Then again, maybe not. Air conditioning is a mixed blessing.

In climates that are consistently hot, it can be a lifesaver.

But it does have its tradeoffs. You should be aware that living in a consistently air-conditioned environment can do both good and not-so-good things to your body.

The good

1 Air conditioning boosts metabolism. Spending time in cold air or cold weather can cause your body to develop healthy, energy-burning brown fat. This can happen if you spend enough time in an air-conditioned environment.

2 Air conditioning helps you think. Have you ever felt like your brain was “fried” after spending too much time in extreme heat? I know I have.

There may be something to it. A 2018 Harvard study showed that students who lived in dorms without air conditioning during hot summer months did worse on cognitive tests than those who had cool central air.

For seniors, not the college kind, but the kind over 65, heat may actually contribute to neurodegeneration, so they need to keep cool too.

3 Air conditioning helps you sleep. As part of your natural sleep cycle, your body needs to cool down, and a cool room can help this happen. We all know how awful a hot, sweaty, restless night can feel.

Experts say that a temperature of between 60 and 67 degrees is ideal for rest. Air conditioning is sometimes the tool you need to get there.

4 Air conditioning saves lives during heat waves. Once your body temperature exceeds 102 degrees, you’re at risk of heat exhaustion. If your temperature rises even further, you could end up with heatstroke.

Air conditioning may come with some negative effects, but there’s no doubt that it saves lives during periods of extremely high temperatures.

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The bad

5 Air conditioning affects indoor air quality. Working in an air-conditioned building with poor ventilation can raise your risk of ‘sick building syndrome.’

You may notice recurring symptoms that seem to appear whenever you’re in a particular building. This happened to me years ago, every time I’d return to the school I taught in after a week of school vacation.

Symptoms may include headaches, dry cough, dizziness and nausea, runny nose, and brain fog.

For tips on improving indoor air quality (even during the winter months) check out these four tips. And be aware of other sneaky things, like your stove, that can impact your air quality.

6 Air conditioning dehydrates you. Air conditioning works by sucking moisture out of a room to bring down the humidity and cool things off. The trouble is, it can also pull water from your skin, dry it out, and dehydrate you.

7 Air conditioning dries out your eyes. The lack of humidity caused by air conditioning can dry your eyes, make them irritated or itchy, or even cause blurry vision.

8 Air conditioning irritates airways. Studies show that people who work in air-conditioned buildings have more respiratory problems than those who work where there is natural ventilation. These problems include irritated nasal passages and trouble breathing.

9 Air conditioning can make your head ache. Dirty or poorly maintained HVAC (heating/ventilation/air conditioning) systems are more likely to have headaches or even migraines.

In one study, eight percent of people who worked in environments with unhealthy indoor air had a headache anywhere between one and three days per month, and another eight percent had headaches every single day.

10 Air conditioning lowers your heat tolerance. Since your body’s ideal temperature depends largely on whatever temperature you’ve recently been exposed to, the more time you spend in air-conditioned rooms, the more uncomfortable heat and humidity will feel. Scientists call this the “adaptive comfort model.”

11 Air conditioning pollutes the outside air. In the 1990s, the U.S. Clean Air Act began phasing out older A/C units that released chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a refrigerant that harms the ozone layer.

This is one “downside” to air conditioning you can do something about. If you still own one of these older units, replace it with a newer model.

12 Air conditioning can worsen allergy symptoms. Again, here’s one you have some control over.

A clean air conditioner can actually help tame allergies, but an HVAC system can quickly and easily become a home for microbial allergens. Be sure to have your air conditioner or system inspected and cleaned regularly.

Sources:

What Air Conditioning Does to Your Body — Web MD

Sick Building Syndrome — Healthline

The post 12 surprising ways air conditioning affects us appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It can certainly be confusing, but some reported benefits seem to stand, study after study. Take heart health for example…

Light-to-moderate drinking has long been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

But until now, the actual mechanism behind this protective effect was unclear.

Thanks to a large-scale research review, we now have some answers that can be applied to protecting the heart…

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Alcohol calms the amygdala

A study by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and other major research hospitals involved more than 50,000 participants in the Mass General Brigham Biobank, a large research program designed to help researchers understand how people’s health is affected by their genes, lifestyle and environment.

The first part of the study evaluated the relationship between light/moderate alcohol consumption and major cardiovascular events. 

The researchers found that light/moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease events, even after accounting for factors like lifestyle choices and socioeconomic status.

Next, the researchers studied a subset of 754 individuals who had undergone previous PET/CT brain scans to look for cancer. They were looking for the effect of light/moderate alcohol consumption on stress-related brain activity.

The amygdala is the brain region associated with processing emotions — including stress responses.

When they looked at those 754 brain scans, researchers saw less stress signaling in the amygdalas of individuals who were light-to-moderate drinkers than in those who drank less or not at all.

Then, when they looked at individual histories of cardiovascular events, they found fewer heart attacks and strokes in light-to-moderate drinkers.

“We found that the brain changes in light to moderate drinkers explained a significant portion of the protective cardiac effects,” says Dr. Ahmed Tawakol of Mass. General Hospital.

The emotional piece of the puzzle

“When the amygdala is too alert and vigilant, the sympathetic nervous system is heightened, which drives up blood pressure and increases heart rate, and triggers the release of inflammatory cells,” explains Dr. Tawakol.

“If the stress is chronic, the result is hypertension, increased inflammation, and a substantial risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”

Previous studies have tied strong emotional responses, like anger, to an increased risk of heart attack.

The final step, then, was for the researchers to look at whether light-to-moderate drinking would be even more effective at preventing heart attacks and strokes in people with a history of anxiety, who are prone to a chronically higher stress response — or “hyper-vigilant amygdala.”

Within the 50,000 people studied, they found that light-to-moderate drinking was associated with nearly double the protective effect.

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Now the bad news

But there is a downside to these findings…

The researchers also found that any drinking, even light-to-moderate alcohol consumption — one drink a day for women and 1-2 a day for men — increases cancer risk.

And if moderate drinking goes too far and becomes heavy drinking — more than 14 drinks per week — the risk for heart attack starts to increase while overall brain activity starts to decrease, which may indicate an adverse effect on cognitive health.

That’s why the study authors are looking for interventions that can measurably reduce the brain’s stress activity without the negative effects of alcohol.

They’re currently studying the effects of exercise, meditation, and drug-related therapies on stress-related neural networks and their possible positive effects on cardiovascular health.

Risk-free ways to lower stress and protect your heart

Of course, you don’t have to wait to reap the benefits of exercise and meditation on your mental and emotional state.

As far as meditation goes, start small.

Tell yourself you’re only going to meditate for five or ten minutes. When time is up, if you feel like meditating longer, keep going. Otherwise, stop. Eventually, you’ll build up a tolerance for longer meditations.

And exercise… well, where do I begin? And if you’re a couch potato, where do you begin?

Same advice — start small. No marathons. Get out and go for a walk. Or try yoga which balances your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Find an exercise class for beginners.

Need more options? Consider volunteering to help others. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that when people helped others, activity in the amygdala decreased — which equated to decreased stress levels too.

Before long, you’ll be stress-free, and you’ll have done it all yourself!

Sources:

Researchers uncover why light-to-moderate drinking is tied to better heart health —  Science Daily

Reduced Stress-Related Neural Network Activity Mediates the Effect of Alcohol on Cardiovascular Risk — Journal of the American College of Cardiology

The post Moderate drinking’s brain-changing effects on the heart appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Another way to maintain good health as we age is to make sure we’re getting the right kinds of nutrients. For instance, the antioxidants known as flavanols help fight age-related frailty, high blood pressure and heart disease and strengthen your nervous system. Flavanols are found in many fruits and vegetables, as well as cocoa and tea.

Flavanols (also spelled flavonols) have been found to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. And they could be key to protecting against another dreaded effect of aging….

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Flavanols could sharpen memory

There’s an idea emerging among investigators that the aging brain requires specific nutrients for optimal health, just as the brain of an infant needs certain nutrients for proper development.

“The identification of nutrients critical for the proper development of an infant’s nervous system was a crowning achievement of 20th-century nutrition science,” says Dr. Scott A. Small, a neurology professor at Columbia University. “In this century, as we are living longer research is starting to reveal that different nutrients are needed to fortify our aging minds.”

Small and other researchers teamed up to investigate the impact of flavanols on age-related memory loss. They randomly assigned more than 3,500 healthy older adults to receive a daily flavanol supplement or a placebo pill for three years. The supplement contained 500 mg of flavanols, including 80 mg of epicatechins — the amount adults are advised to get from their diet.

In each year of the study, the participants were given tests designed to assess the types of memory governed by the hippocampus, and more than a third of the participants had their urine tested for dietary flavanol levels before and during the study.

Deficiency drove age-related memory loss

For the entire group taking the flavanol supplement, memory scores improved only slightly. It’s worth noting that most of those participants were already eating a healthy diet with plenty of flavanols.

Where it gets interesting is when the researchers separated out the participants who had lower levels of flavanols at the start of the study…

At the end of the first year of taking the flavanol supplement, these participants saw their memory scores increase by an average of 10.5 percent compared with those taking the placebo. And their scores increased an average of 16 percent when compared with their memory scores at the start of the study.

“The improvement among study participants with low-flavanol diets was substantial and raises the possibility of using flavanol-rich diets or supplements to improve cognitive function in older adults,” says Dr. Adam M. Brickman, professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University and co-leader of the study.

According to the researchers, a previous study found that flavanol supplements did not improve memory in a group of people with a range of baseline flavanol levels. However, that study didn’t split the group into people with low and high flavanol levels.

“Age-related memory decline is thought to occur sooner or later in nearly everyone, though there is a great amount of variability,” he says. “If some of this variance is partly due to differences in dietary consumption of flavanols, then we would see an even more dramatic improvement in memory in people who replenish dietary flavanols when they’re in their 40s and 50s.”

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Raising your own flavanol count

Plenty of fruits and vegetables contain flavanols, including green, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, broccoli, pears, berries, apples and oranges. So do olive oil, tea, red wine and chocolate among other plant-based products.

If your diet is lacking in these sources, this is a good time to add them in. This link provides a table of flavanol foods by their epicatechins content, the supplement used in the Columbia study.

If you already consume a lot of fruits and vegetables, your flavanol levels are probably fine. But if you’re worried, you can always add a flavanol supplement to your daily regimen. Not only could it help improve memory, but studies show it also supports good heart and circulatory health.

Sources:

Low-Flavanol Diet Drives Age-Related Memory Loss, Large Study Finds — Columbia University

Dietary flavanols restore hippocampal-dependent memory in older adults with lower diet quality and lower habitual flavanol consumption — PNAS

The post The nutrient deficiency driving age-related memory loss appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The amount of sleep disruption that comes with Alzheimer’s generally depends on the stage of the disease.

People in early stages often sleep more than usual or wake up in a disoriented state. As the disease progresses, they may begin sleeping during the day and awaken frequently during the night.

Researchers have been interested in the sleep-dementia connection for quite a while now. They have tried to determine the direction of this relationship: does poor sleep lead to Alzheimer’s or does Alzheimer’s cause sleep disturbances?

The answer, it seems, is both.

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How can poor sleep lead to Alzheimer’s?

β-amyloid protein is a metabolic waste product that is found in the fluid between brain cells. In Alzheimer’s disease, beta-amyloid clumps together to form amyloid plaques, which disrupt communication between neurons.

A 2018 study from the National Institutes of Health used PET scans to examine the brains of healthy adults ages 22 to 72. They found that β-amyloid levels increased by five percent after just one night of sleep deprivation.

This increase was concentrated in the thalamus and hippocampus, two brain regions that are especially vulnerable to damage in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition, participants with a larger increase in β-amyloid reported worse moods after being deprived of sleep for 31 hours.

While more studies are needed to identify the precise mechanism that causes the β-amyloid buildup, the researchers feel that their work provides some important insight into how poor sleep can harm the brain.

It works both ways

A study published just this summer approaches the sleep-Alzheimer’s connection from a different angle…

Researchers at Columbia University took a look at the relationship between oxidative stress and poor sleep. They hoped it might shed light on what happens to the brain that’s affected by Alzheimer’s.

Previous studies have shown that oxidative stress comes before the appearance of β-amyloid plaques and tau tangles, the hallmark brain disruptors of Alzheimer’s disease.

In the Columbia study, a mutant form of fruit fly that sleeps less than normal is extremely sensitive to oxidative stress. Even more interesting, increasing sleep also increased resistance to oxidative stress.

More research is needed, but it seems likely that by harnessing sleep as a natural antioxidant, we may be able to slow the processes of developing Alzheimer’s.

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How to get a good night’s sleep

Fortunately, there’s a lot we can do to help ourselves get the restful, reparative sleep we all need.

Here are some great tips to start with from my colleague, Dr. Mark Wiley.

In addition, there are three specific things that interfere with deep, night-long sleep that you can easily fix…

1. Pink or white noise in your bedroom is proven to induce restful sleep. These low-level, background sounds that often resemble sounds of nature have been proven to positively affect brain waves and allow us to reach REM sleep, where restoration occurs.
2. A totally dark bedroom is not just a nice thing to have. It’s essential for allowing your body’s day-nigh rhythm, known as its circadian rhythm, to run smoothly and release you into deep sleep when it’s time.
3. Finally, avoid the worst foods for your brain. Junk foods have been found to interfere with rhythmic electrical signals that occur only during deep sleep — known as “slow waves.” This process triggers slow pulses of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that wash through the brain and remove toxins.

The post Why defeating Alzheimer’s starts in your bedroom appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s because it interrupts your circadian rhythm, the natural sleep cycle that assures you get an adequate amount of deep sleep.

Without enough hours of deep sleep to “wash” your brain each night, you are a sitting duck for Alzheimer’s disease, heart problems, and stroke.

Many things can interfere with deep sleep. And you might not be all that surprised about junk food being one of them. Maybe you’ve gone to bed too soon after a couple of slices of pizza, only to toss and turn with indigestion.

But junk foods’ effects on deep sleep go much deeper… In fact, junk food appears to be a major culprit in altering slow-wave brain activity essential to deep restorative sleep.

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The importance of deep sleep

Deep sleep actually “washes” your brain.

Research has shown that rhythmic electrical signals that occur only during deep sleep — known as “slow waves” — trigger slow pulses of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that wash through the brain and remove toxins.

It’s already known that people with Alzheimer’s have less slow-wave brain activity going on, so there’s less chance for waves of CSF to remove amyloid plaque, the brain toxin most associated with Alzheimer’s.

That’s exactly why how you sleep may be the strongest predictor and deterrent to Alzheimer’s.

Proof that junk food steals deep sleep

Recently, researchers at Uppsala University investigated how junk food affects sleep.

Past studies have shown that what we eat is associated with changes in our sleep. But these researchers realized that few studies have investigated how diet itself directly impacts sleep.

They decided the best way to do that was to have participants eat different diets, in a randomized order.

Only fifteen participants were involved since the study required several days of close monitoring in a sleep laboratory.

All participants were given both a healthy and an unhealthy diet. The two diets contained the same number of calories, but the unhealthy diet contained a lot of sugar, saturated fat and processed food items.

Each diet was consumed for a week. After each week, participants were examined in a sleep laboratory.

The two diets didn’t affect the amount of time each participant slept. But did impact their deep sleep.

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Dr. Jonathan Cedernaes, Associate Professor in Medical Cell Biology at Uppsala University, explains…

“Intriguingly, we saw that deep sleep exhibited less slow-wave activity when the participants had eaten junk food, compared with consumption of healthier food. This effect also lasted into a second night, once we had switched the participants to an identical diet. Essentially, the unhealthy diet resulted in shallower deep sleep.

“Of note, similar changes in sleep occur with aging and in conditions such as insomnia. It can be hypothesized, from a sleep perspective, that greater importance should potentially be attached to diet in such conditions.”

Keep your slow-wave brain activity up

So how do you keep deep sleep and that essential slow-wave brain activity coming?

Well, the first obvious step would be to eat less junk food. Here are a few other tips to try…

• Research has found that listening to pink noise while sleeping can help older adults attain slow-wave sleep.
• Get enough vitamin D so your body can produce useful amounts of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
• Try a sleep diet.
• Don’t drink coffee, black tea or other caffeinated drinks after dinner (if you’re really sensitive, like I am, avoid them from early afternoon on).
• Do your exercising during the day, not at night.
• Try and keep a regular bedtime as much as possible.
• Don’t use your computer or cellphone within two hours of bedtime.

