The use of vitamin E supplements in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease has been studied for a long time and still controversial: The scientific [...]
With the beginning of the New Year, the team of the project "Knowledge stopps Dementia" would like to refer on a regular base to current contributions from the world wide web which have a close relation to our core topic, the lifestyle-oriented and self-responsible prevention and treatment of dementia-related diseases. The opinions expressed in the following articles should serve as a stimulus for critical discussion. They do not necessarily correspond to the positions we hold, but in all cases, they enrich the basis for discussion. Occasionally, we also refer to current freely available studies at the end - make up your own mind!
It is now known in Alzheimer's research that infection by certain bacteria and viruses may be associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease, and that these microorganisms may therefore be a risk factor.
During my medical residency in neurology at the Hospital of Federal Fluminense University (UFF) in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil we often faced the following question: some medications commonly prescribed in routine neurology practice (for patients with Parkinson's syndrome, depression or urinary alterations) inhibited the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, important for the formation and maintenance of memory. Since one of the proposals for the pharmacological treatment of Alzheimer's disease is precisely to increase the concentration of acetylcholine in the brain, the use of drugs that inhibit this neurotransmitter seemed contradictory and threatening to us.
With the project "Knowledge stops Dementia", the German Foundation for Health Information and Prevention (Deutsche Stiftung für Gesundheitsinformation und Prävention DSGiP), together with the Academy for Human Medicine (Akademie für menschliche Medizin), presents a broad spectrum of lifestyle-oriented measures for the prevention and therapy of Alzheimer's disease. In addition to Alzheimer's dementia, however, other neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease also pose a major challenge for those affected, their relatives and, ultimately, the healthcare system, since the prospect of a cure through pharmaceutical approaches is still a long way in the future. But the good news is, individualized lifestyle concepts seem to be effective also in these diseases.
Our brain is one of the largest glucose consumers in our body. Not all areas of the brain need the hormone insulin to take up glucose and thus operate insulin-independently. However, this is different in the neurons of the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for our memory consolidation and one of the first to be affected by Alzheimer's and dementia: here - as researchers have recently discovered - insulin is needed to provide the neurons with sufficient glucose supply during times of increased energy demand. Thus, it's not surprising that when insulin resistance is present, for example during developing or established type-2 diabetes, the brain can also suffer from a glucose deficiency. This impaired glucose utilization and the associated energy crisis in the brain have also been visualized in imaging techniques, the so-called PET scan, in Alzheimer's patients.
It has been known for quite some time that a disturbance in blood glucose and insulin metabolism plays a central role not only in diabetes, but also in Alzheimer's disease. When insulin, which is important for glucose utilization, can no longer work properly due to missing or damaged insulin receptors, the so-called insulin resistance occurs. This also applies to the brain, where it is called cerebral insulin resistance. If this occurs, our central nervous system may experience an energy deficiency despite high glucose levels in the blood. The resulting starvation state of the brain gradually leads to the cessation of its specific functions and the death of brain cells, which is particularly noticeable in the impairment of memory. Therefore, maintaining or restoring the energy metabolism of the brain is of crucial importance, especially at the beginning of Alzheimer's disease.
The relation between lifestyle and Alzheimer’s disease has been previously described in many studies. It has become well established that lifestyle interventions can prevent the onset of the disease in about 40% (as we reported in a previous NF based on the 12 Alzheimer’s disease prevention factors listed by The Lancet commission on Dementia). The Finnish FINGER study (Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study 2015) has also already impressively shown these correlations
To date, there is no effective drug to treat Alzheimer's disease. The currently available drug treatment options are limited to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantines, each of which is used depending on the stage of the disease and directly influences the action of neurotransmitters in the brain. It is hard to believe, but these pharmacological approaches are still based on the findings of the 1970s and 1980s.
The human brain is an extremely sensitive organ. Therefore, it must also be particularly protected from toxins and pathogens. The supply of messenger substances and the removal of metabolic products must also be precisely regulated. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) has exactly this function and separates the central nervous system from the rest of the body's blood circulation. The BBB acts as a shield, protecting the brain from infectious agents and toxic substances, but must also act as a filter, allowing nutrients to get inside the central nervous system.
© Copyright by Deutsche Stiftung für Gesundheitsinformation und Prävention | All Rights Reserved
