Glucose Intolerance And Diabetes

No one wants to lose their mind. But the reality is that the risk of dementia doubles every five years after the age of sixty-five. Is there anything that can be done to prevent this age-related loss of brain function? Are There Ways to Reduce Dementia Through Lifestyle Changes? European researchers analyzed 1,433 people over the age of 65 to determine what lifestyle factors would reduce the risk of dementia the most. After getting a complete medical history on the participants, they tested their cognitive function at intervals over a seven year period. What did they find? According to this research, the two best ways to reduce the risk of dementia is to eliminate diabetes and depression - both of which are dementia risk factors. If both of these factors were eliminated and more people were encouraged to eat fruits and vegetables, the number of new cases of dementia would drop by 21%. There 's some controversy as to whether depression actually increases the risk of dementia - or whether it 's simply an early sign of the disease. This study suggests that depression probably does increase the risk of the disease - and isn 't just a symptom. It 's not surprising that diabetes is a risk factor since it 's associated with insulin resistance. Some studies show insulin resistance increases the risk of dementia. Another way to reduce dementia risk is to encourage people to be literate and educated. This study showed that the number of new cases of dementia would drop by 18% if

29 million people in the United States (9.3 percent) have diabetes, and of those 29 million approximately 7.25 million are unaware that they are diabetic (www.cdc.gov). Diabetes describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body 's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. Diabetes can be divided into two groups: Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is also referred to as juvenile diabetes and is usually found in children and young adults. Only 5% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease. Type 1 diabetes restricts the body from producing insulin, a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Type 1 diabetes can be managed by using insulin therapy and other treatments to help those infected maintain insulin to convert sugars, starches and foods into energy(www.diabetes.org). Type 2 diabetes is the most common, people with Type 2 diabetes have insulin resistance meaning the body does not use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas makes a surplus insulin to compensate for the lack on insulin in your body. However, over time your pancreas is not able to keep up and can not make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose at normal levels(www.diabetes.org). Complications of diabetes in the long term include potential heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage.

Lifestyle changes to help prevent AD, according to The Alzheimer’s Prevention Foundation International include ‘four pillars of building a better memory”; diet and vitamins, stress management, exercise and pharmaceutical drugs. Diet and vitamins: the brain requires nutrition, blood flow and energy that comes from a diet that is moderate in calories, high in good fats and clean proteins. Stress management: reducing depression and improving your ability to deal with stressful situations. Exercise: mental and physical exercise is essential for brain health. Effective workouts include brisk walking, swimming, and Tai chi mental exercise such as visiting museums, crossword puzzles, reading, taking educational classes, and socializing with friend’s arte all excellent ways to keep your brain in shape. Pharmaceutical drugs: medications such as Aricept, Exelon, Reminyl, and Namenda, taken with the supervision of a physician, can play an important role in delaying the progression of mild memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease. Natural hormone replacement

There is more evidence that suggests the condition of your heart has an effect on the condition of your brain, so people who suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol and diabetes are at higher risk of developing dementia. It is suggested that to help reduce the risk of developing dementia it may help to try and stay healthy by eating a well-balanced

While older people are more likely to experience mental decline than younger people, it is typically a case of years of lifestyle choices finally catching up with them. There is strong evidence that a sizeable portion of risk for dementia can be attributed to lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and smoking. All of us have the power to take steps when we’re younger to prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Dementia is not a disease but rather a group of symptoms caused by disorders that affect the brain (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, n. d). The hallmark of dementia, memory impairment, is accompanied by deficits in language, motor function, recognition, or executive function (Stahl, 2013). The most common forms of dementia are caused by Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (Prince et al., 2013). The risk of dementia increases with age. Dementia is rare below the age of sixty but affects about 17% of those between 80 and 85 years of age, 33% of those between 85 and 90 years old, and 50% of those over 90 years of age (Tom et al., 2015). As the

Diets high in sugar and carbs and similarly low in fat are devastating to the brain. I was amazed when Dr Perlmutter indicated that diets high in carbs are associated with 90% increase in dementia.If we look at American Heart Association website they recommend a diet high in whole grains. After listening to this video I have a better understanding about the ideal diet that will help us reduce the risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ADHD, Autism and Multiple Sclerosis. Diets high in fat are associated with 44% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. 54% of cases of Alzheimer’s disease could be prevented. By incorporating healthy fats like Coconut oil, Avocadoes, nuts we can regenerate brain cells in memory centers. I was amazed we I knew we can grow back brain cells. This will definitely help me to counsel and education my younger patients, parents to change their diet from early life stages. I can definitely help my patients plan healthy menu. I would encourage all my patients to favor above ground colorful vegetables (because they don’t have a lot of starch in them). Motivate my patients to eat green leafy vegetables like Kale, Swiss chard, Green Collards, Broccoli,

The DASH diet that was originally created to help those with hypertension includes a diet with mostly fruits, vegetables and lean meats. This diet as well as the Mediterranean diet, another plant based eating regimen, was tested using a randomized clinical trial. The results showed that eating healthier and following one of these diets did indeed improve cognitive ability compared to those in the control group. Those who continued to follow the DASH diet were followed up in six years later and found that the long term affects of eating like this was a lower risk for acquiring dementia (Panza et al., 2014). Eleven years later they conducted another follow up to find that sticking to the regimen decreased the over all rate of cognitive decline of those who were elderly compared to those who did not eat strictly and maintain good eating