Sources:

Junk food may impair our deep sleep — Science Daily

Exposure to a more unhealthy diet impacts sleep microstructure during normal sleep and recovery sleep: A randomized trial — Obesity

The post How junk food interferes with brain-cleaning deep sleep appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It means trading one bad thing for something else even worse.

In healthcare, that expression would apply when a drug meant to treat a disease carries side effects far worse than the disease itself.

That’s exactly the case with a newly approved drug for Alzheimer’s disease.

Unfortunately, the “fire” is fatal.

Lecanemab: hopeful Alzheimer’s drug turns deadly

In January of this year, the FDA approved the drug lecanemab for the treatment of early Alzheimer’s disease.

Lecanemab is not a cure for the disease. Rather, it attacks β-amyloid plaque buildup in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s.

The most widely accepted theory for the cause of Alzheimer’s is known as the “amyloid cascade hypothesis.” This theory states that excess β-amyloid deposits neurotoxins in the brain, causing degeneration and loss of neurons.

The Alzheimer’s Association website states that headache is the most common side effect of lecanemab, as well as reactions to the intravenous infusions through which the drug is administered.

Unfortunately, further clinical trials have proven the side effects to be far worse…

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How lecanemab was approved

The FDA has an approval process known as “accelerated approval” that allows a promising new drug to be approved for use if it has shown signs in clinical trials that it might be beneficial for patients with life-threatening diseases, or diseases for which other treatments do not exist.

Once the drug is on the market, further testing of the drug is required to confirm that it really works and that it is safe.

Lecanemab was approved through the accelerated approval process, and further testing is ongoing.

It was one of these tests that revealed a deadly side effect…

Accelerated approval turns deadly

A participant in a Phase III study of the efficacy and safety of lecanemab died after only three infusions of the drug. This had never happened in any previous trials.

Four days after the last infusion, the 65-year-old woman experienced stroke symptoms and died several days later due to multifocal intracerebral hemorrhage (brain bleeding in several locations) despite attempts at therapeutic intervention.

Although the woman had no cardiovascular predisposition to stroke, examination of her brain in an autopsy confirmed that the attack waged on β-amyloid by lecanemab also induced a similar phagocytic attack on the small blood vessels of her cerebral cortex that were also full of plaque.

The result was brain hemorrhage and stroke that could not be survived, despite immediate intervention. The drug reached its target — partial clearing of plaques and tau — but at the expense of massive damage to collateral smaller blood vessels and her death.

Co-investigator Dr. Pouya Jamshidi of the Department of Pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, cautions, “Although this is the first reported case detailing the neuropathologic findings in response to lecanemab, the pattern and distribution of pathology are so striking it is inconceivable to believe this would be an isolated occurrence.”

Available at a pharmacy near you this summer

Even in light of the woman’s tragic death, and the admittance that the drug’s benefits are modest, it doesn’t appear that it will be pulled from the market.

Instead, recommendations have been made to screen patients for cerebrovascular disease and apolipoprotein E status before prescribing and that “the patient may need to be told that anticoagulant treatment for stroke, should such an event occur, may become an option with even greater risk.”

On June 9, 2023, an advisory panel for the US FDA voted unanimously that the drug shows “clinical benefit” for the treatment of Alzheimer’s, paving the way for a full FDA approval expected to come as early as July 2023.

If it were me, I’d be asking my doctor a LOT of questions before taking a drug that had gone through the accelerated approval process. And even then, I’d carefully weigh the options before I agreed to participate in a trial of a drug that had yet to be fully approved.

Thankfully, much research indicates we do have some safer options when it comes to the risk of Alzheimer’s. Though they are certainly not drugs or cures, there are a few natural standouts to support your brain health…

Vitamin D—This common vitamin just may be dementia repellant. And a study based on standardized clinical research data has helped zero in on segments of the population that could benefit the most from supplementing.

Omega-3 fatty acids — Tons of research show omega-3s have the potential to stave off Alzheimer’s disease, even helping the immune system to clear amyloid plaques. But a clinical trial in 2020 found dosage matters.

Niacin — A member of the B family of vitamins, researchers learned more than a decade ago that dietary niacin was protective against Alzheimer’s disease. Deficiency is common among older people with dementia.

Sources:

Case study reveals potentially lethal side effects of lecanemab for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease — Eureka Alert

Neuropathology of Anti-Amyloid-β Immunotherapy: A Case Report — Press Content Library

Lecanemab Approved for Treatment of Early Alzheimer’s Disease — Alzheimer’s Association

FDA advisers vote that lecanemab shows benefit as an Alzheimer’s treatment — CNN Health

The post Alzheimer’s drug’s accelerated approval leads to deadly stroke appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Type 3 diabetes is the name some scientists are giving to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. According to the Mayo Clinic, type 3 diabetes occurs when neurons in the brain become unable to respond to insulin, which they need for basic tasks such as memory and learning.

In fact, some researchers believe insulin deficiency is central to the cognitive decline that occurs in Alzheimer’s patients.

Given this, it’s no surprise that investigators have found a link between uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and dementia. One study showed people with untreated diabetes develop signs of Alzheimer’s nearly twice as fast as those who treat their diabetes.

And the earlier you develop T2D, the higher your odds for dementia…

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Age and the T2D-dementia link

Prediabetes is an intermediate stage where blood sugar is elevated but has not yet crossed the threshold into full-blown T2D — the risk of which is substantial.

In the U.S., up to 96 million adults have prediabetes. And 70 percent of those will progress to full-blown T2D.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health decided to investigate the association between prediabetes and dementia using data from participants aged 45 to 64 in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

They specifically looked at measures of blood sugar control, particularly HbA1C and cognitive function. In addition, they examined whether age at diabetes diagnosis modified dementia risk — and the results were sobering…

When looking at age at diabetes diagnosis, they found:

• The risk for dementia is three times higher for those developing T2D before the age of 60.
• For those developing T2D between the ages of 60 and 69, dementia risk increased by 73 percent.
• For those developing T2D between the ages of 70 and 79, the increased dementia risk fell to 23 percent.
• There was no increased dementia risk for those developing T2D at ages 80 or older.

The researchers conclude that while prediabetes is associated with dementia risk, this risk is explained by the development of diabetes.

“Diabetes onset at early age is most strongly related to dementia,” they write in the study. “Thus, preventing or delaying the progression of prediabetes to diabetes will substantially reduce the future burden of dementia.”

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Prediabetes is tough to catch

One of the challenges with diagnosing prediabetes is it often has no symptoms. Your blood sugar could be slowly ticking higher without you even knowing it.

You’ll want to keep an eye out for prediabetes if you have any of the following risk factors:

• Weight – a body mass index (BMI) higher than 25
• Lack of physical activity
• Family history of prediabetes or diabetes
• Age – at age 45, your risk begins to rise and rises even more rapidly around 65
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol

If you find yourself in prediabetes limbo, you’ll want to pay close attention to your diet and get plenty of exercise.

But you can also get extra help from vitamin D. The common vitamin was recently been found to slash the risk of progression to T2D by 15 percent. It may be the reason that in a previous study, consuming full-fat dairy was shown to decrease risk of T2D progression by as much as 70 percent.

An extra plus about vitamin D? A study from the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute found that a group of people who took vitamin D supplements had 40 percent fewer dementia diagnoses than those who did not take the supplements.

Sources:

Study shows dementia risk increases the younger a person develops diabetes — EurekAlert!

Prediabetes, intervening diabetes and subsequent risk of dementia: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study — Diabetologia

What is the link between Alzheimer’s and Type 3 diabetes? — Mayo Clinic

Prediabetes — Mayo Clinic

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Test for Diabetes — WebMD

The post How age, diabetes and dementia intersect appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In scans of patients with Parkinson’s, scientists have been able to see the loss of dopamine neurons in a brain region called the substantia nigra. The death of these neurons is a hallmark of the disease.

In addition to genetic and biological considerations, certain environmental factors are believed to play a role in the development of Parkinson’s…

A study from 2018 found that people exposed to the chemicals paraquat and maneb were 250 percent more likely to develop Parkinson’s than the general population.

And now research has identified not one or two but 10 toxic pesticides that significantly damage dopamine neurons, paving the way for the development of Parkinson’s.

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10 pesticides linked to Parkinson’s development

Researchers from Harvard, UCLA and Mt. Sinai Hospital examined decades-long exposure to 288 pesticides among residents of California’s Central Valley who have Parkinson’s disease (the Central Valley is a major agricultural area).

First, they were able to determine each person’s long-term exposure to each pesticide. Then they tested each pesticide for associations with Parkinson’s.

Ultimately, they identified 53 pesticides that appeared to be involved in causing Parkinson’s. Most had never before been studied and are still in use.

Then, digging further, they tested each pesticide on neurons that closely resembled the dopaminergic neurons that, when damaged, cause the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s: the shuffling gait, uncontrollable tremors and rigid facial and body muscles).

They narrowed down their search to ten pesticides that are responsible for the death of dopamine-producing nerves, including.

• Four insecticides: dicofol, endosulfan, naled, and propargite
• Three herbicides: diquat, endothall, and trifluralin
• Three fungicides: copper sulfate (basic and pentahydrate) and folpet.

Additionally, they tested the toxicity of multiple pesticides that are commonly applied in cotton fields. Combinations including trifluralin, one of the most commonly used herbicides in California, produced the most toxicity.

Previous research involving pesticide applicators had also pointed to trifluralin as a culprit in causing Parkinson’s.

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Precautions you can take

Those at the highest risk from these toxins are people that work with them often.

Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, medical toxicologist, co-medical director, and interim executive director at the National Capital Poison Center, notes that precautions can reduce exposure…

“Wear protective clothing, including gloves, when handling pesticides. Since wind can cause pesticides to spread over larger regions or unintended areas after application, don’t apply pesticides on windy days.”

However, you can come into contact with dopamine-damaging toxins even if you don’t work with them…

Before this study, two other pesticides were identified as having a role in causing genetic forms of Parkinson’s disease: rotenone and paraquat.

Both of these are used routinely to maintain golf courses. Golf courses use four to seven times the amount of pesticides per acre that agricultural growers use.

Golfers are exposed to these toxins mainly through direct skin contact with turf usually on the ankles, legs, hands and arms. If you’re a lover of the game, there are some ways to protect yourself:

• Wear golf shoes, long socks that cover the legs and long pants.
• Consider wearing gloves, and/or wash your hands after golfing and before eating or drinking.
• Call ahead to schedule tee times a few hours after pesticide application, or the following day.
• Also, consider a detoxifying diet.

Sources:

10 pesticides toxic to neurons involved in Parkinson’s — Science Daily

10 commonly used pesticides directly linked to Parkinson’s in new study — Medical News Today

A pesticide and iPSC dopaminergic neuron screen identifies and classifies Parkinson-relevant pesticides — Nature Communications

Rotenone, Paraquat, and Parkinson’s Disease — Environmental Health Perspectives

The post 10 neurotoxic pesticides linked to Parkinson’s appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But the flip side of this is that, without that small but necessary amount, things can start to go wrong.

Selenium plays a role in many bodily processes, including reproduction, thyroid function, and protecting the body from free radicals and infection.

Selenium is the subject of much health research, which has shown that it could help prevent heart disease, certain cancers and even asthma.

Most recently, research has focused on the role selenium may play in regenerating our brain neurons and helping to slow the decline of cognitive abilities that comes with age, or after a stroke.

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Selenium slows brain aging …

According to a study from the University of Queensland in Australia, selenium could be a powerful defender of our cognitive abilities.

The study revealed that not only could selenium boost the learning and memory power of our aging brains, but may also be able to reverse the cognitive decline that follows a stroke.

“We’ve known for the last 20 years that exercise can create new neurons in the brain, but we didn’t really understand how,” says lead researcher Dr. Tara Walker.

Prior studies on exercise and the aging brain uncovered a protein that is needed to transport selenium in the blood. Exercise elevates levels of this protein, allowing selenium to do its brain-saving work.

But what if you’re old, ill, or physically unable to exercise or even move around much? Can you still take advantage of the brain benefits of selenium?

The Queensland research team wanted to find out whether simply taking dietary selenium supplements could help generate new neurons, without the help of the exercise-generated protein.

They gave selenium supplements to older mice. New neuron generation decreases rapidly as mice age, similar to the way human brains age.

“When selenium supplements were given to the mice, the production of neurons increased, reversing the cognitive deficits observed in aging,” Dr. Walker reported.

… and may aid in stroke recovery

But would selenium supplements have an impact on the cognitive decline that follows a stroke?

“Young mice are really good at the learning and memory tasks, but after a stroke, they could no longer perform these tasks,” Dr. Walker said.

“We found that learning and memory deficits of stroke-affected mice returned to normal when they were given selenium supplements.”

Dr. Walker believes that these results open a new therapeutic option for boosting cognitive function in people who were unable to exercise due to poor health or old age.

But she notes that taking selenium supplements should not be viewed as a substitute for exercise and healthy eating, but that, in older people, particularly those with neurological conditions, supplements could be beneficial.

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How to get enough selenium in your diet

The safe upper limit for selenium supplementation is 400 micrograms (mcg) per day. Anything more can cause fever or nausea, and at extreme amounts, can cause liver,  kidney and heart problems.

Most people who eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish or meat will have good selenium levels.

Brazil nuts are the food highest in selenium, with just an ounce (6-8 nuts) containing 544mcg.

Other selenium-rich foods include:

• Tuna
• Sardines
• Halibut
• Turkey
• Beef liver
• Chicken
• Cottage cheese
• Brown rice
• Eggs
• Whole wheat bread
• Oatmeal
• Baked beans

As you can see from this list, a good supply of selenium is available through a wide variety of foods. Even if you’re not a meat or fish eater, it shouldn’t be too hard to get enough.

Sources:

Natural Mineral May Help Reverse Memory Loss — Neuroscience News

Selenium mediates exercise-induced adult neurogenesis and reverses learning deficits induced by hippocampal injury and aging — Science Direct

15 foods high in selenium — Medical News Today

The post The trace mineral that slows brain aging and helps after stroke appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I depended heavily on my teacher’s assistant to prepare lesson materials, guide students, and generally help run the classroom.

When my usually competent and pleasant teacher’s assistant became irritable and resistant to my directions, I wondered if she was going through some life difficulties.

But when she began having to write down even the simplest of directions I gave her, and even then couldn’t carry them out, I knew something was seriously wrong.

At 53 years old, she was falling victim to early-onset Alzheimer’s dementia.

It’s important to know the signs so that you or a loved one can seek help immediately if you believe this is happening.

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How early is early?

Most people with dementia first experience symptoms around age 65 or older. However, some people develop symptoms earlier in life — sometimes as young as their 30s.

Matthew Cohen is an associate professor of communication sciences and disorders at the University of Delaware and associate director of the Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research.

He says that many symptoms of early-onset dementia are the same as dementia that occurs later in life, with one exception.

In early-onset dementia, a person is more likely to show noticeable changes in their mood, personality, behavior, or communication abilities.

This is what I first noticed in my teacher’s aide.

10 signs of early-onset dementia to watch for

Professor Cohen notes that it’s normal for the brain to make mistakes at any age, but especially as it ages.

But when do those mistakes add up to something worrisome?

He offers 10 signs and symptoms that might suggest there’s something more going on…

1. Daily problems with thinking and/or memory. Asking the same question over and over again, not just once, is a sign. So is relying more heavily on memory aids or on other people to remember simple things, as occurred with my teacher’s aide.

2. New difficulty handling financial affairs. Difficulty balancing a checkbook or paying bills, when before it was simple, could be a sign of dementia. Also, falling for scams is a clue that something’s wrong that wasn’t before.

3. Familiar tasks become challenging. Driving to a familiar location, or remembering the rules of a favorite game, suddenly aren’t easy anymore.

4. Losing track of dates and places. Missing appointments when someone was always punctual is a warning sign.

5. Changes in visual perception.  Suddenly, someone has trouble understanding visual images, like road signs, or judging spatial relationships, like distances when driving.

6. New problems with spoken or written language. We all have trouble finding the right word sometimes. But if it’s constant, or notably worse than most people your age, it’s worth getting checked. Also, if you find yourself suddenly working harder to follow a conversation, this could be a sign.

