Why does dementia happen? Any known advances in medicine, gene therapy?
It has been said we only use 10% of the brain, so why doesn't the 90% of the rest compensate for it.
Are there any professor's of medicine out there? that know why is happens. I guess there's decades worth of internet to read up, but I want to know what people know about it, without doing searches. My understanding is very sketchy, the synapses do not connect properly and people with it cannot recall various short-term memories.
Are numbers increasing from pre 1950's, or are numbers just increasing because the population has increased?
Does anyone think modern diets have played a big role in getting dementia? Does diet matter?
Does any of the above matter or is it simply down to luck?
Young people get dementia too, so why do people commonly say it's "age-related."
I'm guessing plenty of mathematicians and scientists get it too and they're using the brain to the maximum 10% nearly all their lives, so this kind of rules out mental exercises delaying or preventing it.
Or is it no one really knows.
This started off with one question and spiraled....sorry... :)
Massive massive massive subject here.
Numbers likely rising both with population and with the fact we live longer. The brain ages and a recent book written by a neurosurgeon (Dr Henry Marsh) he speaks at length about our grey matter (which holds all our working cells) and our white matter (which holds all the highways for synapsing and connecting to "make us work--enough highway to stretch to Pluto and back).
How the brain ages is likely due to multiple factors from genetics on. Small strokes, plaques they believe for the most part at this time causing cell death. MRIs show most of us have changes by age 70. You will hear "swiss cheese brain" when you read here on aging care over and over again. And yup, we get "holes in our heads" or at least in our brains as we age.
We are just beginning to get information on all this. Just think of the huge variety of our dementias from Lewy's to Alzheimer's to fronto temporal and on and on and on and on. What we KNOW is enormous but what we DON'T know is unfathomable.
If you are interested in this read Dr Henry Marsh's books (the neurologist) and Oliver Sack's books on the brain.
Go online and type in "causes of dementia". You will be busy for a lifetime of research and fascination. With all we do know we are only on the threshold and cannot even fully diagnosis many dementias until we do it by autopsy after death.
You asked one BIG QUESTION here. I am the last one to know anything at all about the answer, but I sure am fascinated by the thinkers who are trying to gather information out here.
I may have more white matter than grey matter :) Holes in the brain? I can definitely hear the wind whistle through my ears :-O
I was even wrong about the term dementia, until I joined this forum. I just grouped everything into one condition but now realize there are many conditions under the word dementia. I saw this movie called Still Alice with Julianne Moore, I'm sure most folks on this forum know it. In the past I'd watch this type of movie and thought all type of dementia end up like the character in the movie. I slowly started to realize there are different types, with different severities and levels of progression.
The reason I mentioned, the brain adapting to compensate for problems; is because I've heard the brain compensates for other cognitive issues, like a failback mechanism and I thought why can't it do that for various types of dementia. However, you mentioned the holes in the brain and I suppose it depends how much of the brain is affected and maybe there's only so much it can compensate for.
It's all fascinating what goes on upstairs.. i.e. the brain.
Thank you for posting a reply that is really fun to read and fascinating, you've certainly made me think more about the depth of the topic and the various cognitive problems for different types dementia.
I tend to think genetics plays a strong role in any kind of significant change in the brain. Aging population certainly is increasing the numbers of people affected with dementia. As with anything complex, there is no single answer to how or why it manifests. One avenue researchers must explore is how to screen for dementia decades before it happens. Which will also open the doors to better understanding of the physical aspects of the brain changing. To detect the shifts in cellular structures and chemistry. Perhaps have an early intervention for treatment. As it is, it feels like the Middle Ages as far as what's available for dementia-which is nothing. Not a thing. 50+ years of funded research and....nothing of significant value has resulted. Not early detection, not better treatment, not better research results.
Dementia is not going away. As the numbers of affected people increase (it's the number one cause of death for women in Australia) there will be pressure for results and treatment.
If you want to learn more, a very good, on line, free course can be found at the Wicking Center. I learned of this here and have recommended it to many people. It can be a bit advanced, medical but fun-Lego animation is used in one segment to explain dementia.
To put a finer point on this, my husband was diagnosed with Frontal Temporal Dementia about two and a half years ago. He may have a couple of ok years left of decent cognitive function and then, things will become awful-as this form of dementia tends to last about seven to eight years, and he seems to be following the basic trajectory of how Frontal Temporal dementia progresses. I am his primary caregiver and am quite aware of what will be next.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_percent_of_the_brain_myth
It would be interesting if someone did researching to see if everyone who has/had dementia also had really high cholesterol.
My mom had Parkinson’s and developed dementia. I didn’t even recognize the first signs of dementia as it was developing. It’s so subtle at first. My mother was always sharp but she started having certain difficulties with memory and other things.
There is a podcast that I think you may enjoy. It’s hosted by a nurse practitioner who is a healthcare provider for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, plus she has personal experience with it due to her own mother having dementia.
At the window with Dementia is the name of the podcast. She has 49 episodes on it.
There are tons of podcasts on Dementia. Look them up.
