Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/602310
Abby's Magazine - November/December 2015 | Page 49 disease, so it's not surprising to find that heart disease is associated with Alzheimer's as well. Arterial stiffness (atherosclerosis) is associated with a hallmark process of Alzheimer's, namely the buildup of beta-amyloid plaque in your brain. According to researcher Timothy Hughes, "the process of vascular aging may predispose the brain to increased amyloid plaque buildup." Recent research also points out that heart disease increases your odds of developing Alzheimer's — in fact, these two diseases share a number of risk factors. According to a study published in the journal Radiology, shared risk factors include smoking, alcohol use, diabetes, high fasting blood sugar levels, and obesity. These kinds of findings dovetail with the conclusions reached by neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter, author of the two books: Grain Brain, and Brain Maker. From his research, Dr. Perlmutter has concluded that Alzheimer's disease is primarily predicated on lifestyle choices and, in a nutshell, anything that promotes insulin resistance will ultimately also raise your risk of Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's Is Directly Related to Elevated Blood Sugar Levels A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in August 2013 demonstrates that even mild elevation of blood sugar — a level of around 105 or 110 — is associated with an elevated risk for dementia. Dr. Perlmutter believes a blood sugar level of 92 or higher is too high, and that the ideal fasting blood sugar level is somewhere around 70 to 85, with 95 as the maximum. If your fasting blood sugar is over 95 mg/dl, it's definitely time to address your diet to lower it. If you're fat adapted, there's no reason to shun fasting blood sugar levels below 70, as your body is then able to tap into body fat as an energy source. According to Dr. Perlmutter: "This notion that your brain needs sugar is really old news. Fat, specifically ketones, which your body produces by metabolizing your fat, is now called a 'brain superfuel.' There is even a pharmaceutical product; a medical food that you can write as a prescription, which raises the level of ketones or fat in the bloodstream of patients, offered up now as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Who knew? The point is the brain loves to burn fat. That's what we have to shift it over to..." Three New Studies Highlight the Importance of Exercise In related news, three new studies looking at exercise and Alzheimer's show that not only can exercise reduce your risk of the disease, it appears to be an important part of treatment as well. According to Maria Carrillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Association: "Based on the results we heard reported... at AAIC 2015, exercise or regular physical activity might play a role in both protecting your brain from Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and also living better with the disease if you have it." Findings from these studies include: 1. Patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer's who participated in a four month-long supervised exercise program had significantly fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with the disease than the control group that did not exercise. As noted in the featured article: "In particular, participants attending 80 percent of exercise classes who exercised vigorously experienced significant improvements in their mental speed and attention."