7. Misplacing things. Everyone misplaces things from time to time. But if someone is unable to retrace their steps, or accuses others of stealing the item, it could be a sign of dementia.

8. Making uncharacteristically bad decisions. Doing things that are dangerous, or unhealthy, when this does not fit with a person’s typical personality or behavior, is worth noting.

9. Paying less attention to personal care. If someone becomes noticeably sloppy, poorly dressed, or ungroomed who was not this way before, it’s worthy of attention.

10. Changes in mood and personality. For example, if someone is often confused, suspicious of others, or depressed; if they show a loss of empathy (not showing concern for other people’s feelings); or if they just seem to have forgotten how to act in public (make rude comments, take food from someone else’s plate, etc.), this should definitely be checked out.

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What to do about signs of early-onset dementia

If you notice these signs talk to a doctor or another health care provider you’re comfortable with and trust.

But the first steps may actually begin years before these symptoms…

According to Professor Cohen, as many as 40 percent of early onset cases can be delayed with a healthy lifestyle, including diet, exercise and sleep.

Managing medical conditions like high blood pressure can also play a role. It’s been speculated for years that high blood pressure may lead to dementia, but just recently, using new research techniques, researchers were able to see areas of the brain damaged by the condition.

And avoiding one vitamin deficiency, in particular, is worth paying attention to: The University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute has found people who took vitamin D supplements had 40 percent fewer dementia diagnoses than those who did not take the supplements.

Sources:

Spotting Early Signs of Dementia — Neuroscience News

The post 10 signs of early-onset dementia appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

She does yoga every day and goes for long walks several times a week. Her pace may not be as brisk as it used to be, but isn’t that just a normal part of the aging process?

Maybe, but it doesn’t mean we need to sit back and wait to see what happens…

In recent years, changes in muscle function during aging have been tied to functional decline and frailty.

I think that’s something we’d all like to avoid as long as possible, especially considering what a decrease in muscle function can signal about the brain…

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A sinister sign of late-life dementia

Muscle function isn’t just connected to the strength of the body. Over the years, it’s been tied to the health of the brain as well.

That’s why researchers in Australia decided to investigate the relationship between muscle function and dementia. Using data from a longitudinal study of aging on more than 1,000 women with an average age of 75, they measured the women’s grip strength and had them perform a timed-up-and-go (TUG) test.

A TUG test tracks the time it takes someone to rise from a chair, walk three meters, turn around and sit back down. Grip strength is just what it sounds like.

The tests were performed twice — once at the beginning of the study and again five years later to measure any loss of performance.

They also tracked the women over 15 years to monitor for any dementia-related hospitalizations or deaths. Almost 17 percent of the study participants experienced one of these events.

When comparing the data, the researchers found lower grip strength and slower TUG were significant risk factors for presenting with dementia. These risks were independent of genetic risk and lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol and levels of physical activity:

• The weakest and slowest: Women with the weakest grip were more than twice as likely to have a late-life dementia event than those with the highest grip strength. And women who recorded the slowest TUG test were more than twice as likely to experience dementia as the quickest individuals.
• The biggest decline: Participants who experienced the biggest decline in grip strength over the 5 years were twice as likely to have had a dementia event compared to those who recorded the smallest decline in performance. And those with the largest drop in TUG speed over the 5 years were 2.5 times more likely to have experienced a dementia event.
• Risk of death: TUG performance also played a role in dementia-related death risk. Women with the largest drop in their TUG test results were more than four times as likely to experience dementia-related death.

Senior researcher Dr. Marc Sim says the overlapping nature of cognitive and motor decline could be a reason for the correlation between grip strength and brain health.

“Incorporating muscle function tests as part of dementia screening could be useful to identify high-risk individuals, who might then benefit from primary prevention programs aimed at preventing the onset of the condition such as a healthy diet and a physically active lifestyle.”

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Avoiding a decline of body and mind

Luckily mom’s grip is still strong, and she’s still able to rise from her seat and walk relatively quickly.

I give some credit for the latter to her yoga practice. Yoga is great for balance and for keeping the muscles of your arms, back, legs and core strong and flexible. Plus, it can give you a bigger brain.

But I realized I could be affected too, so I did a little more research. There are some conditions to watch out for as we age that could contribute to muscle or motor decline:

• Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass, strength and functionality associated with aging. You can read more here about how to stay strong enough to reduce the dementia risk associated with the condition.
• Dynapenia is a close cousin to sarcopenia. People with dynapenia are more likely to experience decline in quality of life, frailty and falls. But it’s not just an age problem and exercise isn’t enough. It’s connected to vitamin D deficiency. In a major study, adequate supplementation reduced the risk of the condition in older adults by 78 percent.

Sources:

Slowing down in your old age? It may be a dementia warning sign — Edith Cowan University

Impaired muscle function, including its decline, is related to greater long-term late-life dementia risk in older women — Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle

The post What your get-up-and-go says about a sinister sign of aging appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s clear to me that eating blueberries will help me maintain good health as I age. They can help keep blood pressure in check, mangle metabolic syndrome, and build muscle mass.

And I’m counting on blueberries to help me stay sharp as I age. The particular phytochemical compounds they contain, known as anthocyanins, have been shown to decrease dementia risk and increase blood flow to the brain, improving cognition and memory.

As if that weren’t enough, new research is showing that, even if cognitive decline has already begun, blueberries appear powerful enough to reverse its effects…

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Faster mental processing speed

A simple yet powerful study has just been completed by scientists at the University of North Carolina that demonstrates the powerful effects blueberries can have on people already suffering cognitive decline.

Dr. Carol Cheatham and her team recruited a group of 86 adults ages 65 through 80, all of whom reported having issues related to cognitive decline.

After an initial screening to determine their cognitive functioning, participants were split into two groups: one group added wild blueberry powder (made from frozen blueberries) to their diets and the other was given a placebo.

After six months, both groups were again screened for cognitive health — and the results were impressive…

Adults who had eaten blueberries showed great recovery in their mental processing speed — so much so that on average they had the same processing speed as those in the control group, who had reported no cognitive decline at all.

In other words, eating blueberries for six months restored their processing speed to normal!

Why is processing speed the key? Because it is, basically, the key to all brain function. It’s the brain’s ability to store information and recall it at a later time, and for most of us it slows around age 60.

Slow processing speed may also interfere with executive function.A person with slow processing speed will have a harder time planning, setting goals, paying attention, responding, starting tasks and seeing them through to completion.

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More reasons to eat Maine blueberries

According to Dr. Mary Ann Lila, an author of the study, Maine blueberries are particularly well suited to the role of “superfood.”

“Phytochemicals are compounds in plants that develop to defend the plant from environmental stress, fungi, bacteria and viruses,” she says.

According to her, once we consume blueberries, these phytochemicals transfer their health benefits to us. And Maine blueberries in particular have evolved defenses against the harsh northeastern environment.

Luckily, you don’t have to live in Maine to enjoy these delicious and super-nutritious berries. Previous studies have demonstrated that frozen fruits and vegetables maintain nutrients quite well, and now this study has shown that frozen, then powdered berries do as well.

There are endless ways to use frozen, fresh or powdered berries, but these are my favorites…

Blueberry-Pomegranate Smoothie

Blueberry Smoothie Bowl

Sources:

Blueberries really ARE a superfood! Study finds eating the fruit every day can reverse cognitive decline in elderly people, study finds — dailymail.co.uk

Six-month intervention with wild blueberries improved speed of processing in mild cognitive decline: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. — Nutritional Neuroscience

The post Daily blueberry powder changed brains in just 6 months appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yes, it’s convenient, and yes, it’s good at keeping your drinks cold or hot. And if you want to take your dinner home from the steakhouse, it’s hard to escape.

But the price you’re paying — the price we’re all paying — is becoming more and more clear, to the point where it’s hard to deny that we’re better off without it.

Microplastics and nanoplastics

Microplastics are plastic particles that are between 0.001 and 5 millimeters in size. Many are still visible to the naked eye.

Nanoplastics, on the other hand, are smaller than 0.001 millimeters in size and are invisible to the naked eye.

Both are hazardous to your health, and you’re being exposed to both … more than you think.

Eating fish and seafood that have consumed both types of particles is the most common way we ingest them without even knowing it.

But there are other sources, including things we consider good for us, like bottled water and vegetables.

Besides being toxic themselves, plastic particles pose a problem for another reason.

Other environmental poisons “hitch a ride” on microplastic particles that we ingest, and so get a lot closer to the walls of our cells than they normally would. From there, they can easily enter our bloodstream, and in a much more concentrated form.

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Styrofoam: one of the worst offenders

Polystyrene, better known as styrofoam, is one of the most treacherous nanoplastics of all.

Polystyrene releases the chemical styrene, which The Department of Health and Human Services’s National Toxicology Program has listed as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that short-term exposure to styrene can affect the nervous system, causing depression, weakness, fatigue, and nausea. Long-term exposure can cause liver and nerve tissue damage, as well as cancer.

Styrofoam nanoparticles reach the brain in just two hours

An Austrian and a Hungarian scientist have led a group of researchers in exploring just how polystyrene nanoparticles are able to cross the protective blood-brain barrier and enter the bloodstream.

They administered nanoparticles to mice by mouth, and something scary happened.

Despite having a protective barrier similar to humans, the nanoparticles reached the mouse brain in just two hours!

The researchers believe that the nature of the surface structure of each particle is key in letting it pass through the blood-brain barrier.

More research is needed, but other things are already known for certain. Both micro- and nanoparticles in the gastrointestinal tract have already been linked with localized inflammatory and autoimmune reactions, as well as the development of cancer.

“In the brain, plastic particles could increase the risk of inflammation, neurological disorders or even neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s,” says lead author Lukas Kenner of the Medical University of Vienna.

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How to cut down on plastic in your brain and body

“To minimize the potential harm of micro- and nanoplastic particles to humans and the environment, it is crucial to limit exposure and restrict their use while further research is carried out into the effects of MNPs,” says Prof. Kenner.

While it might seem impossible to steer clear of these particles, you can minimize your exposure.

Buy organic. Even better, know the source. If you can gain access to local farmers and fishermen, you stand a better chance of finding cleaner food.

Drink tap water – and use a filter. According to one study, anyone who drinks the recommended 1.5-2 liters of water per day from plastic bottles will end up ingesting around 90,000 plastic particles a year in the process.

However, drinking tap water instead can — depending on the geographical location — help reduce this figure to 40,000. And using a water filter in your home will further reduce the particles you drink.

Basically, the more you can eliminate plastic from your world, especially your food, the better. Use glass storage containers instead of plastic, and avoid plastic wrappers as much as possible, or transfer your food to glass as soon as you get it home.

And of course, you should be doing things to support your liver as it removes poisons from your body, including detoxifying your body with the right foods and supplements.

Sources:

Tiny plastic particles also find their way into the brain — Eureka Alert

Micro- and Nanoplastics Breach the Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB): Biomolecular Corona’s Role Revealed — Nanomaterials

The perils of polystyrene and why it should be banned — World Centric

Public health statement on styrene — cdc.gov

The post Tiny plastic particles can reach the brain in just 2 hours appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s because when we sleep, restorative and reparative processes take place that trigger slow pulses of cerebrospinal fluid that wash through the brain and remove toxins and buildup.  

It would be easy to assume taking a sleeping pill is the answer. But I’ve read and written about too much research that points to its ill effects on the brain to feel comfortable taking sleep medication even on an occasional basis.

That’s why I was stunned by a new study that indicates there may be one type of sleeping pill that possibly has the opposite effect…

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A sleeping pill that fights brain protein buildup?

Suvorexant, already approved by the FDA to treat insomnia, is part of the dual orexin receptor antagonist class of sleep medicines. Blocking orexin, a natural biomolecule that promotes wakefulness, makes people fall asleep.

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis recruited 38 healthy middle-aged participants to undergo a two-night sleep study. One group of participants was given a 10 mg dose of the drug suvorexant, another group was given a 20 mg dose, and a third group was given a placebo.

Starting one hour before the sleep aid or placebo was administered, the researchers withdrew a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid every two hours for 36 hours to measure changes in amyloid and tau levels.

Compared with those who took the placebo, the participants who received the higher 20 mg dose of suvorexant showed a 10 to 20 percent drop in amyloid levels and a 10 to 15 percent drop in levels of a form of tau known as hyperphosphorylated tau. There was no significant difference between the people who took the 10 mg dose and those who received the placebo.

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Twenty-four hours after the first dose, hyperphosphorylated tau had risen while levels of amyloid remained low in the 20 mg dose group compared to the placebo group. A second dose of suvorexant administered on the second night of the study again reduced the levels of both proteins for people in the 20 mg group.

“If we can lower amyloid every day, we think the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain will decrease over time,” says Dr. Brendan Lucey, a professor of neurology and director of Washington University’s Sleep Medicine Center.

But Lucey cautions that as a small, proof-of-concept study, it would be premature for people to interpret these results as a reason to start taking suvorexant every night…

“At this point, the best advice I can give is to get a good night’s sleep if you can, and if you can’t, to see a sleep specialist and get your sleep problems treated.”

Don’t reach for the pill bottle just yet

It’s important to reiterate that this study was small and focused on a very specific sleep medication. It does not cancel out the negative cognitive effects associated with other sleep medications.

For instance, one study found that taking the anticholinergic class of drugs that includes some over-the-counter sleep medications could raise your risk of dementia by as much as 54 percent. And another found an elevated risk of dementia in people who took sleep medicines from the benzodiazepine and sedative-hypnotic drug classes which include common sleep aids Halcion and Ambien.

That’s why it’s important to understand the long-term effects of any medication. But there is a non-drug option that was tested in a similar way to what Dr. Lucey’s group did — and it was a bigger study…

That research followed over 500 participants, asking them to complete surveys of what they ate and how often. They also underwent brain scans and memory tests — and had their spinal fluid tested. 

Those researchers found people who adhered most closely to a Mediterranean diet had lower levels of biomarkers of amyloid and tau pathology in their spinal fluid than those who didn’t. They also scored better on memory tests.

More good news? What you eat can improve your sleep — and once again, the Mediterranean diet is the winner at improving sleep duration and lowering insomnia symptoms. Certain key foods that are part of the Mediterranean diet are rich in melatonin, serotonin, and vitamin D.

Sources:

Sleeping pill reduces levels of Alzheimer’s proteins — Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Suvorexant Acutely Decreases Tau Phosphorylation and Aβ in the Human CNS — Annals of Neurology

What Happens to the Brain in Alzheimer’s Disease? — National Institute on Aging

The post Could a sleeping pill prevent Alzheimer’s? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But a stroke is something completely different. It’s where blood flow to part of the brain is cut off, and brain cells are damaged and eventually die due to lack of oxygen. Brain damage is often the result, along with various forms and degrees of incapacitation.

Most of the research on rehabilitation following a stroke has focused on the specific location of brain damage, on which neural connections have been affected and on the specific abilities that have been lost.

Now, though, there’s a new approach, one that looks at overall brain health.

And it turns out that keeping your brain young could be an “insurance policy” against possible stroke damage in the future…

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The connection between brain health and stroke recovery

Until recently, overall brain health had been examined only in relation to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“Brain age has not been widely explored in stroke. A lot of stroke research has focused on how damage to the brain results in negative health outcomes, but there has been less research on how the integrity of the remaining brain tissue supports recovery,” says Dr. Sook-Lei Liew, the study’s lead author.

Now, a large international group of researchers has proposed that younger brain age is associated with superior post-stroke outcomes. Their mission is to create a worldwide network of stroke neuroimaging centers focused on understanding the mechanisms of stroke recovery.

Brain age is a biomarker that predicts chronological age based on neuroimaging of structures such as regional thickness, surface area and volumes. A brain that appears to be older than a person’s chronological age may have more structural changes, like shrinkage and thinning, that would usually occur at an older age.

Much research has already been done that provides strategies that might help us keep our brains “younger” by cutting down shrinkage of the overall brain and thickness of areas especially important to cognition, like the hippocampus and cerebral cortex.

Does this mean if we heed that advice our brains stand a better chance following a stroke?

“The health of your overall brain can protect you from the functional consequences of stroke. That is, the healthier your brain is, first, the less likely you are to have a stroke, and second, the less likely you are to have poor outcomes if you do have a stroke.

