Alzheimers Disease Archives - Page 7 of 8 - Natural Eye Care Blog: News & Research on Vision

Smoking Increases Risk of Alzheimer’s, Cataracts, and Macular Degeneration

We recommend that anyone interested in enjoying healthy eyes quit smoking because it has been linked to eye diseases including cataracts and macular degeneration. Here’s another reason to quit smoking: cigarettes increase your chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease by over 150%.

Though researchers are not exactly certain of why smoking can lead to Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, it may have something to do with the fact that smoking causes inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which are known markers for Alzheimer’s.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, followed over 21,000 Californians over three decades. Source: livescience.com

A non-smoking lifestyle marked by other healthy choices related to diet, exercise, and stress management are the key to eye health and overall health. Learn more about the Vision Wellness Protocol.

Learn more about how understanding and managing Alzheimer’s naturally.

Vitamin B12 Helps Fight Alzheimer’s, Anemia, and Glaucoma

A study out of Sweden shows that people with diets rich in vitamin B12 are much less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Published in the journal Neurology, researchers describe how the risk of Alzheimer’sdropped by 2% for every micromole per liter of vitamin B12 found in the blood.

However, they also found that decreased levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which is also associated with cardiovascular disease and stroke, can also increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. Vitamin B12 can actually lower those homocysteine levels.

According to the source of this story, Medical News Today, study authors conclude that “their study reveals the need for more research into vitamin B12’s role as a marker for identifying individuals at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Good food sources of B12 include eggs, sardines, clams, and mackerel. Learn more about food sources of nutrients.

It has long been known that B12 is essential for a healthy nervous system, with deficiencies leading to permanent damage of nerve cells. B12 comes from fish, meat, eggs, milk products and processed fortified foods. People who are on a vegan diet need to make sure they are getting enough B12, since the body stores B12 for a long time and deficiency symptoms may not appear until the problem is serious.

Video Gamers Have Better Hand-Eye Coordination But Risk Computer Eyestrain

gamers Does video game playing offer health benefits or health risks? As with many things, the answer is “it depends…”

Researchers at the Centre for Vision Research at York University in Toronto have discovered that young men who spend a lot of time playing video games do better at performing other complex visuomotor tasks. Using functional MRI technology, scientists found that the brains of gamers had actually been “rewired.” They used a different part of their brain than their non-gaming counterparts when performing complex task involving hand-eye coordination.

According to the source of this story, Medical News Today,” Such findings can hold important implications for research into neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, where people with the disease find it increasingly difficult to complete even the simplest hand-eye coordination tasks.”

On the other hand, studies have shown that people who spend a great deal of time in front of computer screens are susceptible to computer eyestrain which can lead to glaucoma. For hints on how to avoid computer eyestrain, please visit our website.

USDA: Vitamin D And Mental Agility in Elders

New study shows seniors with higher levels of Vitamin D had better cognitive performance on the tests than those in the deficient and insufficient categories.

In a recent study of seniors ages 65-99, only 35 percent had sufficient vitamin D blood levels. Those with higher levels of Vitamin D had better cognitive performance on the tests than those in the deficient and insufficient categories, particularly on measures of “executive performance,” such as cognitive flexibility, perceptual complexity, and reasoning.

Metabolic pathways for vitamin D have been found in the hippocampus and cerebellum areas of the brain involved in planning, processing, and forming new memories. This suggests that vitamin D may be implicated in cognitive processes

The 2009 study appears in the Journals of Gerontology, Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

Tiny blood vessels in brain spit to survive

Scientists at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have discovered capillaries have a unique method of expelling debris, such as blood clots, cholesterol or calcium plaque, that blocks the flow of essential nutrients to brain cells. The capillaries spit out the blockage by growing a membrane that envelopes the obstruction and then shoves it out of the blood vessel.

Scientists also found this critical process is 30 to 50 percent slower in an aging brain and likely results in the death of more capillaries.

“The slowdown may be a factor in age-related cognitive decline and may also explain why elderly patients who get strokes do not recover as well as younger patients,” said Jaime Grutzendler, senior author and principal investigator of the study and assistant professor of neurology and of physiology at Feinberg. “Their recovery is much slower.”

The study with mice, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), will be published May 27 in the journal Nature.

Editor’s Note: See more information on nutrition and dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease,

Australian scientists discover Omega-3 diet can help prevent Alzheimers

Australian scientists at Melbourne’s Deakin University confirm a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids can protect the brain from developing Alzheimers disease.

Reseachers have substantiated earlier research that there appeared to be a lower risk of neurodegenerative conditions in those people who consume plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids. Their research also determined that a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids can help individuals from developing the devastating brain condition, Alzheimers disease.

Essential fatty acids help regulate the natural levels of zinc in the brain. In some people zinc levels become elevated which can prove toxic according to Deakin University project leader and cellular biologist Professor Leigh Ackland.

Omega-3 fatty acids contain DHA, EPA & alpha linoleic acid. The researchers found that when the DHA level in brain nerve cells drops, zinc levels rise.

Editor’s Note: DHA is found most commonly in cold water fatty fish while a vegetarian source can be derived from seaweed.

Researchers: Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia

Alzheimers Disease Detection

Animal study shows that through a harmless fluorescent dye placed on the retina of the eye, a follow-up eye exam could help diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease and other neurological disorders before the appearance of actual symptoms begin.

An animal study shows that by means of a harmless fluorescent dye placed on the retina of the eye, a follow-up eye exam could help diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease and other neurological disorders before the appearance of actual symptoms begin.

This study was recently published in the open-access peer-reviewed journal Cell Death and Disease. Plans are being made for human trials soon.

