Sunday, December 31, 2017

RISK FACTORS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

(1)GENES About 25% of Americans have a copy of the "Alzheimer's gene". (APOE- e4) This triples their risk of getting the disease. Another 2% have 2 copies the gene. This boosts their odds 8 to 12 times. Cholestrol is moved around in your body by a protein created by the APOE- e4 gene. For some people, the APOE- e4 variant has been linked to the build up of sticky amyloid plaque in the brain. This leads to earlier memory failure and brain cell loss. The average age of an Alzheimer's diagnosis is 84 years of age. People without the APOE- e4 gene start to have the disease between 8 and 16 years earlier for those with it. Out of 27,109 people with Alzheimer's, just under half had the APOE e4 gene according to one international study. Also, nearly 10% had copies. CUT CHOLESTROL TO FIGHT BACK. Jesse Mez, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at Boston University says, "Your genes aren't your destiny. Plenty of people with the APOE e4 gene do not develop Alzheimer's disease. A healthy lifestyle can really make a difference." In a recent large German study, keeping cholestrol under control meant a lower risk for mental decline in people with the Alzheimer's gene. (2)FAMILY HISTORY Your risk of the disease 2x to 4x more if you have one parent, brother or sister with late-onset Alzheimer's, studies suggest. According to researchers at Duke University, the APOE e4 gene accounts for about 50% of the risk. WORK TOGETHER TO FIGHT BACK Make healthy choices together. According to the Alzheimer's Association lifestyle habits you share with your family may also play a role in getting the disease. (3)HEAD INJURIES Alzheimer's risk can be increased by 2.3 to 4.5 times if you have had a moderate to severe head injury that knocked you out for 30 minutes or longer. The risk doesn't seem to be raised by mild head trauma. Brain scans revealed higher levels of amyloid plaque in people with mild memory problems who'd had a brain injury that knocked out in a study of 448 older adults done in a 2014 Mayo Clinic study. BEING CAREFUL IS FIGHTING BACK (4)GETTING DIABETES In one large study that tracked 1,017 people for 15 years, having high blood sugar doubled the risk of Alzheimer's. Blood vessels in the brain are harmed by excess blood sugar. Insulin resistance may set the stage for an accumulation of tangles and plaques. MEDICATE TO FIGHT BACK. Diabetics, in two studies, who took the medication Metformin or Pioglitazone significantly cut their risk for developing Alzheimer's. (5)SMOKERS Smokers face a 59% higher risk for the disease than nonsmokers research shows. Oxidative stress is amped up in the brain by tobacco, This allows cell-damaging compounds called free radicals loose, thus accelerating the buildup of tangles and plaques. STOP SMOKING TO FIGHT BACK. Arteries become healthier within 6 months of quitting experts point out. This means there could be brain benefits. By quitting, you are cutting your risk of strokes, which can make Alzheimer's worse.

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