to note that an easy-to-perform moderate activity like walking provided the same cognitive benefits as other, more demanding activities.” Walking away from vascular dementia is a way to tone your body while protecting and stimulating your brain power.

Alzheimer’s is a chilling reminder that the medical profession is off the mark. As the numbers climb, we see many inconsistencies in the notions of what causes it. The new numbers include early onset cases. People in the prime of their life are succumbing to this cruel condition. The issue of cognitive decline is going to be one of the ultimate challenges. As this condition strikes people at younger ages there will be many requests for more studies. The notion that this will be solved in a laboratory is due to allopathic medical thinking.

They will find more methods to screen for the condition, but the answers we need will elude them. It is a inflammatory condition, vaccines cause inflammatory responses. They are given to toddlers while their nervous systems are developing. Sluggish thyroid is known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Data from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging found that less education, heavy smoking and drinking speed up the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Canadian researches found the use of anti–inflammatory drugs, wine consumption, coffee consumption and exercise were associated with a lower risk. Anti-inflammatory agents include nutrients from food. Grape seed extracts have been shown to reduce the plaque formation associated with Alzheimer’s. Omega 3 fish oils, natural vitamin E, DHA, and folic acid have been shown to protect the brain. Exercise has been proven to be very helpful in keeping from developing all forms of cognitive problems.

There will not be one cause of progressive cognitive decline. It will be a combination of poor lifestyle choices, pharmaceuticals, and chronic health conditions. There are plenty of things that cause an inflammatory response in the body from lack of sleep, stress, malnutrition, obesity, and a diabetic condition. Diabetics are prone to Alzheimer’s both from the sugar level, and the medication. If inflammation is behind heart disease, auto-immune conditions, cancer, and cognitive decline, than we already have part of the answer. Inflammation adversely affects the brain before you notice any cognitive decline.

Cognitive decline is a deviation from true health. We think of it as normal, because we are use to seeing this decline. What if it is a reflection of a decline in health, not just of cognitive functioning?  People with sharp memory are showing that they have a healthy brain.

The vaccine issue is real, as they are responsible for an inflammatory response. This is provoked by the vaccine to provide an active immune response. To facilitate this reaction the vaccine uses some pretty nasty substances. The ingredient list is so unappetizing, that the pharmaceutical companies do not make that part of their advertising campaign. The massive number of vaccines is setting the stage for Alzheimer’s and other conditions. There is no way to prove that vaccines are not involved in the wave of conditions that are on the rise.

Alzheimer’s surprises are in the way that the condition is viewed. Hugh Fudenberg, M.D.way back in 1997 presented his research at the NVIC International Vaccine Conference in Virginia,  His data showed that five consecutive flu shots between 1970 and 1980 boosted the chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease by 10 times. We are on vaccine overload and it is meaningless to study the connection for the next 10 years. The number of vaccines given to infants, the most vulnerable group shows the dilemma of waiting for Alzheimer’s cases to surge. The easy study would be to cut the number of vaccines, and see if the numbers of cases start to fall. That takes common sense, and a willingness to forgo profits at any price.

Alzheimer’s is a mystery; no one seems to know what causes it, and how to treat the condition. The name alone brings on both fear, and resignation. The medical community draws a blank;  in both what causes the condition, and how to effectively treat it. There are no wonder drugs, and anything in the pipeline is years away.

One of the problems is that we are so use to the decline in cognitive function as we age; we think it is entirely natural. It is considered an inevitable part of aging. Senior moments are a running joke among retirees. These lapses occur in middle age, and are accepted as part of aging. We can contribute this in part to busy and stressful lives. However, it is not a part of healthy aging. Senility is a health condition brought about by our way of life.

The rates of Alzheimer’s disease are climbing at an alarming rate. This is a condition that is rare in primitive society. There are all kinds of scientific studies going on, and they are going to spend vast amounts of money to conquer this. It will look something like the war on cancer, started decades ago, and still going. There is concrete evidence emerging that brain disorders of aging are dietary in nature. Alzheimer’s is tied, like most diseases to metabolic syndrome, diabetes, or increased insulin resistance.

There is a problem with the theory that this is a disease of aging. Alzheimer’s disease is increasing in younger people. We know that it can start in middle age, and has occurred in people 30 and older. They now diagnosis pre-Alzheimer’s, without a clue as to what is going on. Blame it on the genes, we been this route time and time again. Genes change and their strands can be broken by external factors. The emerging field of epigenetic studies shows how the food we eat, and our behavior can change our genes behavior.

There was a study that showed that better nutrition, stress reduction, walking and social support, changed the expression of over 500 genes in men with early-stage prostrate cancer. This was published by Dr. Dean Ornish, and his colleagues. The study was conducted at the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research at the University of California, San Francisco in collaboration with Dr. Peter Carroll, Dr Mark Magbanua, and Dr. Chris Haqq.

After three months of lifestyle changes it was found that many disease-promoting genes (including those associated with cancer, heart disease, and inflammation) were down-regulated or “turned off,”  the disease preventing genes were up-regulated or “turned on.” Change your lifestyle, change your genes.

The number of people with Alzheimer’s disease has more than doubled since 1980, which says it is due to environmental causes. Diabetics have two to three times’ higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Insulin taking diabetics have even a higher risk. In the medical journal, Lancer, Dr. Mark Strachan reviewed research that showed; a normal level of insulin improves memory, while low levels show a significant decline in memory.

Another factor tied to Alzheimer’s is low cholesterol, as we age the level of cholesterol in our brains diminishes. This theory make sense, since the doctors hand out statin drugs like candy.  They keep lowering the optimal readings, so what was once normal cholesterol readings are borderline to high. As we age cholesterol is protective, and our brains need it to function.

The Framingham study examined the relationship of total cholesterol to cognitive performance. It was found that lower cholesterol levels brought moderately lower levels of cognitive function. The Framingham Heart Study was a study done over a long period of time to identify the common factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease. This is an ongoing study that began in 1948, with a study of 5,209 men and women from the age of 30 to 62 who lived in the town of Framingham, Massachusetts.

Its known that people who supplement with omega-3 fatty acids have improved brain function. People who have a diet that includes fatty fish have a lower rate of Alzheimer’s. Since glucose is a factor in chronic degenerative conditions, our over consumption of processed carbohydrates, plays a part in these conditions. Alzheimer’s is a condition that nutrition plays an important role in both prevention, and treatment. Alzheimer’s and diabetes are both increasing, alzheimer’s affects one in 10 Americans over 65, and nearly 50 percent of those over 85 years old.

Diabetics have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, that alone tells a story. When Japanese Americans  make the United States their home, their likelihood of developing Alcheminer’s increases. We see that happening with immigrates from other nations. Alzheimer’s is a product of our lifestyle, and all the research in the world can’t change that fact.