Insulin has been used for diabetes since 1922. “Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy dying from diabetes in a Toronto hospital, became the first person to receive an injection of insulin” (“The History of a Wonderful Thing We Call Insulin” 1). Without insulin, thousands of people with diabetes would die. Insulin is available for people who need it because it was initially tested on animals. Oskar Minkowski and Joseph von Mering removed a pancreas gland from a dog in 1889, and it ended up dying later (“The History of a Wonderful Thing We Call Insulin” 1). Animals like dogs, have hormones in their blood so the experiment worked on them. It wasn’t safe for humans yet (Parry 1). Although putting an animal’s life at risk for medical research might

Most of the older persons in my family have developed dementia at their old age. “Attempting to avoid dementia development, some risk factors taken into account include ones that are unable to be modified: age with age-influencing early-life deleterious conditions, gender, and genetic influence. Additionally, several inborn physical attributes factor in such as lack of early education, environmental stress, and major unexpected circumstances that include accidents and trauma associated with increased risk for dementia. Physical activity has been suggested to weaken the pathophysiology of dementia through constant blood flow to the brain (sustained cerebral perfusion) due to the established relationship between hypertension and dementia. Some examples of physical activity include: dancing, undergoing either usual care or exercise for 60 minutes twice a week. ‘Physical activity’ refers to ‘usual care plus physical activity.’” Although some studies suggest that nutrition-wise antioxidants, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acid, and other supplements help delay the onset of dementia, there has been no absolute prevention from neither physical activity nor nutrition.”

As the population continues to age, different risk factors also increase. There are so many diseases that are becoming a major threat to public health worldwide. The rate of all the different risk factors continue to increase, and with those to continued increases it will push other risk factors to increase. For example, with the increased risked of obesity, the risk of diabetes also increases. According to an article written by a group of Doctors, they compare the rise of diabetes and obesity and how these high risk factors could possibly relate to dementia. (Crane, 2013) They went on to say that effects of diabetes and dementia were

“According to doctors in the early 20th century anyone over the age of 65 who marked a sign of confusion was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (Bair, 5).” AD is form of dementia. “It is also a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a mean duration of around 8.5 years between onset of clinical symptoms and death (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).” The medicine and science related to dementia and AD specifically has evolved a long way to develop strategies to encourage the healthy altitude of the brain. Growing old does not come with a guarantee to have memory loss. Using preventative measure and knowing the causes of this deadly disease will aid in a safe path that strays away from forgetfulness. Healthy lifestyles inhibits the formation of amyloid beta protein strands, the main cause of Alzheimer’s. Although living healthy can be more expensive, the money saved from the cost of therapy, prescriptions, and time-consumption from care giving is an advantage. The cost of healthcare and service for it is rising rapidly. “In 1991 the average cost for Alzheimer’s was $31,000” (Hodgson 60).

In the article “15 resolution to reduce your dementia risk” it states “ Diabetes had been closely linked to Alzheimer's with some researchers even calling the disease a third type of diabetes. Manage sugar intake and blood sugar levels to keep your brain healthy (Saver)”. In other words, it is very important that the sugar intake should be cut down to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. Also, to protect a body it needs low inflammatory food (Smith). In the book “ How to prevent Alzheimers, your guide to prevent the Disease” it says “ The study found that eating fish that was not fried, but rather baked or broiled, helps to preserve brain neurons, making them stronger brain areas that are important for thinking and memory (Smith)”. Cutting back on fried food can prevent Alzheimer's because the body is not getting as much bad fat that is bad for the body. This will keep the body healthy and will help protect the body from diseases. Try to stick to a Mediterranean diet. This is the best kind of diet for the heart and the body cannot be healthy if the heart is not healthy (Adopt a). Try to cut down on going to restaurants as much as possible. A home cooked meal every few nights and cutting back on carbs could prevent Alzheimer's (Scott 10). It is also very important that greens and protein are heavy in the diet. Plants should be heavy in the diet. The brain benefits a lot from plants and protein (Scott 10). Having a high amount of protein and a low fat amount of dairy can benefit the brain as well (Scott 10). Having a lot of fruit is very good for the body. Eating high amounts of fruit is very good for the body and the brain (8 ways). Drinking a vegetable or a fruit juice is good and can support the immune system to prevent Alzheimer's (Saver). Drinking a glass of wine has been known for helping the Alzheimer's progression go slower. A glass of wine during

Dementia is a neurobiological cognitive disorder that primarily affects adults aged 65 and older (McInnis-Dittrich, 2013). There are currently 44.7 million people aged 65 or older as of 2013 across the United States. THe older adult population is expected to increase to 98 million by 2060 (U.S. Department of Health and Aging, 2014). The rapidly increasing aging population is largely due in part to advances in healthcare and technology, which have contributed to prolonged life. Unfortunately, due to the fact that individuals are living longer the prevalence of age-related illnesses, like dementia, are on the rise. Dementia currently affects five to ten percent of the older individuals with the prevalence of dementia doubling every five years

Also, many who have dementia also suffer with high blood pressure, thyroid problems, and vitamin b12 deficiency in folate and thiamine (Mercola)