Alzheimer’s disease and high levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol are very much common in western societies.  It is said that, in the United States alone, greater than 50 percent of its adult population has high cholesterol levels.  Approximately 1 percent of individuals aging between 65 to 69 years acquire Alzheimer’s disease.  For people who are older than 95 years old, the prevalence is increased by more than 60 percent.

Dyslipidemia:  Up Close

Increased levels of cholesterol present a variety of health hazards to the affected person.  This predisposes one to a multitude of illness, some of which are often fatal.  High cholesterol levels are tough on the blood vessels, especially on the arteries.  This may lead to the accumulation of fatty deposits within the walls and linings of the arteries which could seriously impede blood flow.  The blood flow in the specific area of the artery where fatty deposits have accumulated becomes sluggish.  This prompts the heart to pump harder in order to make sure that blood reaches the vital organs.  This doubles the heart effort, putting more workload to one of the most important organs in the body. As a result of the cascade of events, the dangers are foreseen:  high blood pressure, the possibility of embolism, stroke, heart attack, atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, kidney failure, heart failure and many more.  These are reason enough for you to make sure that essential steps are done in order to prevent the onset of dyslipidemia.

Shedding a Light on Alzheimer’s Disease

According to a report released by the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), an association composed of 73 Alzheimer’s organization, 5.3 million Americans are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and approximately 500,000 new cases will be diagnosed by 2010.  The economic impact is devastating – Alzheimer’s disease severely affects the person’s quality of life as it causes the loss of normal cognitive functioning such as reasoning, remembering and thinking.  It is a progressive and irreversible disease that slowly destroys thinking skills and memory, and will eventually hinder the patient’s ability to perform even the most simple task.

Scientists are currently hard at work try to pinpoint the exact mechanism that causes Alzheimer’s disease, and why majority of the affected individuals are the elderly.  Because the cause is unknown, treatment also remains out of reach.

Associating Dyslipidemia and Alzheimer’s disease

A report published in the December issue of one of the JAMA/Archives journals, Archives of Neurology, stated that high amounts of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), commonly known as the “good” form of cholesterol, seem to be linked to a lowered risk of Alzheimer’s disease in elderly adults.

Dr. Christiane Reitz, Ph.D and her colleagues enrolled 1,130 elderly individuals in order for the researchers to examine the link between Alzheimer’s disease and the levels of fat present in the blood.  A random sampling of old adults with ages 65 and older and who are residents of Northern Manhattan was conducted.  The other criteria for inclusion include being a Medicare recipient and having no history of cognitive impairment or dementia.  The researchers’ definition of high cholesterol levels was at 55 milligrams per decilitre, or more.

In order to determine the link between HDL levels and Alzheimer’s disease, data were gathered from neuropsychological, neurological and medical evaluations.  Furthermore, the researchers assigned the following diagnosis based on the cause of dementia:

• “Probable” Alzheimer’s disease – dementia onset could not be further explained by other disorders
• “Possible” Alzheimer’s disease – the cause of dementia is mostly likely Alzheimer’s disease but other disorders are present which could contribute to the development of dementia, such as Parkinson’s disease or stroke.

For the duration of the follow-up period, 101 subjects were diagnosed with new cases of Alzheimer’s disease – 12 were possible, and 89 belonged to the probable category.  Average age of possible and probable onset of Alzheimer’s disease was 83 years.  It was found that Hispanic subjects as well as those who had higher incidence of diabetes at the beginning of the study have been shown to have developed dementia.  Moreover, for subjects who had higher levels of HDL in their plasma (55 mg/dl or higher), there was a decreased risk of developing both possible and probable Alzheimer’s disease, even after adjustments on lipid-lowering treatments and vascular risk factors were made.

