Baby Names: Alzheimer's Disease & DS: Connection and Treatments

According to Dr. Steven Kernie, an associate professor of pediatrics and developmental biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a pediatric critical care specialist at Children's Medical Center, states that every person with Down syndrome eventually will develop Alzheimer's disease. Kernie has a nine year old child with DS and is working hard to find solutions.

An estimated 10%-25% of untreated people with DS have AD at age 40-49 years, 20%-50% have AD at age 50-59 years, and remaining will have Alzheimer's disease when older than 60 years of age. Alzheimer's disease decreases survival in people with DS who are older than 45 years of age.

100% of people with DS who were autopsied showed varying degrees of plaque in the brain--a symptom of pre-Alzheimer's if not full blown Alzheimer's.

The Link Between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease

The reason Alzheimer's disease is more common in people with DS is not completely known. Alzheimer's disease is associated with increased production of a compound called amyloid beta in the brain. Amyloid beta accumulates and causes loss of brain cells called neurons. Exactly how neuron loss occurs is not well understood. The higher risk for Alzheimer's disease in people with DS may be related to the extra copy of chromosome 21 because it leads to increased production of amyloid beta.

The age when symptoms of Alzheimer's disease actually develop may be related to a person's mental capacity (cognitive reserve) or some anatomic characteristics of the brain. That means people with greater brain weight, more brain cells (neurons), and more education may not have symptoms of Alzheimer's disease as early as people with less cognitive reserve. People with DS may develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease earlier in life than other people because of their increased production of amyloid beta and their smaller cognitive reserve. (You can increase the cognitive reserve with Prozac. And break up the plaque with curcumin, see below.)

Alzheimer's Breakthrough

Yesterday, Dr. Oz featured a segment on The Dr. Oz Show focusing on the causes of Alzheimer’s disease. A new study has found that food preservatives called nitrosamines are killing the receptors in our brains, which may be leading to the current epidemic of Alzheimer’s.

This is a revolutionary breakthrough in understanding Alzheimer’s disease and what causes it.

Dr. Oz said that having diabetes or pre-diabetes increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Dr. Oz said that the stunning news is that even if we don’t have diabetes in the body, we may have it in the brain and the foods that we eat every day may cause it.

Dr. Suzanne de la Monte was doing research on another form of disease when she accidentally discovered the link between diabetes, preservative laden foods and Alzheimer’s disease.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, MD recognizes Alzheimer’s as the epidemic of the future. When Dr. Oz asked him if he was convinced that we could prevent Alzheimer’s by what we eat, Dr. Carmona replied that he thought food could be very powerful and that it is an essential part of the equation. He said it is clear that obesity can be linked to Type II diabetes which can then be linked to Alzheimer’s or diabetes of the brain. He said although research is still being done, there are things we can do to mitigate and help prevent these types of diseases.

The four foods Dr. de la Monte is most worried about is smoked meat like bacon, ham and turkey, processed cheese foods, beer and white foods like white flour, white pasta, white rice and sugar. Dr. Oz said to look at the label on foods for “sodium nitrite” as this is one of the chemical preservatives that can break down the blood/brain barrier. Dr. Carmona said to stay away from foods containing nitrites as much as possible.

Dr. de la Monte said that many beers contained nitrites at the beginning of the brewing cycle, but that many of them have been cleaned up. Dr. Oz said his staff tried to find out which beers were the safest, but there are no ingredient labels to find out which contain nitrites at this time, and perhaps that will change. Dr. de la Monte did say that when comparing beer to processed meats and cheeses, the dangers of the processed foods were far greater than beer.

Dr. Carmona said that by staying physically active, eating wholesome foods, eating organic foods, and food with no preservatives or the least amount of preservatives will help us make sure that our brains don’t fall short as we age toward the longest life expectancy yet, which is now age 80. Dr. Carmona also recommended doing things that are intellectually stimulating like reading and writing. He also suggested doing things that we don’t normally do like combing the hair with the opposite hand and standing on one foot. He said these are all things that stimulate the brain to make new neuro-connections.

He said the good news is that with the new science on Alzheimer’s and making healthy choices we can help prevent lots of other diseases including cardiovascular disease. He called it a “win-win” all around.

Curcumin Reduces Plaque Build-Up in Alzheimer's Patients

Curcumin,the pigment responsible for turmeric’s yellow color, helps immune cells clear out the plaque build-up that is thought to play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, reports a study in the November 2006 Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease patients have defects in phagocytosis, the process immune cells use to reduce amyloid-beta, plaque deposits in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer's patients also have defects in their body’s ability to clear amyloid-beta plaques. In animal experiments, curcumin enhanced brain clearance of amyloid-beta. Thus, in the current study, researchers at UCLA Medical Center and the Greater LA VA Medical Center treated immune cells (macrophages) from six Alzheimer’s patients and three controls with curcumin in vitro and measured amyloid-beta uptake.

At baseline, the intensity of amyloid-beta uptake by the macrophages from Alzheimer’s patients was significantly lower in comparison to control macrophages. After treatment of macrophages with the curcumin compound, amyloid-beta uptake by macrophages from three of the six Alzheimer’s patients was significantly increased.

