I risk factors Alzheimer’s can be divided into two categories. That of “non-modifiable” risk factors and that of “modifiable” risk factors. While on the former it is not possible to intervene, on the latter it is possible to prevent and obtain good results.
The expert explains who the subjects at risk are
senile dementia and alzheimer Stefano Cappa
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Stefano Cappa, full professor of Neurology, University of Pavia.
Non-modifiable Alzheimer’s risk factors
One of the non-modifiable risk factors is age. As we age, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease also increases. Most people develop Alzheimer’s after the age of sixty-five and, from this moment, the incidence of disease increases exponentially up to about eighty years. A second risk factor is genetics. Some forms of dementia are defined as sporadic, that is, they occur without inheritance between the generations of a family. Other forms, called family, occur in two or more people belonging to the same family. The latter can be caused by a genetic mutation that can be passed from parent to child with a fifty percent chance. Another genetic susceptibility factor is related to the APOE gene. A specific variant of it confers an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but not absolute certainty.
Modifiable Alzheimer’s Risk Factors
The literature continues to show great interest in modifiable risk factors. The main modifiable risk factors are associated with lifestyle and the presence of other diseases
- pollution
- alcohol intake
- vitamin deficiency
- poor physical activity
- poor mental and social activity (loneliness)
- bad rest
- high blood sugar and diabetes
- hypercholesterolemia
- hypertension
- obesity and unhealthy diet
- inflammatory bowel diseases
- brain trauma
- cardiovascular pathologies
- low education and unhealthy eating habits
Here are some scientific studies on modifiable Alzheimer’s risk factors.
Pollution
For years, scientists have been studying, for example, the relationship between Alzheimer’s and smog, discovering more and more the mechanism of the disease. Now two studies, one American and the other Swedish, are returning to investigate the effects of smog on our brain.
The researchers of the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence in the United States compared data from residents of different areas of New York, showing that the more polluted the air, the faster the cognitive decline. Hence the authors of the study wonder if the limits imposed by the law are adequate to prevent many diseases and serious consequences. The research was published in the scientific journal Neurology.
A research team from the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, has instead pointed out that there is a direct link between the air we breathe and the health of our brain. But there is more. Researchers at the Swedish research institute have determined that exposure to air pollution raises the odds of developing dementia. What is worrying is that the measurements were made in the center of Stockholm where the levels of fine particles are well below what happens in most European and American cities, Italy in the lead.
Therefore, even at levels of smog unthinkable by us there are health risks. The chances of getting Alzheimer’s, for example, increase by:
- 50% for an increase of 0.88 micrograms per cubic meter in the concentration of Pm2. 5
- of the 14% for an increase of 8.35 micrograms per cubic meter in the concentration of nitrogen oxides.
According to scientists this phenomenon occurs, because smog affects the blood vessels. Almost half of dementia patients due to exposure to polluted air have in fact become ill with dementia following a stroke.
High cholesterol
The cholesterol plays a role in the onset and progression ofAlzheimer because it favors the formation of toxic aggregates of beta-amyloid in the brain. Beta-amyloid is the pathology marker molecule. This is what emerges from a new one studio conducted at the University of Cambridge and published in the journal Nature Chemistry.
This does not mean that thehypercholesterolemia it is directly linked to Alzheimer’s disease. “Our main discovery is that cholesterol plays a central role in the aggregation of beta-amyloid, which otherwise would take centuries to spontaneously aggregate in the brain,” explained the Italian researcher. Michele Vendruscolo, participant in the study. «In the presence of cholesterol it aggregates much faster, causing the plaque formation».
Cholesterol is an important component of the membranes of neurons and is found – in strictly controlled concentration – especially on synaptic vesicles. These are microscopic bubbles that serve to release the neurotransmitters. The beta-amyloid molecules are concentrated near the vesicles. When the control of the cholesterol concentration on the membranes is compromised for some reason, for example due to aging, its excess can favor the aggregation of beta-amyloid. According to another study, too the risk of early Alzheimer’s can increase if cholesterol is high.
Lack of sleep and few dreams
Sleeping little and badly increases the levels of thyroid protein and amyloid in the brain, associated with dementia. This could be the reason why people suffering from one chronic lack of sleep have a higher risk of getting sick Alzheimer as years go by. To indicate it is one studio published in the journal Brain from the universities of Washington and Stanford in collaboration with the Radboud University of the Netherlands.
The results of the analyzes show that after a single night of agitation the beta amyloid protein rises by 10%. Your protein, on the other hand, it recorded a surge when sleep disturbances last for several nights, as happened to some study participants. As eloquent as they are, these figures must still be taken with a grain of salt. As the researchers themselves point out, don’t think that a single night, or even a sleepless week, can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. A good night’s sleep is very likely to cancel their effects by bringing amyloid and tau protein levels back to normal. “The real problem is chronic sleep disordersThe experts explain.
If, on the other hand, you dream a lot at night, be happy. A study of Boston University School of Medicine demonstrated that whoever dreams a lot, lowers the chances of getting sick Alzheimer’s. The research was published in the scientific journal Neurology. Responsible for this benefit is the REM phase, which is characterized by rhythmic eye movements. This is the phase in which dreams are most intense, in which there is increased brain activity, body temperature rises and breathing becomes faster.. People who spend less of their rest there have an increased risk of developing dementia.
Diabetes and high blood sugar
For years, experts have argued that between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease there may be a link. Elevated blood glucose levels can cause beta-amyloid levels in the brain to rise rapidly. This protein is the key component of the brain plaques that characterize Alzheimer’s patients and whose accumulation is believed to be a driver of the series of cognitive and behavioral changes that lead to the development of the disease.
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Solitude
Loneliness and the perception of not having meaningful contacts represent a greater risk of developing cognitive disorders. While being married and having a substantial number of intimate relationships with friends and family are correlated with a lower risk of dementia.
The results of a large study of the College of Medicine from Florida State University (out of over 12,000 people) has shown that in 10 years the risk of developing a form of dementia for those who feel alone is 40 percent. Research has shown that lonely people have many risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases. The main ones are hypertension, diabetes and depression. They are generally not very active and smoke. In reality, however, even for those who feel alone and do not have these risk factors, the chances of developing a form of dementia remain at 40 percent.
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is also a risk factor for Alzheimer’s because it increases the risk of dementia. This heart disorder is characterized by the loss of coordination of the contraction of the fibers of the atrial muscles resulting in irregular contractions of the heart. It is usually accompanied by a increase in average frequency, which is the number of pulses that can be counted in one minute. Only very rarely and generally among very elderly people can it be accompanied by a reduction in the number of pulsations. In practice there are palpitations or tachycardia and we feel short of breath. According to a study, the people with atrial fibrillation have a risk of 50% higher than developing dementia. Specifically for Alzheimer’s, the risk increases by 30%, while that of vascular dementia doubles.
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