Spring Arbor Living Blog

Alzheimer’s Disease, more and more people are trying to figure out how to prevent it, or at least, hold it off. Does eating a lot of fish and few processed foods really help protect against Alzheimer’s disease? A new study suggests that nutrition could play almost as strong a role as age, number of years of education, and high blood pressure, but not quite as much of a role as inherited genes.

In the study published in the journal Neurology, researchers measured the level of nutrients in the blood of nearly 300 seniors and found that those who had high levels of vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids - both found in salmon, tuna, and other fatty fish - high levels of vitamins C, E, and B - antioxidants found in fruits, nuts, and green leafy vegetables - appeared to have somewhat more protection against early symptoms of Alzheimer’s. They were less likely to have cognitive difficulties, memory problems, and brain shrinkage - an indicator of Alzheimer’s - than those who had low levels of these nutrients.

The researchers also found that those who had blood markers that indicated high levels of trans fats - margarine and other partially-hydrogenated oils used in doughnuts, cookies, and other processed foods - were more likely to have memory loss and brain shrinkage.

This study may have more strength than previous studies in that it verified dietary patterns through blood measurements rather than relying on dietary recall questionnaires, which can be unreliable.

“These results need to be confirmed, but obviously it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet,’’ said study author Gene Bowman, a professor of public health at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.

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Lewy body dementia is a form of dementia that may account for as many as 20% of all dementia cases. Lewy bodies are tiny spherical deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein that are found in the brains of patients with this disorder. The presence of Lewy bodies throughout the brain disrupts the brain's normal functioning. Lewy body dementia is now believed to be the second most common specific cause of dementia after Alzheimer's disease.

There is considerable overlap between Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. In Lewy body dementia, patients experience a loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells similar to that seen in Parkinson's disease. They also lose acetylcholine-producing nerve cells, similar to what occurs in Alzheimer's disease.

Patients with Lewy body dementia often experience cognitive problems associated with Alzheimer's disease, such as memory loss, spatial impairment and language difficulties. They may also develop parkinsonian symptoms, such as muscle rigidity, a blank facial expression, soft voice, tremor, poor balance and gait disturbances. Some patients initially diagnosed with Parkinson's disease later go on to develop a dementia that closely resembles Lewy body dementia.

Certain symptoms of Lewy body dementia help distinguish it however. For example, early in the illness Lewy body dementia patients often experience detailed and extremely vivid hallucinations, unlike people with Alzheimer's disease. People with Lewy body dementia also tend to show marked fluctuations in their cognitive functioning, often several times a day. In addition, they tend to fall asleep easily during the day and have restless, disturbed sleep with behavioral acting out.

Recognition of these symptoms leads to an accurate diagnosis of Lewy body dementia. A correct diagnosis is particularly important because the medical management of patients with Lewy body dementia presents special challenges. The drugs that are normally used can aggravate other problems and cause potentially serious adverse reactions. In particular, antipsychotic drugs can provoke dangerous side effects, including a return to psychosis, and must be used cautiously, if at all. In addition, levodopa, a drug normally used to treat parkinsonian symptoms, may worsen hallucinations, so its dosage needs to be carefully adjusted in patients with Lewy body dementia.

This disease is named for Frederick Lewy, the physician who first identified them in 1912 while working in the laboratory of Dr. Alois Alzheimer.

Original article from Johns Hopkins

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Commonly used prescription and over-the-counter drugs can cause memory problems and other cognitive impairments in older adults. These are drugs that many older adults take on a regular basis for conditions ranging from urinary incontinence to depression, sleep problems, allergies, respiratory conditions, and acid reflux.
 
According to a study, a long list of drugs have been linked with causing cognitive difficulties, including problems with memory, concentration, and delirium. The authors arrived at this conclusion by reviewing 27 studies that had addressed this problem.

The drugs in question belong to a class called anticholinergics. These drugs are given to block the actions of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the nervous systems. Acetylcholine helps with learning, memory, and concentration, as well as the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, airways, and the organs involved in digestion and the urinary tract.

50% of older people take an anticholinergic drug daily. Many take a combination of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Anticholinergic effects include confusion, attention deficit, impaired concentration, memory problems, light-headedness, blurry vision, constipation, dry mouth, and loss of bladder control.

Older people are more likely to experience these effects because the body produces less acetylcholine with age. This means the acetylcholine produced has less impact, and the effect of anticholinergic drugs is greater.
Patients should consult their doctor if they are experiencing memory or cognitive problems and are taking any medications.

Antihistamines and sleep aids such as Allerest, PediaCare, Periactin; Benadryl, Sominex, Unisom, Phenergan, Tagamet, Pepcid, Zantac are just some of the drugs that cause memory problems.

It’s important for older adults especially to have current information on any medications they are taking.

Original article Exmaxhealth.com

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