Learn more about Alzheimer’s and conditions that mimic Alzheimer’s.

Learn more about early detection of Alzheimer’s.

Protein hormone Leptin Shows Promise in Treatment of Alzheimers Disease

The December 16, 2009 Journal of the American Medical Association featured an article on a long-term study of elderly individuals who have not been diagnosed with dementia. The study, led by researchers from BUSM and the Framingham Heart Study, focuses on the association between the protein hormone leptin and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

The researchers found that those subjects who had higher baseline levels of Leptin circulating in their blood system also had a significantly reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Individuals in the lowest quartile of gender-specific leptin levels had an absolute Alzheimer’s risk of 25%, while persons in the highest quartile had only a 6% risk over a 12-year follow-up period.

The Deadly Connection Between Diabetes and Alzheimer’s

For example, a 2004 Study found that high insulin levels, which are intimately connected to type II diabetes, were significantly correlated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Luchsinger JA, Tang MX, Shea S, Mayeux R. Hyperinsulinemia and risk of Alzheimer disease. Neurology. 2004 Oct 12;63(7):1187-92.

Numerous studies connect diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease.

A study in 2004 examined the association between type II diabetes, high insulin levels, and Alzheimer’s risk. A total of 683 men and women were followed and examined for signs of Alzheimer’s and increased insulin levels. As in the earlier study, the scientists found that high insulin levels, which are intimately connected to type II diabetes, were significantly correlated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Luchsinger JA, Tang MX, Shea S, Mayeux R. Hyperinsulinemia and risk of Alzheimer disease. Neurology. 2004 Oct 12;63(7):1187-92.

The possible mechanism by which high insulin levels are linked to Alzheimer’s was elucidated in a 2005 study published in the Archives of Neurology. Researchers showed that by mimicking high insulin levels (such as those seen in patients with insulin resistance and type II diabetes) in 16 healthy men ranging in age from 55 to 81, they were able to elevate inflammatory markers and beta amyloid levels in the brain, two characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease.

Fishel MA, Watson GS, Montine TJ, et al. Hyperinsulinemia provokes synchronous increases in central inflammation and beta-amyloid in normal adults. Arch Neurol. 2005 Oct;62(10):1539-44.

See more related information on nutrition, research and Alzheimer’s Disease and diabetes.

Alzheimer’s Risk: Diet, Muscle Power, Maternal Family

People who ranked in the top 10 percent for muscle strength were 61 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than the weakest 10 percent. Stronger people also showed a slower decline in their mental abilities over time.

Older people with stronger muscles are at reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to their weaker peers, a new study shows.

Alzheimer’s & Muscle Power

Dr. Patricia A. Boyle of Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago and her colleagues found that the greater a person’s muscle strength, the lower their likelihood of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s over a four-year period. The same was true for the loss of mental function that often precedes full-blown Alzheimer’s. People who ranked in the top 10 percent for muscle strength were 61 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than the weakest 10 percent. Stronger people also showed a slower decline in their mental abilities over time. SOURCE: Archives of Neurology, November 2009.

Maternal Family Genetic Inheritance

It is well known that Alzheimer’s disease runs in families, but researchers have found that it may be inherited through the maternal genes. According to a study published in Biological Psychiatry the measure of a protein called amyloid is a marker for Alzheimer’s. Adult children of mother’s with the disease have a greater amount of this protein in their brains. It is hoped that the identification of genetic risk factors will help them to develop future therapies for the disease. Source: https://scienceblog.com/40208/where-did-you-get-those-eyes-and-that-brain/

Alzheimer’s & Diet

An article published online on June 2, 2010 in FASEB Journal reports the discovery of Temple University researchers of the benefit of a low methionine diet in slowing or reversing early to moderate stage Alzheimer’s disease in an animal model.

Methionine is an essential amino acid that occurs in relatively high amounts in red meat, fish, eggs and other foods. A byproduct of methionine metabolism is homocysteine, another amino acid that has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease as well as cardiovascular disease when elevated.

Ref: www.fasebj.org

Alzheimer’s & Mediterranean Diet

A large study of older adults found a reduced dementia risk associated with the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet provides higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids than the Western diet. Omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with a protective effect on the brain and brain functioning.

The study was published in the April 30, 2013 issue of the journal Neurology. It looked at 17,478 Caucasian and African American participants who were in a study about strokes called “Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS).” These participants had not had a stroke or cognitive impairment when they started in the study.

When analyzing the questionnaires about diet, the researchers checked to see how closely each participant’s resembled the a Mediterranean diet. This diet includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, plus legumes, olive oil, nuts, and fish.

The results showed that subjects whose diets were closest to the Mediterranean diet had an 11% lowered risk of cognitive impairment. This risk was lowered even more in people who were not diabetic: 19% lower incidence of cognitive impairment versus nondiabetics who did not adhere to the Mediterranean diet.

“Since there are no definitive treatments for most dementing illnesses, modifiable activities, such as diet, that may delay the onset of symptoms of dementia are very important,” stated lead author Georgios Tsivgoulis, MD, of the University of Athens in Greece. “Diet is an important modifiable activity that could help in preserving cognitive functioning in late life. However, it is only one of several important lifestyle activities that might play a role in late-life mental functioning. Exercise, avoiding obesity, not smoking cigarettes and taking medications for conditions like diabetes and hypertension are also important.”

At Natural Eye Care, we emphasize nutrition as an important way to prevent health issues. Learn more about Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia.

Study: Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and risk of incident cognitive impairment by Georgios Tsivgoulis, MD et. al. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182904f69 Neurology April 30, 2013 vol. 80 no. 18 1684-1692 https://www.neurology.org/content/80/18/1684.abstract