Mid-life and Alzheimer’s Disease

Elevated midlife systolic blood pressure (SBP¹) predicts late-life cognitive decline and incident dementia, according to the 2006 Honolulu-Asia Aging.²

Men who develop diabetes in mid-life appear to significantly increase their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.³

The study, led by Elina Rönnemaa, MD, suggested that insulin problems damage blood vessels in the brain, which leads to memory problems and Alzheimer's disease, but more research is needed to identify the exact mechanisms.

The link between vascular risk factors and faster cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease is supported by a new study from Columbia University Medical Center that associated diabetes and a history elevated levels of cholesterol with faster cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.⁴

Dr. Yaakov Stern and the research team theorize that vascular diseases may increase oxidative stress or activate inflammation in the brain, thereby triggering the production of amyloid, and/or triggering the formation of neuron tangles – known as neurofibrillary tangles – which are believed to be a primary cause of Alzheimer’s disease.

So Baby Boomers, get up, keep yourself in good shape and enjoy life!

1. SBP is the blood pressure when the heart is contracting. In a blood pressure reading, the systolic pressure is typically the first number recorded. For example, in the ideal blood pressure of 120/80 the systolic pressure is 120.

2. Freitag MH et al. Midlife pulse pressure and incidence of dementia: the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. Stroke. 2006 Jan;37(1):33-7

3. Rönnemaa E et al. Impaired insulin secretion increases the risk of Alzheimer disease. Neurology. 2008 Sep 30;71(14):1065-71

4. Yaakov Stern et al. Contribution of Vascular Risk Factors to the Progression in Alzheimer Disease. Arch Neurol. 2009;66(3):343-348.

5. Photo from http://health.ninemsn.com.au/img/annie/dementia.jpg