“There’s so much research on the aging brain right now, and therapeutics being developed to slow brain aging. This study ties brain aging to stroke outcomes, so any therapeutics developed to slow brain aging might also be helpful to improve outcomes after stroke,” says Dr. Sook-Lei Liew, the study’s lead author.

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Strategies for a “younger” brain

The researchers note that including imaging-based assessments of brain age and brain resilience may improve the prediction of post-stroke outcomes and open new possibilities for potential therapeutic targets.

In the meantime, there’s much that research has shown could help support brain health, especially signs of aging like shrinkage and volume…

Fish Oil. When it comes to brain age, omega-3s have a long history. Way back in 2011, scientists at the Rhode Island Hospital Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center found there was a clear association between fish oil supplements and brain volume. More recent research has shown dosage matters.

Blueberries. Drinking concentrated blueberry juice was shown to improve blood flow to the brain and increase cognitive function.

Green leafy vegetables. Eating your greens can help slow brain aging by more than a decade!

Vitamin B12. Research at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that if you have too little B12, your brain is vulnerable to extra shrinkage as you age. A diet heavy on fresh, green vegetables and organic meats can supply a wealth of B vitamins.

Beyond your diet, there are other ways to hold on to a more youthful brain as you age…

Meditation. It’s been proven that daily meditation preserves grey matter.

Exercise.  No surprise here! Exercise is probably the most scientifically-backed way to reverse brain shrinkage and plump up your brain.

Sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to keeping your brain ‘clean’ and healthy.

Take it easy on the alcohol. Even light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a shrinking brain.

Sources:

International study shows link between brain age and stroke outcomes — Eureka Alert

Association of Brain Age, Lesion Volume, and Functional Outcome in Patients With Stroke — Neurology

The post How ‘brain age’ affects stroke risk and recovery appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Mental stress, for instance, has been linked to an increased risk of chronic health conditions. It can also promote inflammation and shift your metabolism in ways that make it more difficult to lose weight and manage blood sugar.

This relationship is often referred to as the mind-body connection. But it’s long been regarded as an abstract, intangible link. Some have even called it mumbo jumbo — until now…

That’s because the literal link between body and mind has been mapped in the very structure of the brain…

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A physical link between body and mind

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis weren’t looking to advance theories on the mind-body connection. They were simply seeking to verify a 1930s-era map of the areas of the brain that control movement, using modern functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

But they discovered something odd when they examined the collected fMRI data…

The new imaging confirmed that control of the feet, hands and face were in the spots identified in the original map. However, interspersed with those key areas were three additional regions in the brain’s motor area that did not seem to be directly involved in movement at all.

These three regions were also thinner than the original movement areas. And they were strongly connected to each other, and to other parts of the brain involved in thinking, planning, mental arousal, pain and control of internal organs and functions such as blood pressure and heart rate.

When analyzing these new regions further, the researchers found that while they did not become active during movement, they were activated when the person thought about moving.

What this shows is that the link between body and mind is more than abstract — it’s embedded in the very structure of our brains and expressed in our physiology and movements as well as our behavior and thinking.

According to senior author Dr. Nico Dosenbach, a professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine, the connections make sense when considering what the brain is really for.

“The brain is for successfully behaving in the environment so you can achieve your goals without hurting or killing yourself,” Dosenback says. “You move your body for a reason. Of course, the motor areas must be connected to executive function and control of basic bodily processes, like blood pressure and pain. Pain is the most powerful feedback, right? You do something, and it hurts, and you think, ‘I’m not doing that again.’”

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Proof of the impact of the mind-body connection

Dosenbach and first author Dr. Evan M. Gordon, an assistant professor of radiology at the Washington University School of Medicine’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, have named this newly identified nexus the Somato-Cognitive Action Network, or SCAN.

SCAN could explain phenomena such as why anxiety makes some of us want to pace back and forth, why stimulating the vagus nerve that regulates internal organ functions may relieve depression and why people who exercise regularly have a more positive outlook.

“People who meditate say that by calming your body with, say, breathing exercises, you also calm your mind,” Gordon says. “Those sorts of practices can be really helpful for people with anxiety, for example, but so far, there hasn’t been much scientific evidence for how it works. But now we’ve found a connection. We’ve found the place where the highly active, goal-oriented ‘go, go, go’ part of your mind connects to the parts of the brain that control breathing and heart rate. If you calm one down, it absolutely should have feedback effects on the other.”

This study is further confirmation that mindfulness practices like yoga, tai chi, meditation and mindful breathing have a positive physical effect on your body’s processes. If you already engage in one or more of those activities, it’s probably no surprise to you. But if you don’t, this evidence is all the more reason to give mindfulness a try.

Sources:

Mind-body connection is built into brain, study suggests — Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

A somato-cognitive action network alternates with effector regions in motor cortex — Nature

The post No mumbo jumbo: The mind-body connection built into your brain appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Phosphatidylserine is essential for healthy nerve cell membranes and myelin, an insulating layer or sheath made up of protein and fatty substances that forms around nerves, including those in the brain.

The sheath allows for successful neurotransmissions — electrical impulses that transmit along the nerve cells. In the brain, this allows brain cells to communicate with one another, making it possible for you to concentrate, remember, learn, and manage emotions, as well for the brain to signal locomotor functions, like rapid reactions and reflexes.

Although the body manufactures some PS on its own, our primary sources of PS are dietary or supplemental. This is especially important to remember, as the body produces less of this important nutrient with age.

Let’s talk about the benefits of PS and how to keep them coming…

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The benefits of phosphatidylserine

Memory. Phosphatidylserine (PS for short) is best known as a nootropic, meaning simply that it supports brain function.

As the human brain ages, it experiences biochemical alterations and structural deterioration that impair transmission between nerve cells. In other words, the protective myelin sheath may break down and the electrical impulses involved in nerve communication don’t work as they should. This results commonly in memory and cognition problems that we’ve come to accept as a normal part of aging.

According to a review of 127 scientifically published papers on the nutrient, study authors concluded that 300 to 800 mg of PS is not only absorbed efficiently but also “crosses the blood-brain barrier and safely slows, halts or reverses the biochemical alterations and structural deterioration in nerve cells.”

The authors also stated that it “supports human cognitive functions, including the formation of short-term memory, the consolidation of long-term memory, the ability to create new memories, the ability to retrieve memories, the ability to learn and recall information, the ability to focus attention and concentrate, the ability to reason and solve problems, language skills, and the ability to communicate. It also supports locomotor functions, especially rapid reactions and reflexes.”

In another study, subjects’ increased memory scores were mostly attributed to an increase in delayed verbal recall, where a person must repeat a sequence of words an hour or more after hearing them.

This type of verbal recall is one of the first memory abilities to be lost in the early stages of cognitive decline.

Sleep. PS supplements are perhaps the safest sleep aid out there. They’re made from plant extracts and act naturally on the brain.

By resensitizing the hypothalamus and the hippocampus — the brain’s “shut-off valves” for cortisol — to your natural circadian rhythm, they help do away with the extreme fluctuations in cortisol that result from stress and can interfere with proper sleep.

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Depression and anxiety. Research has shown that depression can accelerate aging and conversely, aging can impact depression. In a study published in Mental Illness, researchers reported that PS and omega-3 fatty acids relieved depressive symptoms in elderly individuals suffering from late-life depression who had been previously unresponsive to antidepressant medications. Studies have also found PS brought an improvement in symptoms of Parkinson’s patients, including better mood control.

Stress. Clinical studies have found that taking supplemental PS reduces serum adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol levels, as well as salivary cortisol levels following mental stress. In other words, PS helps blunt the effects of stress by decreasing blood levels of the stress hormones ACTH, cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine.

How to increase phosphatidylserine

As we age, we naturally produce less and less PS. Fortunately, there are some good dietary sources of this nootropic. There are a few foods sources, including soy, white beans, egg yolks, chicken liver, and beef liver. Soy lecithin and sunflower lecithin are high sources usually included in supplements.

As the extensive study review that we mentioned above found, a dosage of between 300 and 800 milligrams daily is absorbed well by most people. A “therapeutic” dose is 100mg three times a day.

As always when starting a new supplement, it’s a good idea to consult with your doctor if you have any conditions that require certain medications.

Sources:

Phosphatidylserine and the human brain — The Journal Nutrition

The Health Benefits of Phosphatidylserine — verywellmind.com

Phosphatidylserine and the human brain — Science Direct

Soybean-Derived Phosphatidylserine Improves Memory Function of the Elderly Japanese Subjects with Memory Complaints — Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition

PHOSPHATIDYLSERINE — WebMD

What is Phosphatidylserine? — Wisepowder.com

Everything you need to know about tofu — Medical News Today

The post Phosphatidylserine: The natural way to a better brain and mood appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You’re going about your day and then the pain starts. Within minutes, you can go from happy and productive to out for the count.

While most of us think of migraine when it comes to debilitating headaches (they’re so common that 30 percent of us will suffer from one this year), migraine isn’t the only type of headache that can ruin your day.

In fact, cluster headaches, which occur in groups and have been linked to low oxygen levels, can affect both men and women and come on in waves.

Now, there’s evidence that both of these severe headache disorders could be linked to the body’s biological clock.

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Do your headaches happen at the same time every day?

For many people who live with migraine and cluster headaches, it seems that their pain hits at approximately the same time of day, no matter what other headache triggers they’re exposed to.

It’s a fact that led researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston to wonder whether there might be a connection between headaches and circadian rhythm — the body’s internal system that tells us when it’s time to sleep and when to wake.

To test their theory, the researchers combed through all available studies on cluster headaches and migraine that included circadian features.

They looked at the timing of headaches during the day and during the year. And they delved through data on whether genes associated with the circadian clock are more common in people with these headaches.

They even took a deep dive into studies that linked cluster headaches and migraine to hormones related to the circadian system, like the stress hormone, cortisol, and the sleep hormone, melatonin.

Here’s what they discovered by headache type…

A definite circadian connection

When it came to cluster headaches and the circadian rhythm, the research revealed:

• 71 percent of cluster headache sufferers had headaches at approximately the same time, showing an undeniable link to sleep rhythms.
• Most cluster headaches occur either late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
• Cluster headaches are more likely to occur in the spring and fall.
• Cluster headache was associated with two main circadian genes.
• Five genes that increase the likelihood of having cluster headaches are genes with a circadian pattern of expression.

Additionally, the researchers found that people who live with cluster headaches have significantly higher cortisol levels and lower melatonin levels than people without cluster headaches.

When it came to migraines and circadian rhythm, the connection was similar:

• 50 percent of migraine sufferers showed a circadian pattern of attacks.
• Migraines are more likely to occur from late morning until early evening and less likely to happen overnight.
• Migraine was associated with two core circadian genes, and 110 of the 168 genes associated with migraine were genes with a circadian pattern of expression.

Like people with cluster headaches, people with migraine had lower levels of melatonin in their urine than people without migraine. And, melatonin levels were quite a bit lower during a migraine attack.

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Harmonize your clock to reduce headaches

According to the researchers, “The data suggest that both of these headache disorders are highly circadian at multiple levels, especially cluster headache,” said study author Mark Joseph Burish, MD, PhD.

“This reinforces the importance of the hypothalamus — the area of the brain that houses the primary biological clock — and its role in cluster headaches and migraine. It also raises the question of the genetics of triggers such as sleep changes that are known triggers for migraine and are cues for the body’s circadian rhythm.”

This means that for those of us who suffer from migraines or cluster headaches, harmonizing our body clocks to ensure a healthy circadian rhythm is vital.

Because melatonin levels may be low, as the research indicates, supplementing the sleep hormone may improve circadian rhythm, especially if it’s disrupted by sleep problems. But that’s not all…

Supplementing melatonin has been associated with greater than a 50 percent reduction in migraine frequency in a head-to-head study against Amitriptyline.

Never take more than is directed. If melatonin doesn’t help you sleep, consider your vitamin D levels. The two have a synergistic relationship and if your vitamin D blood levels are low, melatonin won’t work as well for you.

Sources:

Cluster Headaches – Johns Hopkins

Headache Disorders – World Health Organization

Do your headaches happen at the same time of day? – ScienceDaily

The post When your headaches happen at the same time of day appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Because people with OSA stop breathing repeatedly throughout the night, depriving the body of much-needed oxygen, it’s a condition that’s been linked to everything from cardiovascular complications, including stroke, to erectile dysfunction.

And then there are OSA’s effects on the brain…

While past research has shown an undeniable link between sleep apnea and Alzheimer’s, most scientists and medical professionals have blamed the connection on underlying conditions.

But according to a study by researchers in the UK, Germany and Australia, sleep apnea is a direct cause of premature cognitive decline that can steal your brain health, cognitive abilities and more…

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Are you at risk for sleep apnea?

Sadly, sleep apnea is an extremely underdiagnosed condition. While experts say that as much as 30 percent of men and 15 percent of women have OSA, an estimated 80 percent of them are completely unaware of it. Studies have even shown that sleep apnea may be more dangerous in women.

In addition to the signs of OSA I mentioned above (snoring, daytime sleepiness, etc.), it’s important to understand who’s at risk. Major risk factors for OSA include:

• Middle or old age
• Obesity
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Chronic nasal blockage.

Starving your brain of oxygen while you sleep

So how bad is sleep apnea for your brain?

Those British, German and Australian researchers set out to find out.

The team studied a group of 27 men between the ages of 35 and 70 with a new diagnosis of mild to severe OSA but without any co-morbidities. Basically, these men were otherwise in good shape and at a healthy weight.

The researchers then matched the participants with a similar control group, but these individuals did not have OSA.

And sure enough…

When they put both groups through a battery of tests for cognitive function, those with OSA were clearly on the losing end.

The results showed that patients with severe OSA suffered from:

• Poorer vigilance
• Reduced executive functioning and attention
• Diminished short-term visual recognition memory
• Poor social and emotional recognition

OSA even led to problems with psychomotor and impulse control.

According to the researchers, these changes were most likely due to low oxygen and high carbon dioxide in the blood, changes in blood flow to the brain, sleep fragmentation, and neuroinflammation in OSA patients.

“This complex interplay is still poorly understood, but it’s likely that these lead to widespread neuroanatomical and structural changes in the brain and associated functional cognitive and emotional deficits,” said lead author, said Dr. Ivana Rosenzweig.

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Relieving the risks of OSA

If you’re living with any of the symptoms of OSA, the time to get checked by your doctor is now to reduce your risk of cognitive decline.

Treatment for the condition generally involves using a CPAP machine at night, which helps you breathe by blowing compressed air into your airway to keep it open.

While many skip using the machine because it’s noisy and uncomfortable, it’s a small price to pay to keep your brain safe.

To reduce discomfort, be sure to have your mask professionally fitted.

Other options to help reduce mild OSA include avoiding alcohol, losing excess weight, exercising and sleeping on your side.

Sources:

Obstructive sleep apnea may directly cause early cognitive decline – EurekAlert!

The post Sleep apnea’s direct connection to cognitive decline appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Research has linked high blood pressure to a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease and decreased cognitive functioning. One study even notes that women who develop hypertension in their 40s are 73 percent more likely to develop dementia.

Investigators are still trying to work out exactly how high blood pressure impacts the brain. So far, they’ve discovered that the brains of people with higher blood pressure tend to have more lesions, or infarcts, as well as more tau tangles.

But in what scientists call a “world first,” a new study indicates there could be more to the process than that — and actually shows what high blood pressure does to specific areas of our brains…

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Pinpointing where high blood pressure hurts the brain

Nearly 1 in 3 people worldwide suffer from high blood pressure, with an additional 30 percent showing the initial stages of the condition. While studies have shown it affects how well the brain works, it’s not been clear exactly how it damages the brain and which specific regions are affected… until now.

A team of European researchers conducted two studies: The first involved a combination of brain MRIs from more than 30,000 participants in the UK Biobank study and genetic analyses from UK Biobank and two other international groups.

They then used Mendelian randomization to determine whether high blood pressure was actually the cause of changes to specific parts of the brain or simply associated with these changes.

“Mendelian randomization is a way of using genetic information to understand how one thing affects another,” says Tomasz Guzik, a professor at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and Jagiellonian University Medical College in Krakow, Poland. “In particular, it tests if something is potentially causing a certain effect, or if the effect is just a coincidence.”

Nine areas of the brain impacted by high blood pressure

According to Guzik, researchers were able to use these combined approaches to identify specific parts of the brain that are affected by increases in blood pressure.