The age of the patient and the stage of the Alzheimer's disease appeared to influence the effectiveness of curcumin. The most benefit occurred in the cells from younger patients and patients with early-stage Alzheimer's. The curcumin appeared to have no effect on the macrophages from the healthy controls.

The researchers concluded, “Immunomodulation of the innate immune system by curcuminoids might be a safe approach to immune clearance of amyloidosis in the Alzheimer’s disease brain.”

This is why Jett takes Longvida Curcumin everyday!

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Alternative therapies may help treat dementia. If you are deficient in some nutrients, taking a supplement or getting more of that nutrient in your diet may help slow the progression of the disease. Many of the nutrients and herbs listed are used due to their supposed effects of increasing blood flow to the brain. Not surprisingly, many of them have a blood thinning effect and therefore can interfere or accentuate the effects of blood thinning medications. Dementia therapies, pharmaceutical or natural, should be used under the supervision of a qualified physician.

Nutrition and Supplements

Phosphatidylserine (100 mg 3 times per day), a substance occurring naturally in the brain, shows promise in several studies. This supplement may increase levels of brain chemicals that deal with memory, according to several studies. Do not take phosphatidylserine if you are taking anticoagulants (blood thinners), and use caution if combining it with ginkgo for the same reason. There are great differences in quality among phosphatidylserine supplements. You should consider spending more for a more expensive brand, as they tend to be better than cheaper brands.
Antioxidants may protect against the development of dementia. They may even slow the progression of dementia. In some studies, but not all, vitamin E (400 - 800 IU per day) combined with Aricept may slow cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer' s disease. Another antioxidant, coenzyme Q10 (10 - 50 mg 3 times per day), may also help the brain get more oxygen. The skins of dark berries also provide valuable antioxidants. Many naturally-oriented physicians recommend eating half a cup of frozen blueberries daily -- freezing makes the antioxidants in the skin more easily absorbed.
Vitamins: biotin (300 mcg); B1 (50 - 100 mg), B2 (50 mg), B6 (50 - 100 mg), B12 (100 - 1,000 mcg), folic acid (400 - 1,000 mcg). No scientific evidence shows a direct benefit, but B12 and folic acid lower the levels of an amino acid in the blood that is often elevated in Alzheimer's patients. Injections of B12 may have the best results.
Zinc (30 - 40 mg per day) is often deficient in elderly people, and may help improve memory.
Some evidence suggests that L-arginine, an amino acid, may help in vascular dementia by increasing blood flow to the brain. The dose used was 1.6 g each day for 3 months.
Essential fatty acids, such as those found in alpha linolenic acid (ALA), borage oil, and evening primrose oil, may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Dietary changes include eating fewer animal fats and more fish.

Herbs

The use of herbs is a time honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, can trigger side effects and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care, under the supervision of a health care provider.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) shows the best evidence for treating early Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.
Huperzine A, a chemical made from the plant Huperzia serrata, may improve memory in both vascular and Alzheimer's dementia, according to several studies in China. However, more studies are needed to know for sure. The usual dose is 200 mcg twice a day. Do not take huperzine A if you have liver disease or if you are about to have anesthesia.
One study showed that lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) helped improve cognitive function in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. The dose used was 60 drops per day.
Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) leaf extract, called Brahmi, is used in Ayurvedic or Indian medicine to improve brain function and learning. However, no scientific studies have looked at bacopa to see whether it might help lessen symptoms of dementia. One study found that taking 300 mg of bacopa per day for 12 weeks seemed to improve cognition in healthy people.
Lavender may be effective in terms of alleviating agitation associated with dementia. Lavender is not used internally but rather as an aromatherapy agent.

Homeopathy

Although few studies have examined the effectiveness of specific homeopathic therapies, professional homeopaths may consider remedies, based on their knowledge and experience, for treating dementia. Before prescribing a remedy, homeopaths take into account a person's constitutional type -- your physical, emotional, and psychological makeup. An experienced homeopath assesses all of these factors when determining the most appropriate treatment for each individual. Some of the most common remedies used for dementia are listed below.

Alumina -- for dullness of mind, vagueness, slow answers to questions
Argentum nitricum -- for dementia with irritability, especially with lack of control over impulses
Cicuta -- for dementia after head injuries, especially with convulsions
Helleborus -- for stupefaction, when a person answers questions slowly and stares vacantly
Silica -- for mental deterioration with anxiety over small details

References:

Zhang L, Fiala M, Cashman J, Sayre J, Espinosa A, Mahanian M, Zaghi J, Badmaev V, Graves MC, Bernard G, Rosenthal M. Curcuminoids enhance amyloid-beta uptake by macrophages of Alzheimer's disease patients. J Alzheimers Dis. 2006 Nov;10(1):1-7.

http://newsfuzion.com/2011/04/08/dr-oz-reports-on-alzheimers-disease-breakthrough/

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/alzheimer_disease_in_individuals_with_down_syndro/article_em.htm