Wow!
When you add this to what we know about high glucose and their effects on premature aging, it is very interesting.

Exactly. Seems as though there are a number of scattered puzzle pieces that seem to fit together. One thing I wonder is about the incidence of Alzheimer's (being a relatively "new" epidemic, or more "recently" discovered)... people have associated it with the uptake in longevity, but I wonder if the true association goes along with the increase in syndrome X and insulin resistance brought about by a lifetime of excessive carbohydrate consumption.

Poor glucose metabolism in the brain might hypothetically be related to poor glucose metabolism elsewhere in the body.

Also, the plaquing in the brain could be hypothetically linked to the same type of plaquing related to higher triglyceride and bad cholesterol levels. I remember seeing a news program that warned that people who eat a diet high in fat may be at greater risk for Alzheimers... same was said about strokes, which are also a byproduct of plaquing in the brain. However, the recent news on strokes is that a high fat diet is not linked to a stroke factor.

This is the high fat mythos... high fat is not the culprit, it is the high sugars that cause the elevation in triglycerides and cholesterol (combined with the high fat becomes a deadly sticky combo). I look at my own personal blood profile story (where I went from a triglyceride of 700 down to 42 by doing low-carbing and brought my good cholesterol from the 20's up to 52, and lowered my cardiac risk factor down to the minimum).

My grandmother who recently passed away had both Alzheimer's and heart disease. Granted she passed away at 97, but the last 10 years of her life were miserable. Grandma loved sweet coffee with milk and cookies twice a day--breakfast and tea time for 25 years at least. She was by and large a bread/starch eater and did not eat much protein outside of some dairy and occasional grilled meats. She was very active up until about 87 years old... used to take lots of walks. She did suffer from depressive episodes and occasional headaches.

I'm sure it's a situation with interlocking causes, but the knowledge of what high carb eating does to other systems in our bodies makes me think the brain would not be immune.
Wasn't there some research about ketones being the preferred fuel for our brains? Check out this interesting article:

http://www.allyourstrength.com/nutrition_1002Fuel.html

And I think you made a very good point about the increased incidence rising in correlation with the amount of processed carbs in our diet.

bvtaylor,

This is something that my husband and I are just now learning about us, and wow, I thought my husband was the only one with high triglycerides... Years back his were 1100 and just last year they were 737. He just had his blood work done yesterday, and we are hoping that this woe we have done will make a big change for him. That is great how your levels have come down! All I can keep saying is WOW, I sure hope we will be that lucky. It is so amazing the health problems that are caused by this high carb life we all have lived for so long, I only wish we knew then what we know now, could have saved on alot of health destruction we have gone through.

Also, I checked out your pictures, and again WOW, you look great, such an accomplishment for you! You too adkpam! you two give us so much motivation!

Is there any correlation between the incidence of Alzheimer's and obesity, diabetes or heart disease or any other insulin-related disorder?

It's a good question. And the answer is a resounding YES, at least according to some of the studies I skimmed here: http://www.alz.org/

It's interesting that nothing was written specifically about Insulin Resistance or diabetes, but certainly obesity was. Also, so many of the things that Dr. Atkins discusses in his book as health improvers appear to have protective effects against Alzheimer's. See the study below on oils, nuts, fish. The use of female hormones has a negative effect on the body's metabolism which is why women have a problem gaining weight on birth control pills. Red wine has the good polyphenols, and is recommended as a heart protective, and alcohol can affect blood sugar on the downside. And finally there does appear to be a link with Cholesterol and Alzheimer's. Of course the recommendation is statins rather than dietary changes, but dietary changes are even more powerful. Wouldn't it be great to have a study on how low-carbing could prevent the onset or alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer's? I wouldn't be surprised if it comes to pass.


http://www.alz.org/WhatsNew/071403obesity.htm

Obesity Linked to Increased
Alzheimer Risk for Women

July 14, 2003


Women who are significantly overweight at age 70 have a substantially increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life, according to a long-term study reported in the July 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The work was funded in part by an Alzheimer's Association Zenith Fellows Award to principal investigator Ingmar Skoog, MD, PhD.

"It is important to note that the average size of the women in this study who did not develop Alzheimer's was not 'super-skinny,' the average was on the borderline between normal and overweight," notes Deborah Gustafson, PhD, corresponding author. "These results suggest that even moderate, common-sense weight control may help lower risk of Alzheimer's disease."

Researchers studied a representative sample of 70-year-old residents of Göteborg, Sweden, for up to 18 years to assess the possible impact of weight on dementia risk. They found that women who developed Alzheimer's disease between the ages of 79 and 88 were more likely to have been significantly overweight at ages 70, 75, and 79 than those who did not develop dementia.

http://www.alz.org/WhatsNew/072103fish.htm

Nothing Fishy Here:
Eating Fish May Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer's

July 21, 2003


Weekly consumption of fish may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology. Study participants who consumed fish at least once per week had 60 percent less risk of Alzheimer's compared with participants who rarely or never ate fish.

The study was part of a larger investigation, called the Chicago Health and Aging Project, which assesses factors that raise or lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's. The researchers conducted eating surveys with 815 adults, age 65 to 94, who were assessed to have normal memory and thinking skills. The scientists followed up with participants about four years after the initial assessments to identify new cases of Alzheimer's disease.

....

The researchers collected information about the participants' diets, including intake of n-3 fatty acids. One of these, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is an important component of fat molecules in brain cell membranes. The body also uses two other n-3 fatty acids to produce DHA: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and alpha-linolenic acid.