Other Natural Means to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

• The American Journal of Medicine has published a study indicating that people who consume at least three servings of vegetable and fruit juices each week have a 76 percent reduction in their risk of Alzheimer’s disease as compared to people who consume less than one serving each week.  However, for people who have problems with their blood sugar levels and because some fruits contain high sugar levels, vegetable juices are more recommended. Eating raw vegetables, with the absence of a juicer, can also help.Examples of vegetables and fruits include cherries, plums, raisins, blueberries, apples, red bell peppers, spinach and eggplant.
• The regular intake of foods rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),  can also help slow Alzheimer’s disease progression.  This is according to the results of a study which was published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Omega-3 fatty acids helps build and maintain the healthy state of the nervous system – the main system affected in Alzheimer’s disease.Excellent food sources include salmon, flax seeds, purslane, seaweeds, walnuts and cod liver oil.
• The National Institutes of Health said that some aluminum compounds have been linked to the neurological damage featured in Alzheimer’s disease. Although it is impossible to totally avoid being exposed to aluminum because we may never know that the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food on our table may be contaminated, still, it is important to know the most common sources of aluminum exposure such as antiperspirants; over-the-counter drugs like buffered aspirin and antacids; and processed cheese.
• Doing mentally-stimulating activities is a perfect way to exercise your brain cells. Adopt hobbies that will force you to think – go for the crossword puzzles in the morning paper, learn a new language, memorize a new poem, catch up with current events.  This will not only reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but it will also help you feel more in-touch, alert and enthusiastic.
• Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha
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Low vitamin D linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease

So you’ve listened to mainstream and now you don’t even know what the sun looks like anymore.

Well, I’ve got some bad news for you — because if, like most people, you’re deficient in the sunshine vitamin, you’re also at risk for life-robbing diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

One new study out of England’s University of Exeter found that seniors with the lowest levels of D had a dramatically higher risk of dementia warning signs.

Researchers followed 858 seniors for six years, and found that those with less than 25 nanomoles of D per liter of blood were 60 percent more likely to experience general cognitive decline, and 31 percent more likely to start losing their abilities to plan, organize and prioritize.

That’s a road you don’t want to go down — because it ends in a nursing home, where you think every orderly is a long-dead relative and you can’t tell noon from midnight anymore.

But what’s truly bizarre about this new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine is the accompanying editorial, which is straight out of the Dark Ages. In it, Dr. Andrew Grey of the University of Auckland in New Zealand urges people NOT to take a D supplement. He also writes that most people shouldn’t even bother to have their D levels measured.

Paging Dr. Grey, there’s a reality check for you on line one: Ignorance isn’t bliss!

I wonder if this guy even bothers reading these journals. Let me help him out here, because a second new study finds that high levels of D can help save you from Parkinson’s disease.

The study in the Archives of Neurology looked at the D levels of 3,173 Finns between the ages of 50 and 79, and found that those with the most had a 65 percent lower risk of Parkinson’s than those with the least.

Meanwhile, a new report in Endocrine Today says it’s now clear beyond all doubt that vitamin D is needed by the immune, pancreas, cardiovascular, muscle and brain systems.

That’s in addition to all the other well-established benefits of vitamin D, which can help everything from your bones to your longevity. Low levels of vitamin D have also been linked to diabetes, multiple sclerosis, autism and schizophrenia

Sortced & published by Henry Sapiecha

NEW YORK (UPI) — U.S. researchers say they are looking at a new approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease with a protein thought to extend lifespan in laboratory animals.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said that in mice prone to developing Alzheimer’s, activating a protein called sirtuin suppressed the disease and destroying the protein made the disease much worse, The New York Times reported.

The finding raises the hope that Alzheimer’s, and possibly other neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s, could be treated with drugs that activate sirtuin, researchers say.

“We think it is a scientifically compelling story that ties the sirtuins to the biology of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Dennis J. Selkoe, an Alzheimer’s expert at Harvard Medical School who was not a part of the study.

Drugs that activate sirtuin already exist, including resveratrol, a minor ingredient of red wine and other foods.

One drug company, Sirtris, is in preclinical trials with sirtuin-activating drugs.

“We think it has very significant potential in neurodegenerative diseases,” Sirtris Chief Executive Officer George P. Vlasuk said.

Copyright 2010 by United Press International

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant that is found in curry powder and used in traditional Indian cooking. The blending of curcumin with other spices has made this seasoning appeal more to the European pallet and has made the ingredient a popular and healthy choice for seasoning many different dishes. However, more than just your taste buds will benefit from curry. Curry, and more specifically curcumin, has been found to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

The preventative quality of curry goes beyond its basic antioxidant function. Curcumin has been found effective in slowing or stopping the formation of protein fragments in brain cells. It is able to do this so effectively because it has such a low molecular weight. This enables it to seep into the blood stream better and bind to the beta amyloid plaque that forms on the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. So curry is good at not only preventing Alzheimer’s disease, but it removing some plaques of those already in the early stages.