“We thought these areas might be where high blood pressure affects cognitive function, such as memory loss, thinking skills and dementia,” he says. “When we checked our findings by studying a group of patients in Italy who had high blood pressure, we found that the parts of the brain we had identified were indeed affected.”

The affected regions include an area called the putamen. The putamen is a round structure in the base of the front of the brain that’s responsible for regulating movement and influencing learning.

Also affected were eight specific white matter regions. These include the anterior thalamic radiation, anterior corona radiata and anterior limb of the internal capsule — all regions that connect and enable signaling between different parts of the brain.

The anterior thalamic radiation is involved in executive functions, such as the planning of simple and complex daily tasks. The anterior corona radiata and anterior limb of the internal capsule are involved in making decisions and managing emotions.

The researchers also observed decreases in brain volume and the amount of brain cortex surface area, changes to connections between different parts of the brain and changes in brain activity measurements.

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May help predict future cognitive decline

Guzik says the researchers hope the findings may help in developing new ways to treat cognitive impairment in people with high blood pressure.

 “Studying the genes and proteins in these brain structures could help us understand how high blood pressure affects the brain and causes cognitive problems,” he says.

“Moreover, by looking at these specific regions of the brain, we may be able to predict who will develop memory loss and dementia faster in the context of high blood pressure,” Guzik adds. “This could help with precision medicine so that we can target more intensive therapies to prevent the development of cognitive impairment in patients most at risk.”

All of this underlines how vitally important it is to get your blood pressure under control sooner than later.

Three steps you can take that can help both lower blood pressure and your odds of dementia are diet, exercise and supplementing omega-3s…

• Many studies have shown that the DASH diet can reduce blood pressure in just 14 days.
• Any exercise is good exercise. But if you can fit 4,000 steps into your day you’ll help decrease brain shrinkage and support a thicker hippocampus — the area of the brain responsible for mood, memory and learning. And stretching first can have a significant impact on your blood pressure.
• Researchers analyzed 71 clinical trials from around the world published from 1987 to 2020, looking to find the optimal amount of daily omega-3s needed to help lower blood pressure. They found that 3 grams per day decreased systolic blood pressure by an average of 4.5 mm Hg in people with hypertension. And omega-3s pull double duty because they also promote larger brain volume and better brain function.

If you want some more tips for keeping your blood pressure down, here are 7 ways to support healthy blood pressure.

Sources:

World first: Researchers identify specific regions of the brain that are damaged by high blood pressure and are involved in a decline in mental processes and dementia — European Society of Cardiology

Genetic analyses identify brain structures related to cognitive impairment associated with elevated blood pressure — European Heart Journal

Hypertension, brain imaging phenotypes, and cognitive impairment: lessons from Mendelian randomization — European Heart Journal

The post Your brain on high blood pressure: Changes that lead to dementia appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The truth is, it always seemed like an “old person’s game.”

But now that I am an “older person,” I’m seeing things differently. And I’m re-thinking the possibility of learning to play golf.

It turns out that playing golf just once a month can have a positive impact on heart attack and stroke risk.

And, let’s face it, I’m more likely to golf into my 70s and 80s than I am to jog or play other sports that could lower that risk.

Here’s the latest research on why golf is good for your heart, and how it benefits your health in other ways, too.

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Golf prolongs life, helps prevent heart attacks and stroke

About a decade ago, a group of Swedish researchers at the Karolinska Institutet published a study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, based on data from 300,000 Swedish golfers.

They found that the death rate among golfers was 40 percent lower than it was among the rest of the population. This translates into living five years longer.

Although a healthy lifestyle (that includes walking on the golf course) and diet may be part of this longer lifespan, the researchers feel confident that playing golf is the significant factor, since the lowest death rates were found in the group of players with the lowest handicap (i.e., the best golfers).

“Maintaining a low handicap involves playing a lot, so this supports the idea that it is largely the game itself that is good for the health,” said Professor Anders Ahlbom, who led the study.

And now, a group led by Dr. Adnan Qureshi, professor of neurology at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, is preparing to present research demonstrating that regular golfers (defined as those who play at least once a month) are significantly lowering their risk of death from heart attack or stroke.

Dr. Qureshi and colleagues analyzed data from the Cardiovascular Health Study, an observational study of risk factors for heart disease and stroke among adults 65 and older. This decade-long study ran from 1989 through 1999. Subjects had medical exams every six months for the ten-year period, and later follow-ups monitored any occurrences of heart attack or stroke.

During that follow-up period, 8.1 percent of the golfers had suffered strokes and 9.8 percent had had heart attacks.

But only 15.1 percent of golfers had died of these events, compared to 24.6 percent of non-golfers who had also suffered heart attacks or strokes.

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Stress relief is the key

“Regular exercise, exposure to a less polluted environment, and social interactions provided by golfing are all positive for health,” notes Dr. Qureshi.

The common denominator: stress reduction.

The research is clear: unrelenting life stress makes death from sudden cardiac arrest far more likely.

And prolonged stress increases your stroke risk by 59 percent.

How to use golf as a stress reliever

When you watch golf tournaments on TV, it all looks so serious and competitive.

But for stress relief, it’s better to play a social game of golf with a little friendly competition in the mix.

Mostly, you’re competing against yourself, lowering your handicap and getting better each time at those difficult shots.

Here’s what makes golf a great stress reliever:

Endorphins. The act of putting (hitting the ball a short distance) activates your pre-motor cortex to calculate force and direction. If you make the putt (the ball goes in the hole), you’re rewarded with mood-boosting endorphins.

Vitamin D.  Being out in the sunshine lets you absorb vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is common in older adults and is associated with high blood pressure — and you know what stress does there.

Cardiovascular exercise. The average golfer walks 4 miles during 18 holes of golf. This is a great exercise, especially since you’re making your way over hills and the other various terrains of the course.

Social connections. Social ties and friendships make you less vulnerable to heart attack and stroke. Studies have associated having more friends with less risk of stroke or heart attack, and it stands to reason, doesn’t it? Friendships make your heart healthier and lower blood pressure. This makes it far less likely you’ll fall victim to a fatal stroke or heart attack.

If you’re not inclined to participate in more vigorous exercise or aren’t able to, teeing off regularly could be a great alternative!

Sources:

1. Golfing regularly could be a hole-in-one for older adults’ health — American Heart Association
2. Play a Round: Golf Has Many Health Benefits for Seniors — BAYADA
3. Golfing Drives Good Health for Older Adults — Tucson Local Media
4. Golf Prolongs Life, Swedish Study Finds — Karolinska Institutet

The post Why golfers who tee off regularly could live up to 5 years longer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Health issues ranging from vision loss and depression to lifestyle factors like drinking too much (or too little alcohol and even your relationship status can impact your risks.

And there’s one more you can add to that list — weak bones.

That’s right…

If your doctor has warned you that you may be experiencing bone loss, osteoporosis and increased fracture risk may not be your only concerns…

The egg, not the chicken

Bone loss and dementia are both issues we’re all more likely to experience with age.

Yet, little has been known about whether there was a connection or not — and if there was, which came first?

So, researchers in the Netherlands set out to follow over 3,600 participants, with an average age of 72, for approximately 11 years — and find out.

While none of the people who volunteered for the study had dementia at the start, by the end of the period, 19 percent were affected.

And sure enough, those who had weaker bones to begin with were far more likely to end up in that unlucky 19.

After adjusting for all other factors like age, sex, medication use and family history, the results showed that people with the lowest total body bone density were a startling 42 percent more likely to develop dementia within 10 years than people with stronger bones.

And as for that question of which came first — the chicken or the egg…

Here’s what study author Mohammad Arfan Ikram, MD, Ph.D. had to say: “Low bone density and dementia are two conditions that commonly affect older people simultaneously, especially as bone loss often increases due to physical inactivity and poor nutrition during dementia. However, little is known about bone loss that occurs in the period leading up to dementia.”

“Our study found that bone loss indeed already occurs before dementia and thus is linked to a higher risk of dementia.”

So, it looks like bone loss is the egg, not the chicken.

To healthy bones

The good news is that much is already known about how to support healthy bones — and as it turns out, a couple of those same factors can pull double duty for your brain too…

Take regular exercise, for example, especially weight bearing. That doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym. Your body is a weight, and walking is one of the best exercises to kick bone loss to the curb. And several years ago, researchers proved that walking 4000 steps a day actually changed the size of the brains in study subjects aged 60 and over.

But probably best known is the dynamic duo calcium and vitamin D for bone health. Calcium is a building block for strong bones, but without adequate vitamin D, the body only absorbs about 10 to 15 percent of dietary calcium. Not getting enough vitamin D is a problem for your brain too…

One of the most dramatic findings came from a 2014 University of Exeter study that included 1,658 older adults. That study found that those with very low vitamin D levels (lower than 25 nmol/L) had a 122 percent higher risk of developing dementia than those with higher levels. They also found that vitamin D deficiency of any kind (severe or moderate) was tied to a 51 percent higher risk of developing dementia.

Although calcium is easy enough to come by in your diet, vitamin D is not so much. Sure, you can find it in fortified foods like cereal. But that form of vitamin D is not as easily absorbed and used by the body. Vitamin D3 is the most bioavailable form of vitamin D, known as cholecalciferol.

A therapeutic dose of 5000 IU helps me keep my levels where they can do me the most good (far from the 42 percent of Americans who are deficient), so I have fewer worries with every passing birthday and bone density test.

Sources:

Is bone health linked to brain health? – ScienceDaily

Calcium and Vitamin D: Important at Every Age  NIH

Vitamin D and dementia: A very close tie – Medscape

The post Bone loss: A significant risk factor for dementia appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For instance, if we find out we carry a gene related to a certain disease, like Alzheimer’s, we automatically assume our fate is sealed.

But that’s not exactly true…

Because of a field of science called epigenetics, we now know that while genes remain unchanged, their expression is changeable via external modifications which affect how cells read genes and then turn those genes “on” or “off.”

So even though carrying the Alzheimer’s gene means the odds of getting Alzheimer’s are higher than for people without the gene, a lot depends on lifestyle factors you can modify — and this one is so easy, there’s no excuse not to try it…

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Different alleles, different risk levels

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a gene that carries different levels of risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease depending on which allele of the APOE gene you have. An allele is a different form of a gene that’s found at the same spot on a chromosome.

There are three different alleles of the APOE gene. The most common, APOE3, indicates an average risk for Alzheimer’s. Then there’s APOE2, carried by roughly 5 to 10 percent of people. That allele is actually associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s.

It’s APOE4 you want to watch out for. APOE4 is present in 15 to 25 percent of people and indicates an increased risk for Alzheimer’s. About 2 to 5 percent of people carry two copies of the allele, which makes their Alzheimer’s risk even higher.

However, it’s important to remember that while inheriting APOE4 increases a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s, some people with this allele never develop the disease at all.

Still, if you carry APOE4, you may want to know if there are any ways you can minimize your elevated risk. Luckily, an international team of researchers has discovered at least one way you can offset one of the main features of Alzheimer’s…

Fiber lowers risk for people with APOE4

The study involved a group of adults over 65 in two areas of Tuscany, Italy. Researchers analyzed their diet, cognitive state, and other health parameters every three years for 15 years.

“Cognitive decline, precursor of the development of dementia in old people, is currently a public health problem without treatment,” notes Dr. Tomàs Meroño of the University of Barcelona, one of the authors of the study. “This is why it is crucial to detect modifiable risk factors that allow us to develop prevention strategies, among which the diet has proved to be one of the most efficient.”

Study results show that in participants with the APOE4 allele, an increase of five grams a day in fiber intake was linked to a 30 percent lower risk of cognitive decline.

“Evidence shows that healthy diets, characterized by a high consumption of fiber-rich foods, have a positive impact on cognition, but the specific role of fiber intake plays on the cognitive function is still unknown,” Meroño says.

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Ways to add more fiber

This isn’t the first time fiber has been linked with improving Alzheimer’s risk. My colleague Dr. Adria Schmedthorst has noted that fiber can flush out a neurotoxin in the gut that’s linked to Alzheimer’s.

Whether you’re carrying the APOE4 gene or not, it’s always a good idea health-wise to make sure your diet includes plenty of fiber. Fiber keeps your gut healthy, which keeps the rest of your body in good working order.

Unfortunately, most of us aren’t getting enough fiber. The average American eats roughly 10 to 15 grams of fiber daily, which falls far short of the mark set by the USDA.

The USDA recommends women up to age 50 consume 25 grams a day of fiber, while men up to age 50 should go for 38 grams. Over 50, that number drops slightly to 21 grams daily for women and 30 grams for men.

There’s one tried and true way to add more fiber to your diet: eat more fiber-rich fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes. This list can help you choose which of these foods has the most fiber bang for your buck.

Start adding more fiber slowly. If you add it too quickly you might feel gassy and experience some bloating or cramping. Increase it gradually over a few weeks — and you’ll be so glad you did. Fiber is the one nutrient with a plethora of disease-fighting potential we just don’t get enough of.

Sources:

Fiber intake reduces cognitive decline risk in older people with apolipoprotein ε4 allele — EurekAlert!

Apolipoprotein E gene variants shape the association between dietary fibre intake and cognitive decline risk in community-dwelling older adults — Age and Ageing

Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Fact Sheet — National Institute on Aging

The post The ‘every day’ nutrient that takes down the Alzheimer’s gene appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, because so much attention has been paid to these brain changes that begin to occur years before signs of cognitive decline, research into how to prevent and even reverse the damage they do has been extensive, delivering insights like:

• Control your blood sugar and you control your Alzheimer’s risk.
• CBD can act like Pac-Man for Alzheimer’s plaques.
• Follow the Mediterranean diet for lower biomarkers of amyloid and tau.

Yet, with all that research, there’s something that’s been missed…

How the DNA in our bodies changes as a result of Alzheimer’s and what if anything, we can do about it…

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Telomeres and cell aging

Telomeres act as caps on the ends of chromosomes, protecting DNA from degrading. However, every single time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter and shorter, leaving that DNA at risk. 

That’s why short telomeres are a sign of stress and cellular aging and are associated with a higher risk for neurological disorders.

But since little is known about the links between telomere length and changes in the brain, researchers at Oxford University set out to learn more…

Specifically, the scientists compared telomere length in white blood cells to results from brain MRIs and electronic health records from more than 31,000 participants in the UK Biobank.

Their analysis revealed that longer telomeres equal better brain health. They found that patients with long telomeres had:

• A larger volume of gray matter overall and a larger hippocampus, both of which shrink in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
• A thicker cerebral cortex — the outer, folded layer of gray matter — which normally thins as Alzheimer’s disease progresses.

Because of this, the researchers believe that longer telomeres act as dementia protection and that shorter telomeres can be linked to brain changes associated with dementia.

In the authors’ own words: “We found associations between telomere length, a marker of biological aging, and multiple aspects of brain structure. This may explain why individuals with longer telomeres have a lower risk of dementia.”

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Protecting your telomeres

Is it possible to support your telomeres in a way that might keep them longer?

Previous research in humans says yes…

First, try some brisk walking. Scientists have found that walking at a faster speed is associated with longer telomeres, regardless of the amount of physical activity you get. Longer telomeres may also be why fast walking has been associated with living longer.

Next, maintain healthy levels of vitamin D.

Research has shown a positive association between higher levels of the sunshine vitamin and telomere length — an association they believe is due to vitamin D’s effects on mechanisms such as inflammation and the rate of cellular generation.

Finally, be sure to follow the diet rules that keep telomeres long and cells young, and take advantage of nutrients that support them as well, like these four supplements.

Going forward we should think of brain support against cognitive decline as a two-prong strategy. That means following what research has shown can deter plaques and tau tangles as well as looking out for our valuable telomere caps.

Sources:

Telomere shortening – a sign of cellular aging – linked to signs of Alzheimer’s in brain scans – EurekAlert!

The post Significant sign of cellular aging linked to Alzheimer’s appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You may also have read that my father had Parkinson’s disease, so I’ve witnessed first-hand what it can do to a person.

Well, I’m now looking at research pointing to another widely used chemical, also one you probably don’t even know you’re interacting with, that sends the risk for Parkinson’s disease sky-high for all of us…

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The degreaser we’ve been drinking for years

Trichloroethylene (TCE) has been used for at least 100 years, and is still in use, despite long-standing evidence of how easily it spreads and of its connection to disease.

