Obesity & Alzheimer's Disease Link?
Fear is a normal human emotion. With very rare exception, most of us experience some kind of fear from time to time. That is normal and, in most instances, realistic. Only when it becomes inappropriately exaggerated does fear take on unhealthy ramifications.
Multiple polls indicate that the most common fear about health that humans experience is the fear of developing cancer, although there are other equally serious medical conditions that occur more frequently. Another common fear about health is that most of us worry about gaining too much weight. The most rapidly growing health concern, though, involves the fear of developing dementia, especially in its worst form, Alzheimer's disease.
A growing body of research raises concern that two of our most prevalent health fears - obesity and dementia - may have a link. An investigation first published about four years ago followed a group of 226 Swedish women and 166 men for 18 years. None of the study subjects had dementia at the start of the study. Those women who were obese or overweight, however, had a significantly increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease as they grew older. There were too few men in the study to draw any conclusions, either way, about excess weight and Alzheimer's risk.
Initially, there were only two primary risk factors that have been identified for developing Alzheimer's disease: first, a family history or genetic predisposition to the disease, and second, advancing years into older age. Thus, with the country facing an ever growing epidemic of obesity, more and more people may be at risk for becoming demented. Each year, the numbers of individuals who become overweight or obese are only increasing. Nothing seems to be reversing the tide. The problem just keeps growing. As a now identified risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, the growing number of overweight individuals provides yet another reason we need to lose weight.
Generally, we do not think of Alzheimer's patients being overweight. Indeed, by the time they have the full-blown disease they are usually very thin and may even be emaciated. Early in the disease, though, just the opposite can be the case.
What is dementia? Dementia is a deterioration of the brain characterized by destruction of brain cells. Alzheimer's disease is one of the worst forms of dementia. Individuals with Alzheimer's disease find it hard to remember, difficult to learn, and hard to communicate. The loss of memory and the difficulty in thinking normally are progressive. Behavior becomes disruptive, even combative. Mood swings fluctuates between severe depression and overt giddiness to anger.
The personality changes with Alzheimer's disease, with the development of irritability and suspiciousness. Individuals become passive, without much or even any initiative. They are confused about time or place, and even who they are. They can not perform normal tasks. They may cook a meal and then forget to eat it. They misplace things, like their keys. They may put an iron in the freezer, a wristwatch in the sugar bowl, milk in the oven. They do not remember what they did or who they are.
Genetically, if the Alzheimer's disease gene runs in your family, the chances are sixteen fold higher that you are susceptible to developing the disease. The occurrence of the disease also increases with advancing age, and rapidly so after age 70 years or there about. Obesity, then, becomes an added risk factor independent of the other two. One of the great concerns is that Alzheimer's disease is being seen in increasing numbers at younger ages. There are, for instance, more than 500,000 individuals between the ages of 50 and 60 years of life that are diagnosed with the disorder, and another 500,000 or more under the age of 50 who have the disease.
What can you do? Obesity is one risk factor for Alzheimer's disease you can do something about. You cannot change growing older, nor can you change your inherited genetic profile (at least not yet).
So, if you are overweight it is a good idea to lose weight, not only to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's dementia, but also to reduce the risk for cancer, heart and cardiovascular diseases, and a long list of other medical conditions. It is especially a good idea to lose weight if you have one of the other risk factors - genetic history or advancing years - for Alzheimer's disease, as each of the risks may become somewhat additive to the others.
Obesity & Alzheimer's Disease Link?
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