If you don’t think that curry can do all that it claims, consider the fact that adults between the ages of 70-79 in India had a four times lower rate of Alzheimer’s disease in one 2003 study. The conclusion that researcher drew is that the difference is in the curry. The yellow, powdery food preservative, curcumin, found in curry, is found in abundance in the traditional Indian diet.

Here are some great uses for curry that will spice up your diet and put this strong antioxidant to work in cleaning up brain plaque that may already be forming. Curry can be a very strong flavor that some people just don’t like. For those who don’t care for it, the flavor can be played down as in the following recipes, keeping all of the nutritional benefits in.

1. Sprinkle some curry powder on your chicken salad. Adding halved red grapes and green onions balances the strength of the curry flavor. It’s also great with toasted almond slivers. You can serve it on a bed of dark green spinach or in half a tomato to add to the nutritional value.
2. Vitamins A and C are abundant in a traditional Bombay rice dish that has both curry powder and cumin. Use brown rice as your base adding chick peas, apricots, zucchini, onion, and any other vegetables you like such as carrots and red pepper. This can be cooked in a vegetable or fat-free chicken broth until the rice is cooked through. Just a tablespoon of curry powder and a teaspoon of cumin to 1 ½ cups uncooked rice balances the recipe.
3. Try adding 1/8 teaspoon of curry powder to low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise to spice up your next turkey sandwich. Load on the fresh lettuce, raw spinach, tomatoes, and peppers and put the balanced meal into a whole-wheat pita pocket.
4. 
   Curry can be added subtly into many different recipes eliminating the need for salt. Check to be sure that your curry seasoning does not have added salt, or use just plain cumin in its place. You’ll spice up your meals while protecting your brain.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 17th March 2010

That Wants You To Go Green

Your knees love it when you go green. We don’t mean environmentally green, although they appreciate it when you take the stairs and when you take your bike for a spin instead of the car (strong leg muscles keep your joints healthy). We mean eating green. Filling your meals with this color can go a long way to preventing arthritis. Here’s what to reach for:

Leafy greens. A killer, flavor-filled salad or side dish could mean one less knee replacement surgery in the world. The vitamin K in leafy greens — think cabbage, spinach and Swiss chard, for starters — reduces your risk of joint damage. People who have the highest levels of K are less likely to develop the bone spurs and cartilage damage that are common in osteoarthritis. (A word of caution: If you’re on a blood thinner, check with your doctor about whether K is safe for you.) Leaves just not your thing? No problem. Broccoli and asparagus make tasty alternatives.

Green tea. Potent compounds in green tea — EGCG and ECG — may help battle cartilage and collagen destruction in arthritic joints. The EGCG and ECG found in green tea are powerful flavonoids known as catechins. These particular flavonoids fight inflammation and some of the underlying mechanisms that mess with knees in both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Bonus: Sipping it before you do that knee-preserving workout may help you burn fat faster.

Chlorophyl is a powerful antidote for cellular regeneration.

It can be obtained from your local chemist or drug store cheaply.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 19th October 2009

And That’s Good

Agro loud women die early

Not out @ 110years

Nice women really do finish last. And that’s a good thing, if you’re talking about the ultimate finish line of life, which we are. Enjoying life longer than all your classmates is great as long as you have nurtured younger friends.

In a study of more than 97,000 women, those who were the most cynical and hostile (the researchers’ words, not ours; that’s one heck of a combination, and yes, there IS a test for that) had a 23 percent higher risk of dying from cancer, and, in fact, tended to die earlier from all causes than their nicer peers.

The brighter side: Optimistic women tended to live longer (we’re good with that; our wives fit that category).

They had a 16 percent lower risk for heart attacks, 14 percent lower risk of dying earlier than their peers and a 24 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Men weren’t included in this study, but we suspect that optimism also would have positive effects and that cynical hostility doesn’t really work for our gender, either.

It’s possible that optimism and hostility affect your actual physiology. And it’s clear that optimists deal with bad things in healthier ways, which may lead to less health-sapping stress. Optimists also build stronger social relationships, a critical aspect of adding years to your life and life to your years.

Can you change your point of view? It’s not out of the question, and it’s worth the effort. Simple ways to start: Try helping people, engaging in your community or in a spiritual community, or just expressing gratitude to someone.