TCE was widely used as a solvent in industrial, consumer, medical and military settings. Its use peaked in the 1970s when two pounds per American were manufactured annually and used to remove paint, correct typing mistakes, clean engines and anesthetize patients.

And, up until the 1970s it was even used in the process to decaffeinate coffee!

Currently, it’s still popular as a solvent for degreasing metal parts and used in the manufacture of a variety of products including wood finished, adhesives and paint and stain removers. It’s also still the primary solvent used to dry clean fabrics in the U.S.

But the most likely way you’d be exposed to TCE without knowing is through your tap water. TCE breaks down better in air, so in soil, it can easily pass through to groundwater, which then becomes the water coming out of your tap that you may drink and use for cooking.

And over the last fifty years or so, research in mice has shown how easily TCE enters both the brain and body tissue…

Recent research and recommendations

At high doses, TCE damages our mitochondria, the energy-producing part of our cells.

A 2008 study established a strong connection between TCE and Parkinson’s. TCE causes the loss of nerve cells whose job it is to produce dopamine. The loss of these dopamine-producing cells is a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease.

In addition, a small epidemiological study found that occupational or hobby exposure to the solvent was associated with a 500% increased risk of developing Parkinson’s.

In a hypothesis paper in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, an international team of researchers assert that TCE may be an “invisible cause” of the rise in the number of Parkinson’s disease cases seen in the United States.

A 2022 study backed by the Parkinson’s Foundation showed that nearly 90,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the U.S. each year, a 50 percent increase from the previous estimate of 60,000 diagnoses annually.

The authors of the hypothesis paper recommend a number of steps be taken:

• Use of vapor remediation systems similar to those used to eliminate radon
• More research to better understand how TCE contributes to Parkinson’s
• Closer monitoring of groundwater, drinking water, soil and outdoor and indoor air
• Ultimately, a ban on the use of TCE in the United States

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How to protect yourself from TCE

As long as TCE is still in use, you’ll want to know how to protect yourself.

The federal government has established the safe drinking water standard (also called maximum contaminant level (MCL)) for trichloroethylene as 5 ppb. Local municipalities frequently test drinking water for impurities to make sure it meets EPA guidelines. Public

If your water is provided from a well, have your water tested. Testing of a private water supply is the responsibility of the property owner. The best way to reduce the amount of TCE from drinking water to at least the MCL is a granular activated carbon filter.

Finally, I’d like to offer you the following solid information from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry:

How can I be exposed to TCE?

How can I reduce my exposure and my family’s exposure?

Sources:

Hidden Danger in Your Groundwater? Widely Used Chemical Linked to 500% Increased Risk of Parkinson’s — Neuroscience News

Trichloroethylene: An Invisible Cause of Parkinson’s Disease? — Journal of Parkinson’s Disease

Trichloroethylene (TCE) Is A Risk Factor For Parkinsonism, Study Shows — Science Daily

Statistics — Parkinson’s Foundation

The post The ‘invisible’ chemical increasing Parkinson’s diagnoses appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Whether it’s cold outside and you’re curled up by the fire… the rain is pouring down and you’re listening to the thunder crash as you turn the pages… or you’re just finished up a chapter at bedtime — reading is a great way to transport yourself to another world.

And according to researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, that’s not all reading can do for you.

In fact, researchers say that reading may be the best thing you can do to hold onto your memory as you age…

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Honing in on the skills you need to save your memory

How did they come to this conclusion? Researchers conducted a study in tandem with the Champaign Public Library, which investigated the potential benefits of reading on memory.

To start, older participants were recruited and assessed at The Adult Learning Lab at the Beckman Institute for different cognitive skills, particularly their working and episodic memory skills — mental abilities on which reading depends.

If you’re like me, anytime you read a book and put it down, you might have to reread the previous chapter to remember what happened last. This is where strengthening episodic memory can help. Working memory is like multi-tasking — being able to “hold onto” things in your mind while engaging in other mental processes. Both of these skills decline with age.

But can reading regularly help you retain them?

To find out, the team put together a special collection of interesting and engaging books across multiple fiction and non-fiction genres — choosing books more likely to engage the readers and keep them flipping those pages.

Then it was on…

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Reading is fundamental for strengthening memory

The study group spent 90 minutes a day, five days a week, for eight weeks reading those stories. At the end of the period, they were reassessed and compared to another group who spent the same amount of time doing word puzzles.

 “We controlled as much as we could between the activities except for the ‘magic juice,’” said Beckman researcher Liz Stine-Morrow, “which is getting immersed in a story.”

And the results were impressive — at least for the group that immersed themselves in reading.

The researchers found that in comparison to the puzzle group, the “book club” group showed significant improvement in both their episodic and working memory.

When asked to sum up the results, Stine-Morrow had this to say, “There’s more promise in engaging fully in the stimulating things that we already do in our lives. That’s probably the best pathway to maintaining our mental ability and offsetting the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Put simply, if you want to keep your memory sharp as you age, read a book!

And for additional support, if you feel your forgetfulness gets the best of you sometimes, check out these tips from Virginia Tims-Lawson on how she finally got a steel trap memory in her 50s.

Sources:

Reading for pleasure can strengthen memory in older adults, Beckman researchers find – Beckman Institute

The post Reading: The guilty pleasure that could save your memory appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Depression is a persistent feeling of sadness that isn’t so easy to push through. It interferes with your daily life and even takes the joy from places where you once found it.

But the truth is, depression is an illness that not only steals your happiness — it can also make you far more likely to suffer from other serious ailments as well.

In fact, research has already linked depression to everything from cancer to diabetes and hypertension thanks to the chemical pathway that connects inflammation to these disease processes.

Now, researchers at the University of Galway in Ireland have found yet another dire reason for patients and doctors alike to work hard at treating depression: a higher risk for stroke…

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Increased stroke risk, decreased chance of recovery

Their research involved almost 27,000 participants from the INTERSTROKE study that spanned 32 countries. Approximately half of the participants had suffered a stroke, while the other half were stroke-free.

Participants completed questionnaires at the beginning of the study that delved into risk factors, like high blood pressure and diabetes. And the researchers took a deep look at any symptoms of depression each person had experienced within the year before the study.

So how did all that data boil down?

After adjusting for all other factors that can affect stroke risk, the data showed that people with symptoms of depression before stroke had a 46 percent higher chance of stroke than someone who had not suffered from depression.

And the more symptoms a person had, the higher that stroke risk.

Unfortunately, that was only the tip of the iceberg…

The research also showed that suffering from depression can also make it less likely you’ll recover if you do have a stroke. Those with depression were more likely to have worse outcomes one month after the stroke than participants without depression.

“In this study, we gained deeper insights into how depressive symptoms can contribute to stroke,” said study author Robert P. Murphy, MBBS. “Our results show that symptoms of depression can have an impact on mental health, but also increase the risk of stroke. Physicians should be looking for these symptoms of depression and can use this information to help guide health initiatives focused on stroke prevention.”

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A two-pronged approach to reduce risk

This means that if you want to avoid having a stroke, you not only have to focus on the health of your arteries and blood flow, but also your mood.

To keep your blood vessels at their best and your blood flowing smoothly, try passive stretching. This artery “workout” has been found to increase blood flow and dilation of vessels and decrease arterial stiffness in as little as 12 weeks.

To help fight depression, you may need the help of a psychiatrist. But there are two good reasons to consider supplementing a combination of omega-3 fatty acids and phosphatidylserine (PS for short)…

A 2015 study found that taking 100 mg of PS, plus an omega-3 supplement containing 119 mg of DHA and 70 mg of EPA three times a day for 12 weeks improved mood and lowered levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol in participants with late-life depression.

And there’s a bonus to supplementing omega-3s in regard to stroke risk…

Chronic inflammation in the blood vessels is normally controlled by “stop signals” called resolvins. Resolvins are formed from omega-3 fatty acids bind to a receptor called GPR32, activating the receptor’s ability to counteract inflammation in blood vessels, essentially switching off inflammation and stimulating tissue repair and healing. 

This process is known as resolution of inflammation, and researchers believe this is how omega-3s, like those found in fatty fish, fish oil or krill oil, protect the brain from stroke.

Sources:

The Effects of Phosphatidylserine and Omega-3 Fatty Acid-Containing Supplement on Late Life Depression – NIH

People with symptoms of depression may have an increased risk of stroke – EurekAlert!

The post The stroke risk linked to depression appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And supplements appear to be among the top contenders…

Take omega-3s. Several studies have found these fish oil nutrients improve memory function, boost brain volume and help clear plaques from the brain. At first, experts were skeptical until they finally realized dosage matters, since most omega-3s don’t make it to the brain.

Then there’s niacin, which belongs to the family of  B vitamins. More than a decade ago, researchers found that people with the lowest food intake of niacin were 80 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s than those with the highest.

But vitamin D’s relationship with brain health may have the most research and most clout. In fact, a search of medical databases will pull thousands of hits on this dementia repellent. So why do researchers keep going back for more? If there could be a magic pill, vitamin D may be the closest we ever get…

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More research shows vitamin D adds dementia-free years

The latest, a study from the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute, has found that taking vitamin D is associated with more dementia-free years of life.

These findings were drawn from over 12,388 participants in the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (part of the National Institute on Aging), a national database of standardized clinical research data.

The study also found that a group of people who took vitamin D supplements had 40 percent fewer dementia diagnoses than those who did not take the supplements.

However, if you are genetically predisposed, the level of benefit may not be as high…

The APOEe4 gene is connected with a higher-than-average risk for Alzheimer’s disease. This study found that those who did not carry this gene saw “significantly greater” benefits from taking vitamin D (the reason for this is not fully understood).

They also saw that women appeared to benefit more than men. I wonder if that is because up to two-thirds of people with dementia are women.

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An important note about vitamin D

Professor Zahinoor Ismail of the University of Calgary, lead author of the study, says, “Our findings give key insights into groups who might be specifically targeted for vitamin D supplementation. Overall, we found evidence to suggest that earlier supplementation might be particularly beneficial, before the onset of cognitive decline.”

So if you’re not already supplementing with vitamin D, there’s no better time than now to start. But you should know that vitamin D is not a one-size-fits-all nutrient…

We’ve known for some time that weight is a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency. In other words, people who are overweight are as much as 23 percent more likely to be deficient.

A recent study also found that something different is happening with vitamin D metabolism at higher body weights that diminishes the vitamin’s benefits.

That means it’s important to do two things:

1. Maintain a BMI under 40 in order to ensure your body is using vitamin D to its fullest efficacy;
2. Supplement adequately. The current RDA of 600 to 800 IU for vitamin D is considered woefully insufficient by many experts by a factor of ten. You can read more about that here and why 5000 IU daily is considered a safe therapeutic dose for adults.

Also, to help vitamin D work even harder for you, pair it with this superfruit.

Sources:

Taking vitamin D could help prevent dementia, study finds — Eureka Alert

Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia: Effects of sex, APOE, and baseline cognitive status — Alzheimer’s Association

Low levels of vitamin D in the brain linked to increased dementia risk — Medical News Today

About NACC — National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center

The post The ties between vitamin D and dementia thicken appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Maybe you’ve turned to laxatives for relief.

But laxatives are a bad solution to the problem.

Making a habit of laxative use has a strong connection with dementia risk.

Not surprising, when you consider the importance of the biochemical signaling system that connects the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system (better known as the gut-brain axis).

In any case, while no causal link has been determined between laxatives and dementia, recent research shows the correlation between the two is strong enough to cause serious concern…

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Laxative use and dementia are highly correlated

“Constipation and laxative use are common among middle-aged and older adults,” says Dr. Feng Sha of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Guangdong, China.

Dr. Sha and colleagues from China, Britain and the United States have shown that people who regularly use laxatives have more than a fifty percent increased risk of developing dementia — including vascular dementia.

Their study involved 502,229 people in the U.K. Biobank database with an average age of 57 who were free of dementia.

Over about ten years, 1.3 percent of regular laxative users developed dementia, while only 0.4 percent of non-users developed dementia.

This translated to a 51 percent increased risk of dementia in people who regularly used laxatives. But in those that used more than one type, the risk could go even higher…

Laxatives risk by use and type

You may not realize that there are several different types of laxatives, differentiated by the way they work on your body.

Bulk-forming laxatives are not digested. Rather, they absorb liquid from the intestines and swell to form a soft, bulky stool that can pass more easily.

Stool-softening laxatives work by increasing the amount of water and fat in your stool, making it softer and easier to pass.

Stimulating laxatives speed up the movement of your bowels by stimulating the nerves that control the muscles lining your digestive tract.

In the study cited above, the risk of dementia increased by 90 percent for those taking more than one laxative type, as opposed to a 28 percent higher risk for people using just one type.

However, there was one exception to the lower risk associated with those taking a single laxative…

Osmotic laxatives, which draw water from the rest of your body into your bowels to soften stools, carried a significantly heightened dementia risk of 64%, compared to those who used none.

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Natural alternatives to laxatives

Fortunately, if constipation is a problem for you, there’s a lot you can do before you reach for the laxative bottle.

First, you need to understand some common causes of constipation:

• Lack of physical activity
• Not drinking enough water
• A low-fiber diet
• Weak pelvic muscles
• Medications (here’s a list of 7)

These are all pretty easy fixes. Get moving, drink more water, improve your diet, and perform Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.

On top of all this, there are ways to support regular bowel movements. You may have heard of some of these…

• Ancient aloe – This cactus-like plant helps stimulate the bowel and soften stool for easier elimination.
• Inulin – This natural prebiotic found in chicory root helps support the natural production of beneficial bacteria in the colon by providing the intestinal fertilizer needed for healthy gut flora.
• Potassium – This critical mineral helps keep stool hydrated and moist promoting a healthy transit time from the digestive tract to the toilet.
• Cascara sagrada – Used by Native Americans for centuries to help promote bowel contractions and the urge to “go” for normal healthy bowel movements.
• Senna leaf – This natural herb helps support healthy stool consistency for regular, gentle bowel movements.
• Slippery Elm – This herb is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps regulate anal tissue swelling.
• Black Walnut hulls – This ancient remedy contains juglone, tannins and natural iodine which work together to help eliminate harmful organisms from the digestive tract helping to support healthy digestion and regularity.

Sources:

Study: People who regularly use laxatives may have an increased risk of dementia — Eureka Alert

Association Between Regular Laxative Use and Incident Dementia in UK Biobank Participants — Neurology

The post Laxatives linked to high dementia risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Studies have found links between poor oral health and conditions ranging from severe COVID-19 infection to diabetes and kidney disease and, especially, heart disease.

Other research has shown that not brushing your teeth well, skipping out on dental visits to remove plaque, having missing teeth and gum disease are all factors that contribute to increased stroke risk.

This led the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, to look more closely into how dental health impacts brain health.

And considering that 3 in 5 Americans will develop a brain disease in their lifetime, it makes sense to modify any behavior that can help you keep your memory and critical thinking skills working in tip-top shape…

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Bad oral health linked to bad brain health

Clearly, the mouth is a gateway to health or disease.

But according to study author Cyprien Rivier, M.D., M.S., a postdoctoral fellow in neurology at the Yale School of Medicine, “What hasn’t been clear is whether poor oral health affected brain health, meaning the functional status of a person’s brain, which we are now able to understand better using neuroimaging tools such as magnetic resonance imaging or MRI.

“Studying oral health is especially important because poor oral health happens frequently and is an easily modifiable risk factor — everyone can effectively improve their oral health with minimal time and financial investment.”

To that end a team of researchers analyzed the potential link between oral health and brain health among 40,000 UK Biobank enrollees with an average age of 57 who had no history of stroke.

The participants were screened for 105 genetic variants known to predispose a person to cavities, dentures and missing teeth later in life. Then, researchers evaluated the relationship between these genetic risk factors for poor oral health and brain health.

Using MRI, the researchers were able to assess signs of poor brain health, mainly white matter hyperintensities and microstructural damage.

According to the analysis, people who were genetically prone to cavities, missing teeth or needing dentures exhibited a 24 percent increase in the amount of white matter hyperintensities visible on the MRI images. This means their burden of silent cerebrovascular disease was higher and so was their risk for impaired memory, balance and mobility.

Also, those with overall genetically poor oral health showed a 43 percent change in microstructural damage to the fine architecture of the brain.

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Genetics versus healthy habits

Cerebrovascular disease refers to a group of conditions that affect blood flow and the blood vessels in the brain. Problems with blood flow may occur from blood vessel narrowing, clot formation, artery blockage or blood vessel rupture.

