I posted this up a few years ago, more and more we are hearing about diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Well worth a read if you missed it the first time around.
Alzheimer's disease is a devastating disease whose recent increase in incidence rates has broad implications for rising health care costs. Huge amounts of research money are currently being invested in seeking the underlying cause, with corresponding progress in understanding the disease progression. In this paper, we highlight how an excess of dietary carbohydrates, particularly fructose, alongside a relative deficiency in dietary fats and cholesterol, may lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
A first step in the pathophysiology of the disease is represented by advanced glycation end-products in crucial plasma proteins concerned with fat, cholesterol, and oxygen transport. This leads to cholesterol deficiency in neurons, which significantly impairs their ability to function. Over time, a cascade response leads to impaired glutamate signaling, increased oxidative damage, mitochondrial and lysosomal dysfunction, increased risk to microbial infection, and, ultimately, apoptosis. Other neurodegenerative diseases share many properties with alzheimer's disease, and may also be due in large part to this same underlying cause.
Recent population studies have confirmed a correlation between low blood serum cholesterol and both dementia and Parkinson's disease. A study published in 2007 compared three elderly population groups: subjects with dementia, subjects with depression, and controls. They found that those with dementia and depression had significantly lower serum cholesterol levels than the controls. Another study looking at Parkinson's disease among the elderly showed that those with the lowest LDL had 3.5 times the risk of Parkinson's disease compared to those with the highest serum LDL levels.
"Simple dietary modification, towards fewer highly-processed carbohydrates and relatively more fats and cholesterol, is likely a protective measure against Alzheimer's disease."
Information source and more can be found here.
Eddie
I wonder, it there statistics between statine-taking and Alzheimer?
ReplyDeleteIt has been very well reported Statin drugs can affect memory for many people. Cholesterol numbers are being forced down, for the sake of a $30 billion a year earner.
ReplyDeleteI will never take statins, and I am one of the people that the boffins say would benefit.
Eddie
Alzheimers is such a cruel disease, if we can eat more healthily, desist from taking drugs that are known to cause memory loss then we should do so.
ReplyDeleteAnne
I shouldn't think there is a family in the UK, and further afield, that has not seen family members with Alzheimer's, it is a very cruel disease. Eating more healthily, cutting down on sugars, processed foods has got to be a plus for prevention of disease, at least that is how I see it.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to statins, I know of so many who have experienced very bad side effects whilst taking them. Plus of course the many reports, articles about them - my choice is not to take them.
All the best Jan
So, it's good to see NICE joining the dots and saying today that people with a low risk of heart problems (10% over 10 years - i.e. a 90% chance that they won't have a heart attack in ten years) should also be gobbling up statins. Because as everyone knows statins work to stop heart attacks! Except in the vast majority of patients where they don't.
ReplyDeleteAnd the NHS wonders why it is losing support from its core participants, the patients.
I'm looking forward to what Kendrick has to say about this
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/12/cholesterol-drug-statins-offered-millions-more-nhs-guidance
Best
Dillinger
Hi Dillinger
ReplyDeleteI have copied your comment on todays Statin article.
Regards Eddie