One million Americans suffer heart attacks every year. Quickly getting their arteries propped open with stents saves lives, studies have found. But millions more develop heart symptoms gradually. Usually it comes in the form of angina, a squeezing pain in the chest or arms caused by clogged arteries that starve the heart muscle of oxygen. The pain comes with exercise or stress, and then goes away.

People often assume they need a stent to get that artery opened up right away–or else. But new results from two big trials are unambiguous: The high-tech procedures don’t save lives or prevent heart attacks for most patients with stable symptoms. “It doesn’t do anything to lower risk of subsequent death or heart attack,” says William Boden, a cardiologist at the State University of New York at Buffalo who led one of the trials. Drug treatment alone is just as effective.

The reason for this counterintuitive result is that most heart attacks don’t occur at the locations that appear most clogged on an angiogram. Instead, heart attacks happen when lesser narrowings become inflamed and suddenly rupture, spewing a clot into the bloodstream. The blockage that bursts isn’t necessarily the one that causes symptoms. People think heart disease “is just a plumbing issue, that clogged pipes mean an impending heart attack,” says James Stein of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “A stent is just a local therapy for a systemic problem.”

Stents are installed during angioplasty, in which a balloon is used to unclog an artery. They are necessary if drugs cannot produce enough pain relief, say cardiologists. One of the two trials found that 66 out of 100 patients who received a stent were angina free after a year versus 58 out of 100 who received only drugs; that difference faded after five years.

Another study published in June comparing stents to drugs in diabetic heart patients found no difference in the risk of death or heart attacks, and only a little over 40% of those assigned drugs later got a stent. A more clogged-up group received either drugs or cardiac bypass surgery, in which veins are used to bypass blocked arteries. The bypass patients didn’t live longer but did have fewer nonfatal heart attacks. “I think physicians will be more likely to consider bypass for their diabetic patients and steer away from angioplasty,” says study author Sheryl Kelsey of the University of Pittsburgh.

One diabetic patient who did well without a stent is Earl Anderson of Old Bridge, N.J. The 62-year-old retired FBI agent first felt chest pains while rushing to catch a plane in 2002. An angiogram revealed a narrowing in one artery, and doctors gave him drugs. His angina soon went away and hasn’t come back. Now his cholesterol and blood sugar are down; he plays tennis weekly with his 14-year-old son

• A User’s Guide to Your Heart

• The Mystery of Sudden Cardiac Arrest

• Fighting Heart Failure

• Soothing Angina

• Your Heart: An Interactive Graphic

• Heart Disorder Afflicts Millions

• Thousands Of Children Suffer Cardiac Death

Cardiologists who install stents say that these relieve pain better than drugs and that most patients have more symptoms than Anderson. “Patients with a lot of symptoms don’t do well with drug therapy,” says Gregg Stone of New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

One reason so many stents are implanted is money. “Hospitals are paid handsomely if the patient has bypass surgery or has a stent. But they are not paid [so much] if a patient has drugs,” says cardiologist David Hillis of the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio. While generally safe, stent procedures can cause heart attacks, bleeding or even death.

Another misconception is that getting a procedure will obviate the need for drugs. “People have this impression that ‘If I get a stent, then I am not going to have to take medicine,’ and that is wrong,” says Mayo Clinic cardiologist Raymond Gibbons. “Everybody is going to get medicines. The real question: Is stenting or surgery going to bring enough benefit in addition?” Patients who get drug-coated stents often must take more drugs; they need to stay on the blood thinner Plavix for at least a year to prevent rare cases of clots forming in the stent.

One key test that is often skipped: stress tests to determine if your heart is getting enough oxygen during exercise. The problem, says Scripps Research Institute cardiologist Eric Topol: Without stress tests, doctors don’t know whether narrowings seen on an angiogram are causing problems.

Heart patients with stable symptoms have choices–and time to consider their decisions. For many of them drug therapy alone, drug therapy and stents, or drug therapy with angioplasty are all reasonable options. If you are not sure which you want, you can ask the doctor doing your angiogram to hold off on the stent if nothing alarming is found. This will give you time to discuss the result with your primary care doctor or referring cardiologist.

Prevention
Eat a healthy diet and exercise to prevent the buildup of artery plaque.

Take statins and blood pressure drugs if your doctor dictates.

Treatment
For most patients, drug therapy can reduce the risk of heart attack and treat chest pain.

A stent/angioplasty procedure can reduce chest pain but has no proved impact on survival in those with stable symptoms.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 28th June 2009