If that’s not incentive enough to ramp up the care of your mouth, I’m not sure what is. But what about the genetic factor researchers included in this study?

As previous studies diving into genetics and health conditions have shown, lifestyle habits make a significant difference…

Joseph P. Broderick, M.D., FAHA, a professor at the University of Cincinnati Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine and director of the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, adds “Environmental factors such as smoking and health conditions such as diabetes are much stronger risk factors for poor oral health than any genetic marker — except for rare genetic conditions associated with poor oral health, such as defective or missing enamel.”

So instead of worrying about any genetic factors that could increase your risk of dental problems, focus on taking care of your mouth.  Keep brushing your teeth at least twice a day, floss at least once a day and visit the dentist at least twice a year for a cleaning and checkup.

If you’re a smoker or smokeless tobacco user, you need to stop. Both these activities raise your risk of gum disease, and smokeless tobacco use can also increase your risk of tooth decay and tooth loss.

Sources:

Poor oral health may contribute to declines in brain health — American Heart Association

 Genetics and Oral Health — American Dental Association

Smokeless Tobacco: Health Effects — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Diabetes and Oral Health — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The post The link between your toothbrush and silent brain damage appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

She explained that her knee’s been bothering her for about five years now, and while she can still walk without difficulty, occasionally the pain gets really uncomfortable.

At her age, that keeps her from feeling confident about getting out and about on her own at times.

When she saw her orthopedic doctor, they performed an MRI that showed some small areas of issues, with a slightly frayed meniscus that could be cleaned up. However, since it wasn’t anything too serious, he left the final decision about proceeding with surgery in her lap.

So, she was left trying to decide if she wanted to actually go through the trouble of knee surgery for a small repair that could still carry the risk of unresolved pain.

Here’s what I told her — and it especially applies to anyone aged 65 or older…

If you don’t absolutely have to have surgery, weigh the risks. Because there’s an even bigger risk to undergoing the pain and trouble of surgery than not coming out any better in the pain department.

I’m talking about silent strokes…

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Surgery and silent strokes

What is a silent stroke?

Well, put simply, it’s one where you have damage, but there are no typical outward symptoms. You can compare that to what is called an “overt stroke” – the type of stroke you normally think of with obvious symptoms like weakness in one arm, speech problems, and even potential paralysis.

This makes a silent stroke hard to recognize since the only way you know for sure if you’ve had one is with a brain scan or an MRI.

And, while research shows that each year approximately 0.5 percent of the 50 million people age 65 and up who have major, non-cardiac surgery will suffer an overt stroke, no one knew what the numbers were for the silent ones.

Until now…

Researchers at McMaster University took a look at the risk of a silent stroke in people over the age of 65 following elective, non-cardiac surgeries.

They followed surgery patients from 12 centers in North and South America, Asia, New Zealand, and Europe, using MRI post-surgery to look for evidence of silent stroke.

And, here’s what they had to say…

“We’ve found that ‘silent’ covert strokes are actually more common than overt strokes in people aged 65 or older who have surgery,” said Dr. PJ Devereaux, co-principal investigator of the NeuroVISION study and professor in the departments of health research methods, evidence and impact, and medicine at McMaster University.

In fact, the Canadian team found that one in 14 people over age 65 who had elective, non-cardiac surgery had a silent stroke. When you extrapolate these numbers, this means that as many as three million people 65 and above globally suffer a covert stroke after surgery each and every year!

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The fallout

Because the symptoms of silent strokes aren’t apparent, they come with big problems.

The research team followed patients for one year after their surgery to assess their cognitive capabilities and discovered that within one year of their surgery, people who had a silent stroke after surgery were more likely to experience:

• Cognitive decline
• Perioperative delirium
• An overt stroke
• A transient ischemic attack or mini-stroke

So, if you’re age 65 or older and considering surgery, know your risks. If the surgery is elective, you’ll need to weigh the chances of a silent stroke and what it could do to your life against the benefits you’ll get from having the surgery. It’s an important topic to discuss with a doctor who knows your health history well.

Sources:

1. Canadian researchers find ‘silent’ strokes common after surgery — EurekAlert!

The post The silent surgery risk your doctor may not know about appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Being obese has been linked with inflammaging, a term coined by scientists about two decades ago to refer to the way our bodies become progressively more inflamed as we age.

Inflammaging is thought to be behind a number of age-related conditions and diseases, including atherosclerosis, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer…

And Alzheimer’s disease.

But until recently, we had no idea how closely the actual brain of an obese person resembles the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s.

It’s quite scary.

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Alzheimer’s and obesity shrink the same areas of the brain

Research has already shown a link between obesity and Alzheimer’s-like changes in the brain, including the buildup of amyloid-β plaque.

But now, researchers have taken a good, long look at how the brain’s grey matter changes in both obese people and in people with Alzheimer’s.

Scientists at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University in Montreal sampled over 1300 people to compare patterns of grey matter atrophy in obesity and Alzheimer’s.

They compared Alzheimer’s patients with non-Alzheimer’s controls and the brains of obese people with non-obese people. In this way, they created “grey matter maps” for each group and were able to compare them.

What they found was startling. Patterns of grey matter (cortical) thinning between the groups were very similar.

For example, thinning in the right temporo-parietal cortex and left prefrontal cortex was similar in both groups.

Since cortical thinning may be a sign of neurodegeneration, this suggests that obesity may cause the same patterns of brain deterioration as those found in people with Alzheimer’s.

If the right parietal lobe is damaged, a person will have trouble with proprioception or sensing where parts of their body are. They may also find themselves unable to perform simple routine tasks like combing their hair or dressing. This is known as ataxia.

A person with damage to the prefrontal cortex may become aggressive or irritable and may perform poorly on tasks that require long-term planning.

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Lose the weight now to avoid Alzheimer’s later

“Our results highlight the importance of decreasing weight in obese and overweight individuals in mid-life, to decrease the subsequent risk of neurodegeneration and dementia,” says Dr. Filip Morys, the study’s first author.

In other words, if you’re overweight or obese, getting your weight under control now could save you from the grip of Alzheimer’s.

Of course, there are myriad weight loss programs, strategies and promises out there. But the truth is it’s never easy and usually involves both diet and exercise.

But the Mediterranean diet can provide a double-whammy of support. Not only does it protect against weight gain, but it’s also heavy in nutrients that can help pump up the volume of a shrinking brain.

Fatty fish, a staple of the diet, are rich in brain-boosting omega-3s. And brain-saving omega-3s have been shown to improve brain structure, even in a middle-aged brain.

Sources:

Study finds obesity-related neurodegeneration mimics Alzheimer’s disease — Science Daily

Obesity-Associated Neurodegeneration Pattern Mimics Alzheimer’s Disease in an Observational Cohort Study — Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease

A new study shows the effects of obesity mirror those of aging — Eureka Alert

The post Obesity causes brain changes that mimic Alzheimer’s appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Scientists from the National Institutes of Health found 22 connections between viral infections and neurodegenerative conditions in their study of around 450,000 people.

Senior author Michael Nalls, a neurogeneticist at the National Institute on Aging, says the impetus for this study came when he and other scientists read previous research linking the Epstein-Barr virus with a 32-fold increased risk of multiple sclerosis.

“After reading [this] study, we realized that for years scientists had been searching — one-by-one — for links between an individual neurodegenerative disorder and a specific virus,” says Dr. Nalls.

“That’s when we decided to try a different, more data science-based approach,” he said. “By using medical records, we were able to systematically search for all possible links in one shot.”

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The viral link to neurodegenerative disease

The research team analyzed the medical records of around 35,000 Finns with six different types of neurodegenerative diseases.

They found 45 links between viral exposure and neurodegenerative diseases, then narrowed this to 22 links when they analyzed another 100,000 records from the UK Biobank.

Here are some of the connections they discovered:

• People treated for viral encephalitis were 31 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (around six percent of people with encephalitis went on to develop Alzheimer’s).
• People hospitalized for pneumonia — after catching the flu — appeared to be more susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).
• Intestinal infections, meningitis and shingles, all caused by viruses, were also connected with the development of several neurodegenerative diseases.
• Some of the exposures were associated with an increased risk of neurodegeneration up to 15 years after infection.

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Lower your susceptibility for viral infection

If you or a loved one has had one of these viral infections, please don’t panic.

Although there’s a pile of research linking viruses to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, the researchers are clear that their study does not demonstrate that these viruses cause neurological disease.

But this research does provide one more way to lower your risk for these terrible diseases that, as study co-author Andrew Singleton points out, “there are very few effective treatments and many risk factors” for.

“Our results support the idea that viral infections and related inflammation in the nervous system may be common — and possibly avoidable — risk factors for these types of disorders.”

What can you do on your own to lessen your susceptibility to a viral infection going forward — and lower risks for developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s?

Supplement zinc. Research shows a “zinc burst” may regenerate an aging thymus. That’s the gland that plays a vital role in the maturation of T cells — the cells that are critical for mounting a strong immune system response. The thymus gland shrinks with age and that’s why older folks are at greater risk of infection.

Increase antioxidant intake. A 2015 study found that antioxidants can protect the thymus from free radicals and prevent age-related thymus shrinkage. Antioxidants also support against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s since the brain is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress.

Maintain physical activity. It’s the surest way to help your thymus produce T cells like your 20-year-old immune system did. Physical exercise also lowers risk for dementia and Parkinson’s because of a common hormone produced during exercise: irisin.

Sources:

Study of 500,000 Medical Records Links Viruses to Alzheimer’s Again And Again — Science Alert

Virus exposure and neurodegenerative disease risk across national biobanks — Neuron

Longitudinal analysis reveals high prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus associated with multiple sclerosis — Science

The post Half a million medical records link viruses to neurodegeneration appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Unfortunately, there are times when persistent insomnia can’t be solved with good sleep hygiene, a cup of chamomile tea or a sleep meditation.

At those times, it may be tempting to reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) sleep medication or to ask your doctor for a prescription sleep aid. But you need to be aware of the potential risk these medications can pose to your brain…

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The impact of sleep medications on cognition

Previous research has found a link between anticholinergic medicines and elevated dementia risk. This category of drugs includes nighttime cold remedies and certain OTC and prescription sleep medications.  

Some studies have found that taking these medications can increase your risk of developing dementia by as much as 54 percent!

Then there’s benzodiazepines. This drug class includes medicines like Xanax and Halcion and is often prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia.

Previous research analyzing the effects of “benzos” found using these drugs consistently led to impairments in memory and concentration. In older people, benzos can also cause physical and psychological dependence, drug tolerance and brain fog.

Now, another study has indicated that benzos are one of three categories of drugs that can increase the risk of dementia, along with certain antidepressants and next-generation sleep medications such as Ambien.

The Health, Aging and Body Composition study was led by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). They followed about 3,000 older adults without dementia who lived outside of nursing homes for an average of nine years. The average age of these individuals was 74, and about 58 percent were white and 42 percent were Black.

Previous research has shown people who are Black have a higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, than people who are white. Black individuals also have different risk factors and disease manifestations than white individuals.

Roughly 20 percent of the participants developed dementia during the study and they made some interesting findings…

• According to the results, white participants who “often” or “almost always” took sleep medications had a 79 percent higher chance of developing dementia compared to those who “never” or “rarely” used these drugs.

• The use of sleep aids was markedly lower in Black participants, and frequent users had similar odds of developing dementia as those who abstained or rarely used the medicines.

• The type and quantity of medication may explain the higher risk, as well as the ethnicity of the person taking the medication.

• The UCSF research indicates that people who are white are three times as likely as people who are black to take sleep medications “often,” defined as 5 to 15 times a month, or “almost always,” defined as 16 times a month to daily.

• White individuals were almost twice as likely to use benzos like Halcion, Dalmane and Restoril, all of which are prescribed for chronic insomnia. They were 10 times as likely to take trazodone, an antidepressant that may also be prescribed as a sleep aid. And they were more than seven times as likely to take so-called “Z-drugs” such as Ambien, often referred to as a sedative-hypnotic.

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What to do instead of medicating

After seeing these results, it would be wise to do as first author Yue Leng, Ph.D., of the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, advises — and that’s to hesitate before considering medication to fix your sleep problems.

First, you’ll want to rule out sleep apnea as a cause due to its association with cardiovascular complications. If you snore, wake up during the night gasping for air, wake up with a dry mouth or a headache, talk to your doctor about a sleep apnea test.

If that’s not your problem, you still have some non-drug options, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia. CBT for insomnia is a structured program that helps identify feelings or behaviors that contribute to poor sleep while introducing habits that promote restful sleep.

Of course, melatonin may be the most well-known natural sleep aid. It certainly has a great reputation for safely improving sleep and has other benefits to boot.

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the body that helps regulate the circadian rhythm — or sleep-wake cycle. Exposure to electronic screens and light can cut down on its production.

If you’ve tried melatonin in the past and didn’t find it helpful, your vitamin D levels may have been to blame. The sunshine vitamin is essential to the natural production of melatonin in the body and people over 50 tend to have insufficient levels.

Sources:

Do Sleep Medications Increase Your Chances of Dementia? — University of California San Francisco

Race Differences in the Association Between Sleep Medication Use and Risk of Dementia — Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease

The post The unsettling truth about sleep medication and your brain appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The big one for me is losing my keys. And I have to admit, it was concerning at first.

I couldn’t help but wonder if I was experiencing something more than forgetfulness…

But truth be told, the times I misplaced my keys I was doing something “extra” most of the time, like carrying groceries into the house, chatting with a neighbor who caught me as I drove up or rushing inside to feed my hungry cats because I got home late.

All of this does beg the question, however… when is forgetfulness a sign of something more serious, like cognitive decline?

Let me share what I learned — as well as a simple trick that researchers say can help you restore lost memories, so the next time you have a senior moment like mine and say, “Dang it, I lost my keys again,” you won’t have to worry…

Plain old forgetfulness versus a real concern

Here’s the good news…

Mild memory loss doesn’t necessarily mean you’re headed for dementia. The research says that only one percent of people over age 65 with age-related memory issues will end up with dementia each year.

Most of the time, misplacing an item or forgetting an appointment is more likely due to just having a lot on your mind. Think about it…

Computers, smartphones and the internet mean a constant stream of information is coming at us from every direction. And at this point in our lives, we have a lot to keep up with… health and dental appointments (not just for me—but my husband and kids too), scheduled gym time, family or friend time — you get the idea.

So if your brain gets a little overloaded processing it all, don’t beat yourself up.

Now if you begin forgetting to do something, like regularly paying your bills, or struggle with how to do a familiar task, follow directions or use your remote control — it’s time to talk with a family member or someone you trust, and ultimately your doctor.

Otherwise, let me share what finally helped me find my keys — and cut down on losing them at all…

Retracing your steps works for forgetfulness

According to researchers, there’s a simple trick that puts your brain’s tendency to create event boundaries to work to solve memory issues.

Did you ever misplace something as a child and your mom tell you to think about where you had it last — and retrace your steps to find it?

That works because our brain likes that format…

“Intuitively, we perceive structure in the form of events in continuous experience. A ‘restaurant visit’ and a ‘train ride’ are examples of such events,” says researcher Sebastian Michelmann. “When one event ends and another begins, people perceive an event boundary, and human observers agree substantially on the exact moments when an event boundary happens.”

These event boundaries can be used as stepping stones to retrace events and improve the recall of certain facts and bits of information.

“When people search through continuous memories, they can do that slowly and thoroughly, but they can also skip ahead to the next event boundary when they decide that the answer that they are looking for is not in the current event,” Michelmann says. “Event boundaries are important access points for this skipping, which is why we refer to them as stepping stones in the memory search process.”

Put simply, retracing your steps works! But it’s not the only way I boosted my memory…

Nootropics: When your brain just needs a boost

Nootropics are cognitive enhancers that help boost your memory performance. They typically work by improving the way the brain communicates and processes information — via neurotransmitters. Or they help dampen things that can occur in the body that interfere with that process.

I’ve found three that I like to stack (use together because they tackle different features that can impact my memory)…

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ). It supports cognitive function because of its antioxidant abilities to fend off free radicals and dampen inflammation. A big plus is that it also supports mitochondria — the tiny power plants in every cell — and the brain is your body’s most power-hungry organ!

