Obesity in middle aged men reduces cognitive function later in life.

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Monday, October 17, 2005 8:11 am Email this article
Obesity in middle-age reduces cognitive abilities later in life for men, but not women, according to a new study that followed 551 men and 872 women from the Framingham Heart Study for eighteen years. MEN

Obesity increases dementia risk 2.5-fold in men

A previous study found that obese men are 2.5 times as likely to get dementia later in life.

 

WOMEN

Alzheimers risk increases 36% for roughly every extra 6 lbs in women

Another study found that in women, the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease increases 36 percent for every one unit increase in body mass index (BMI), or for roughly every 6 pounds for a woman of average height.

 

COMMENTS

Comment: Obesity increases risk because of chronic inflammation

I imagine the reason that obesity increases the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s is because obesity is a chronic inflammatory state, and the risk of Alzheimer’s appears to be increased by inflammation since anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen have been found to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Comment: Ways to reduce inflammation

There are numerous ways to reduce inflammation. Here are a couple I am familiar with.

 

OMEGA-3’S FROM FISH OIL

Comment: Omega-3’s reduce inflammation

Increasing omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil, flax oil and green leafy vegetables, and reducing saturated fat reduces inflammation.

 

CURCUMIN FROM TUMERIC, FOUND IN CURRY

Comment: Curcumin reduces inflammation

Curcumin, a COX-2 inhibitor which is found in the spice Tumeric, the spice used in curry, also reduces inflammation and has been found to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s in mice, and is associated with less Alzheimer’s in people.

Comment: Alzheimer’s 75 percent lower in India where they consume a lot of curcumin

The incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease in people over 80-years-old is 75 percent lower in India, where curcumin is part of the diet, than it is in the U.S. (4 percent versus 15.7 percent) according to a paper from UCLA.

Comment: The equivalent of 500 mg of curcumin reduced Alzheimer’s plaque 80%

The study found that low-doses of curcumin—the equivalent of 500 mg per day—reduced Alzheimer’s-like plaque in the brains of mice by 80 percent according to research performed at UCLA.

A higher dose of curcumin—the equivalent of 2000 mg per day—was less effective, reducing plaques by only 45 percent, a reduction similar to that seem when using ibuprofen, although curcumin and ibuprofen seem to work by different mechanisms.

The researchers wrote:

“The yellow curry spice, curcumin, has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities which confer significant protection against neurotoxic… agents.”

Comment: Curcumin several times more potent than vitamin E

Curcumin is several times more potent as an antioxidant than vitamin E according to the UCLA researchers, and concluded that “Because of its low side-effect profile and long history of safe use, curcumin may find clinical application for Alzheimer’s Disease prevention.”

Comment: Curcumin may also protect against Prostate Cancer

Curcumin may also protect against prostate cancer according to other research. One study found that curcumin killed 80 percent of prostate cancer cells.

Comment: Curcumin may also protect against Heart Attack and Stroke

Curcumin may also help to protect against heart attack and stroke by inhibiting abnormal platelet aggregation (abnormally sticking together).

Cyclooxygenase (COX) is an enzyme that controls inflammation. Aspirin is a COX inhibitor, but inhibits both COX-1 and COX-2. The beneficial effects of aspirin are thought to be due to its inhibition of COX-2, whereas the adverse effects, such as erosion of the stomach lining, are thought to be due to the inhibition of COX-1. That is why drug companies developed COX-2 inhibitors—they were trying to get the benefits while reducing the adverse effects.

Comment: Curcumin probably protects against Parkinson’s Disease also

Curcumin probably also protects against Parkinson’s Disease.

COX-2 inhibitors preserves brain cells in mice with Parkinson’s Disease according to new research from Columbia University as described in an article in Science News (May 3, 2003, p. 285).

COX-2 inhibitors work by stopping the enzyme COX-2 from converting dopamine to a toxic form which kills brain cells. (Enzymes act like chemical scissors which help to convert one substance into another, and metabolize drugs and other substances in the body.)

REFERENCE

Elias MF, Elias PK, Sullivan L, Wolf P, D’agostino R. Obesity, diabetes and cognitive deficit: the framingham heart study. Neurobiol Aging. 2005 Oct 10.

AUTHOR’S CORRESPONDENCE

M. F. Elias
Boston University
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Statistics and Consulting Unit
111 Cummington Street
Boston, MA 02215, USA
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