Fish is a direct source of DHA, which was associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. EPA, which is also found in fish, was not associated with a reduced risk. Alpha-linolenic acid, which is found in vegetable oils and nuts, was associated with a moderately reduced risk in some people. (The individuals who appeared to benefit form this fatty acid, carry a gene that increases their risk for Alzheimer's.)

The researchers concluded, "Our findings suggest that consumption of fish (at least weekly), oil-based salad dressings, and nuts may reduce the risk of Alzheimer disease." They noted that there was a need for further research, including controlled clinical trials, to understand the apparent protective benefit of diets high in n-3 fatty acids.


http://www.alz.org/WhatsNew/hormonetherapy.htm

Women's Health Initiative Memory Study

New Data Links Hormone Therapy to Increased Risk of Dementia and Overall Cognitive Decline

May 27, 2003


A report in the May 28, 2003, issue of JAMA suggests that treatment with Prempro™, a proprietary form of combined estrogen-progestin hormone replacement therapy, doubled the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias for women who began taking the drug at age 65 or older. A second report in the same issue showed that women taking Prempro had a slightly increased risk of significant overall cognitive decline.


http://www.alz.org/WhatsNew/alcohol.htm

Alcohol Consumption and the Risk of Dementia

March 19, 2003

Moderate alcohol consumption, one to six drinks weekly, is associated with less dementia in older adults. This research finding, a part of the Cardiovascular Health Study, was reported in the March 19, 2003, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The Cardiovascular Health Study is a project in which more than 5,800 people over the age of 65 were recruited for a multiyear assessment of various health factors. In this portion of the project, the researchers compared data from 373 participants who developed dementia during the course of the study and 373 who did not.

http://www.alz.org/Media/newsreleas...012203link.html
January 22, 2003

New Study Strengthens Cholesterol/Alzheimer's Link

A European study reported in the January issue of the Archives of Neurology provides compelling evidence of the role cholesterol metabolism may play in Alzheimer's disease according to the Alzheimer's Association. “These findings provide fascinating clinical and pathological data that add to earlier studies linking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease,” said Bill Thies, the association's vice president, medical and scientific affairs.

“We are eagerly awaiting further information about the possible value of cholesterol management in the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer's disease,”Thies said.

A host of epidemiological studies suggesting that a range of lifestyle elements including diet and nutrition, cholesterol levels, body weight, exercise, blood pressure and hypertension, reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's were reported last summer at the 8th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association.

My grandmother who recently passed away had both Alzheimer's and heart disease. Granted she passed away at 97, but the last 10 years of her life were miserable. Grandma loved sweet coffee with milk and cookies twice a day--breakfast and tea time for 25 years at least. She was by and large a bread/starch eater and did not eat much protein outside of some dairy and occasional grilled meats. She was very active up until about 87 years old... used to take lots of walks. She did suffer from depressive episodes and occasional headaches.

Wow! Don't tell me things like this or I'll start thinking about having sweet coffee and cookies twice a day. Living to 97 and active to 87 is pretty darned good. You've probably got some very good genes there.

Ha! For longevity, you are right, that's great, however her genes are kind of a mixed bag.

Unfortunately Grandma Vittoria suffered an awful lot from arthritis since she was in her 60's. Ultimately she also had an ulcer and suffered a lot from depression. Age was a hard taskmaster. Grandma stayed alive I think just because she would never sit still. She was always up and about cleaning, going for walks, always on the go. She hated being old and her fear of her wrinkled appearance also kept her from doing some of the things that she loved to do when she was younger (like swimming in the ocean).

I think that Alzheimer's was probably the worst thing for her because she was a highly intellectual woman who spoke nine languages, and her mind was the most important thing to her.

Mental decline usually starts decades before Alzheimer's kicks in full force, and dealing with a victim of Alzheimer's is heartbreaking. They can be very hateful sometimes. Grandma even jumped out of a two-story building a few years ago and would have died had she not landed on the canopy beneath.

At any rate, with the potential of a genetic tendency to get Alzheimer's, the genetics are is also sobering.

The good news is that I think that paying attention to nutrition now that I'm almost 40 may help stave it off longer. Quality of life is important, particularly as we age so that we can remain active and healthy and enjoy our golden years.

I'm hoping very much that when I'm old I'm going to enter old age with positive energy and a decent state of health!

Since my grandmother had Alzheimer's, it's a matter of concern in my family as well.
One thing my mother found recently was a study that said the impact of mental attitude on the disease was statistically significant. Are you familiar with the longitudinal nun study? Title sounds weird, I know, but...here's the website for it:

http://www.mc.uky.edu/nunnet/

Positive emotional content in early-life autobiographies was strongly associated with longevity 6 decades later.

In other words, a happy outlook greatly decreases one's chances of developing Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, my grandmother led a restricted and unhappy life. It sounds that your grandmother, who "hated getting old" might have had a similar state of mind a lot of the time.

O Gee, mom has Dementia, and COPD. She is very alert, and seems to understand things..some lose of hearing lately and lose of bladder. She spends most of her time in her room in bed. When she is up she sits in her favorite chair with her doggy beside her. Her eating has slowed way down, even for the sweets she used to love to eat. Her favorite thing to drink is choc. milk. Doc said she would just keep on going down hill and I can see it happening right before my eyes..Papa had Alz and heart disease. He passed away in 1995. So it is on both sides of my family. Grandma had it too.

Not much to look forward to and it is very depressing when your children say they will be there for you if you turn out like your mom, but then add, you better not be mean like grandma.

Good luck to us all.
Anna