Krill oil. DHA and EPA are two powerful brain-supporting omega-3 fatty acids and krill helps you use them best. Krill is high in phospholipids which increase the bioavailability of the omega-3s. Krill also contains a powerful antioxidant — astaxanthin — capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier.

Phosphatidylserine (PS).  PS is a key building block for the brain. It’s found in high concentrations in neurons — or brain cells. Like anything else though, with age, it dwindles in amount.

If you’d like to cut down on those senior moments, remember to give these tips a try!

Sources:

Events serve as ‘stepping stones’ en route to retrieved memories – ScienceDaily

The post How I finally got a steel trap memory in my 50s appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The problem is that while it may seem like a no-brainer to take a medication your doctor says will reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke, it could actually be your brain you’re risking.

In fact, according to a new study, one type of statins and dementia go hand-in-hand.

The dementia risk danger of lipophilic statins

The research, from a team at the University of California, Los Angeles, took a look at what different types of statins may be doing to your brain.

You see, there’s not just one type but two prescribed based on your health needs.

Hydrophilic statins focus on your liver. But lipophilic statins are distributed to tissues throughout your body.

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And over the years, there’s been conflicting studies on just exactly how these drugs affect your cognition. Some of them found that taking the drugs could actually guard against dementia. Still, others showed that using statins accelerated the development of the disease.

So the California team decided to settle the debate for good.

The researchers separated study participants into groups based on three parameters:

• Baseline cognitive status
• Baseline cholesterol levels
• Type of statin used

Then each participant underwent PET imaging of their brains to identify any regions of declining cerebral metabolism within each statin group. And the researchers delved through a full eight years of clinical data on the subjects.

And the results showed that there’s one type of statin you really don’t want to be on…

The lipophilic variety.

That’s because patients with mild cognitive impairment (or even normal cognition) who used lipophilic statins were found to have more than double the risk of developing dementia compared to statin non-users.

To top it off, PET imaging of lipophilic statin users also showed a substantial decline in metabolism in the posterior cingulate cortex. This is the region of the brain known to decline the most significantly in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

On the other hand, no clinical or metabolic decline was found for users of other types of statins.

So all in all, taking lipophilic statins was shown to destroy the metabolism of the first area of your brain affected by Alzheimer’s and more than double your risk of dementia.

This means your trading heart problems for problems with your brain and memory.

I’m not sure that’s a trade I would want to make.

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Which statins are lipophilic?

So what names should you check your statin bottle for to see if you’re taking the lipophilic variety?

Well, a few of the most well-known include:

• Simvastatin
• Lovastatin
• Atorvastatin
• Fluvastatin

If you’re using any of these, it’s advisable to talk to your doctor about your dementia risk.

Sadly, there are even more dark truths about statins to worry about as well.

That’s why whenever possible, most health experts recommend managing your cholesterol without drugs. Here are a few you may want to check out…

According to cardiologist Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, healthy lifestyle changes can often help get numbers where they should be — diet being one of the most effective.

Recent research shows dairy can have a positive effect on cholesterol, even LDL.

And another way that you might find surprising is in a little-known cactus fruit.

Sources:

Lipophilic statin use linked to increased risk of dementia – EurekAlert!

The post The statin that more than doubles dementia risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And, we all want to avoid the disabling hip fractures that can accelerate our physical decline.

But did you know that losing muscle mass as you age may be even more dangerous to your health?

It’s a lot more serious than experts once thought. The gradual deterioration of your muscles increases the risk of diabetes, heart attack and dementia.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to slow down this particular part of the aging process…

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Sarcopenia: What it is, who is at risk

The loss of muscle mass due to the natural aging process is known as sarcopenia.

Most people begin losing muscle tissue around age 40. With this loss comes a gradual reduction in muscle strength and function. By age 50, as our body becomes less able to convert protein into muscle, we are losing one percent to two percent of our muscle mass every year.

In our 60s and 70s, this loss becomes even more rapid. We lose muscle fibers, and the ones we have are shrinking.

Other signs of sarcopenia include loss of endurance, poor balance, and trouble with everyday tasks like climbing stairs, rising from a chair, even opening a jar.

As our muscles weaken, a vicious cycle begins: it starts with less physical activity that leads to sedentary behavior and greater deterioration.

What causes age-related muscle loss?

Several things happen as we age that contribute to sarcopenia.

• Our bodies become less able to produce the protein our muscles need to grow.
• Changing levels of hormones like testosterone and IGF-1 affect muscle growth and mass.

Lifestyle habits play an important role in how rapidly our muscles deteriorate. A sedentary lifestyle, as well as poor nutrition, contribute to the development of sarcopenia.

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, up to 41 percent of women and 38 percent of men over age 50 eat less than the recommended daily allowance of protein.

Why is sarcopenia so dangerous?

Aside from the obvious risks of falling and loss of mobility, research is linking sarcopenia to other devastating health complications:

• Diabetes – With less muscle, less glucose is burned, making it harder to control blood sugar. Of course, diabetes is often accompanied by other complications like nerve pain, vision loss, and kidney disease.
• Osteoporosis – Studies link sarcopenia with a tripled risk for osteoporosis.
• Dementia – In a study published in Clinical Interventions in Aging, people with sarcopenia were six times more likely to have cognitive impairments than those without sarcopenia.
• Heart disease – Sarcopenia is linked to a 77 percent increased risk for cardiovascular disease, perhaps related to the lack of physical activity it causes

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How you can keep your muscles strong

As with many health conditions, there are two arenas where you can meet sarcopenia head-on: nutrition and exercise.

Dr. John Morley, director of geriatric medicine at St. Louis University School of Medicine, and Dr. Michael Grossman, an anti-aging specialist, offer these pointers for slowing down muscle loss as you age…

Load up on protein. In a three-year study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, older adults who ate the most protein lost 40% less muscle than those who ate the least.

Try to get most of your protein from naturally protein-rich foods, rather than from protein-fortified products. Dr. Grossman recommends at least four ounces of protein-rich food daily.

If you like milk, you’re in luck. Whey protein is rich in three amino acids that make up 35 percent of muscle protein. Whey protein powder is also a good option if you aren’t getting enough protein in your diet.

One caution: If you have kidney disease, check with your nephrologist to determine what level of protein intake is healthy for you.

Take Vitamin D. Sufficient levels of this vitamin are crucial for both bone and muscle health. It helps control low-level inflammation that destroys muscle protein.

Get your omega-3s. In a 2012 study, women in their sixties who took fish oil supplements saw significantly greater improvements in muscle strength as a result of strength training.

Exercise

Even if you eat protein, the right kind of exercise is the only way to build muscle.

Walking, swimming, tennis, dancing, and elliptical training are great ways to combine strength training and aerobic exercise, and to work both your upper and lower body muscles.

A note: strength training appears to be good for the mind as well.

A group of Australian researchers had people 55+ do weight-lifting exercises. The subjects all had mild cognitive impairment (which often precedes Alzheimer’s)

After exercising twice a day for six months, the subjects showed a direct correlation between increased muscle strength and improved cognitive functioning.

The post Why sarcopenia is dangerous: Diabetes, heart disease and dementia appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s why when people think of Parkinson’s symptoms, they usually picture shaky hands and stiff, jerky limb movements. But often these symptoms don’t manifest until years after the onset of the illness.

But in working to identify the earliest signs of Parkinson’s — researchers are finding that some signs appearing years before an official diagnosis is made are, surprisingly, not neurological in nature…

Some unusual signs of early Parkinson’s

During their research, scientists analyzed German outpatient health insurance records from 2011 to 2020. They separated the records into two groups: patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s and a control group that was Parkinson’s-free. Each patient was tracked for an average of 6 years.

As expected, when comparing the two groups, the patients with Parkinson’s were much more likely to have known Parkinson’s signs such as tremors, restless legs syndrome, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. And these symptoms occurred anywhere up to 10 years before their official disease diagnosis.

But some surprising connections surfaced during the study — non-neurological signs of Parkinson’s that may emerge as many as 6 years before diagnosis…

Changes in skin sensation and associations with inflammatory skin conditions: According to the researchers, the early presentation of patients with Parkinson’s disease with skin disorders may reflect early deposits of alpha-synuclein in the skin, inflammatory disposition, and perceptual changes early in the disease process. Links also emerged with inflammatory skin conditions, seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis.

Some patients also experienced seronegative osteoarthritis — also an inflammatory condition.

Diabetes: A new relationship discovered was with type 1 diabetes, which has never been previously reported as a risk factor in patients with Parkinson’s disease or before diagnosis. Type 2 diabetes was also linked to Parkinson’s, solidifying an association seen in previous research.

Gastrointestinal conditions: Gastroesophageal reflux and gastritis, were found to be more prevalent in those who received a Parkinson’s diagnosis later on.

Previous studies have found other unexpected early signs of Parkinson’s including depression, loss of smell, dizziness, fatigue, pain and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, a condition where you flail or kick in your sleep, and a link between metabolic syndrome and Parkinson’s.

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More than a neurological disease?

These odd combinations of symptoms may have a lot to do with findings in the scientific community that Parkinson’s is both a neurological and autoimmune disease.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition and some believe seborrheic dermatitis may be as well. Type 1 diabetes is considered an organ-specific autoimmune disease caused by the autoimmune response against pancreatic β cells.

Information found at the LaJolla Institute for Immunology reveals that in a 2020 study, the LJI team shed light on the timeline of T cell reactivity and Parkinson’s disease progression. T cells are part of the immune system meant to attack foreign invaders, but play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune conditions when they begin attacking the body.

They found that the T cells that react to alpha-synuclein (a protein that collects in clumps in Parkinson’s patients) are abundant when patients are first diagnosed with the disease. But these T cells tend to disappear as the disease progresses, and few patients still have them ten years after diagnosis. This research shows that signs of autoimmunity can appear in Parkinson’s disease patients years before an official diagnosis.

This may also help explain the involvement of inflammatory and gut-related conditions as well. Even though inflammatory bowel disease isn’t technically an autoimmune condition, it is caused by an abnormal immune response.

While there’s no way to prevent Parkinson’s, there may ways to reduce the risk…

• Research shows that people exposed to high levels of pesticides have a higher Parkinson’s risk.
• Research shows that people who exercise in their 30s and 40s have a 30 percent lower risk of getting the disease. 
• People who eat more peppers have a lower risk of the disease. Other foods with a proven ability to lower Parkinson’s risk include berries, apples, oranges, fish and green tea.
• Some vitamins and nutrients have shown to be helpful, especially those in foods that help douse inflammation.

Sources:

Early Signs of Parkinson’s May Be Seen Years Before Diagnosis — MedPage Today

Widening the Spectrum of Risk Factors, Comorbidities, and Prodromal Features of Parkinson Disease — JAMA Neurology

What is Parkinson’s? — Parkinson’s Foundation

The post Unusual early signs of Parkinson’s disease appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s a devastating diagnosis that is often called “the long goodbye” as we watch our loved one lose the capacity to think for themselves and to remember who we are.

And while there is no cure, there are lifestyle factors that may lower our risks. One of the simplest may be a once vilified source of an essential nutrient that could very well hold the key to solving the Alzheimer’s “puzzle.”

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An important brain-supporting nutrient

Choline, plentiful in eggs, is an essential nutrient that is crucial to the health of your nervous system.

The brain and nervous system use it to regulate memory, mood, and muscle control, and it forms the membranes that surround your cells.

A 2011 study found that higher choline intake was strongly associated with better cognitive function in seniors.

A sufficient supply in the brain will preserve neurons, brain size and neural networks related to memory, protecting against age-related cognitive decline.

Choline’s ability to safeguard memory is primarily because it’s a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. A deficiency in acetylcholine will cause difficulty with word recall when speaking, as well as memory problems and learning difficulties.

Study shows that choline may offset Alzheimer’s

An Arizona State University study examined mice from three to twelve months old (early to late adulthood — roughly equivalent to 20-60 years of age for humans).

All exhibited symptoms of Alzheimer’s, either naturally or by induced methods.

Mice who were fed a choline-deficient diet showed liver damage and heart enlargement. They also had an increase in β-amyloid protein and tau tangles typical of Alzheimer’s disease and performed poorly on tests of motor skills — especially those in whom Alzheimer’s had been induced.

Translating these findings to humans, this implies that people who are predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease or who already have the disease should be sure to avoid a choline deficiency.

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Choline sources (and drugs that interfere with it)

Choline is produced by the liver in small amounts. But without dietary sources, a deficiency will always exist.

Fortunately, there are plenty of good sources of choline. But eggs mays be the easiest: just two can get you to 54 percent of the recommended daily intake.

Of course, another alternative is to take choline supplements. But some research shows natural choline from egg yolk phospholipids is better absorbed.

No matter how you do it, though, you’d be wise to be wary of medication that can hinder choline’s brain benefits…

Remember, as I mentioned above, choline is the precursor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays an important role in memory function.

Anticholinergic drugs are a commonly prescribed group of medications, also called antispasmodics. They are popularly used to treat urinary incontinence by stopping involuntary nerve impulses — like the urgent need to find the nearest restroom. But to do this they block acetylcholine.

The majority of these drugs are prescribed to women — so is it any wonder that more than two-thirds of the people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are women?

Guard your choline to guard your brain.

Sources:

Study explores effects of dietary choline deficiency on neurologic and system-wide health — Eureka Alert

Dietary choline intake is necessary to prevent systems-wide organ pathology and reduce Alzheimer’s disease hallmarks — Aging Cell

The relation of dietary choline to cognitive performance and white-matter hyperintensity in the Framingham Offspring Cohort — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

What is acetylcholine — Cleveland Clinic

Natural Choline from Egg Yolk Phospholipids Is More Efficiently Absorbed Compared with Choline Bitartrate; Outcomes of A Randomized Trial in Healthy Adults — Journal Nutrients

The post Alzheimer’s: Another reason to eat eggs appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And possibly one of the worst is frontotemporal dementia, which can steal your ability to speak or understand language, leave you with motor problems like weakness and tremors and cause your behavior to change for the worse.

In fact, patients with this type of dementia can suffer from behavioral problems that are so severe that they have to be placed in nursing homes and at times, are even arrested.

But thanks to research from a team of scientists at Cedars-Sinai, real hope may finally be available to people with frontotemporal dementia — one that’s as simple as stopping a leak…

The fluid leak that leads to dementia

Specifically, the scientists focused on an often undiagnosed issue known as a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. CSF is the fluid that circulates around your brain and spinal cord, which helps to cushion them from injury.

However, if this fluid starts to leak into your body, your brain can begin to sag — a problem the researchers believed could be behind those frontotemporal lobe dementia symptoms.

This type of leak can be caused by a hole in the spinal cord or a CSF-venous fistula, which allows the fluid to leak into a vein.

To test their theory, and to discover whether treating any hidden CSF leaks, could help dementia patients, the scientist recruited 21 participants with both frontotemporal lobe dementia and brain sagging detected through MRI.

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Using a specialized form of CT scan that allowed the team to observe a contrast medium in motion as it flowed through the cerebrospinal fluid, the researchers were able to pinpoint nine participants who suffered from one of those CSF-venous fistulas.

And sure enough, after each of those participants had those fistulas repaired, the brain sagging and dementia symptoms completely disappeared.

Yet, the scientists didn’t stop there.

To discover if there was a way to help the remaining 12 study participants, whose leaks could not be identified, the team treated them with therapies designed to relieve brain sagging, like implantable systems that help infuse the patient with CSF.

This allowed an additional three patients to achieve complete relief of their symptoms.

In other words, addressing CSF leaks resulted in 12 out of 21, or over 57 percent of these patients in the study, getting their lives back.

The CSF leak symptoms to look for

So how do you know if you or a loved one might have a CSF leak that’s driving dementia symptoms?

Here are the signs to be aware of:

• A history of severe headaches that improve when you lie down
• Feeling very tired even after you’ve gotten enough sleep
• A past diagnosis of a Chiari brain malformation — a condition in which brain tissue extends into the spinal canal — which can be misdiagnosed as brain sagging

If any of these symptoms are present, consider speaking to a neurosurgeon, who can help you access the specialized imaging necessary to detect a leak. Although this type of imaging isn’t widely available, certain hospital programs do specialize in caring for patients with CSF issues.

Sources:

New research detects potential hidden cause of dementia — EurekAlert!

The post Frontotemporal: The dementia that may be ‘repairable’ appeared first on Easy Health Options®.