Best wishes to you.
1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer's or another dementia. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
In 2020, COVID-19 contributed to a 17% increase in Alzheimer's and dementia deaths.
In 2022, Alzheimer's and other dementias will cost the nation $321 billion. By 2050, these costs could reach nearly $1 trillion.
More than 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other dementias.
In 2021, these caregivers provided more than 16 billion hours of care valued at nearly $272 billion.
90% of physicians say it's important to diagnose MCI due to Alzheimer's, but over half say they are not fully comfortable diagnosing it.
The number of Americans living with Alzheimer's is growing — and growing fast. More than 6 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's.
An estimated 6.5 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's in 2022. Seventy-three percent are age 75 or older.
About 1 in 9 age 65 and older (10.7%) has Alzheimer's.
Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's are women.
Older Black Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer's or other dementias as older Whites.
Older Hispanics are about one and one-half times as likely to have Alzheimer's or other dementias as older Whites.
As the number of older Americans grows rapidly, so too will the number of new and existing cases of Alzheimer's. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s may grow to a projected 12.7 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow or cure Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s is not just memory loss. Alzheimer’s kills.
1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer's or another dementia. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
Deaths from Alzheimer’s have more than doubled between 2000 and 2019, while those from heart disease — the leading cause of death — have decreased.
At age 70, seniors living with Alzheimer's are twice as likely to die before age 80 than those who do not have the disease.
People age 65 and older survive an average of four to eight years after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, yet some live as long as 20 years with Alzheimer’s. This reflects the slow, uncertain progression of the disease.
Eighty-three percent of the help provided to older adults in the United States comes from family members, friends or other unpaid caregivers. Nearly half of all caregivers who provide help to older adults do so for someone living with Alzheimer's or another dementia.
Who are the caregivers?
About 30% of caregivers are age 65 or older.
Approximately two-thirds of caregivers are women; more specifically, over one-third of dementia caregivers are daughters.
Most caregivers (66%) live with the person with dementia in the community.
Approximately one-quarter of dementia caregivers are “sandwich generation” caregivers — meaning that they care not only for an aging parent but also for at least one child.
Alzheimer's takes a devastating toll on caregivers. Compared with caregivers of people without dementia, twice as many caregivers of those with dementia indicate substantial emotional, financial and physical difficulties.
Of the total lifetime cost of caring for someone with dementia, 70% is borne by families — either through out-of-pocket health and long-term care expenses or from the value of unpaid care.
My mother ate healthy, didn't drink or smoke, got loads of exercise, AND dementia too, at about 86 (dxed at 88). Nobody knows the 'why's' or anything else much about the human brain. #Truth
Those are very sad stats 😔.
Do statins help prevent dementia?
In total, a pooled analysis of 36 studies found that statins were associated with a decreased risk of dementia (OR 0.80 (CI 0.75-0.86). For Alzheimer's disease, the association with statins based on 21 studies, was also reduced (OR 0.68 (CI 0.56-0.81).Jan 18, 2022
High blood cholesterol can raise the risk of certain types of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Jul 15, 2021
Lower levels of bile acids, which are made when the body breaks down cholesterol, are linked to a higher risk of dementia among men, according to a recent NIA study
High blood cholesterol can raise the risk of certain types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. However, cholesterol does not enter the brain, and researchers are unsure how these conditions are linked.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/abnormal-cholesterol-metabolism-linked-dementia-risk#:~:text=High%20blood%20cholesterol%20can%20raise,Alzheimer's%20disease%20and%20vascular%20dementia.
Young people who get dementia is usually caused by a head injury of some type. So keep your noggin protected. Same with old people and falls.
Here is a great article if you are interested.
www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2022/08/conversation-old-age-is-not-a-modern-phenomenon.php#.Y_BDOx5ME0M
Interesting article from NIH. Thanks for posting on this controversial topic. My husband takes a statin.
I asked our doctor about statins being a link to Alzheimer’s disease. She firmly believes that it’s more important to lower cholesterol levels than it is to be concerned about a related risk to Alzheimer’s disease. She says that the risk is relatively small and is not an overwhelming factor.
I think Dementia needs much more awareness, especially the Alzheimer's the type that give people the most cognitive decline. I feel it's a topic many people misunderstand; up until recently that includes me. I think they need to start talking about it as openly as this forum does, when people are posting questions.
btw: I was sad to hear about Bruce Willis is diagnosed with Frontotemporal dementia. I watched his movies in the 80's, moonlighting..
I like your idea about screening early, they do it for other diseases, why not dementia? It appear they wait for people to have issues before looking into it. Really great points you've made, I can see you've put a great deal of thought into how it can be improved.
The thing is pollution effects the lungs, but it doesn't happen quickly, it's the slow exposure to toxic pollutants and then later on in life people find out. I think the same is with poor diet, it's the gradual effects over a long time that are most likely linked to dementia. The Japanese are definitely doing something right, and I think that the diet
https://fsi.stanford.edu/news/japanese-population-projected-live-longer-without-dementia
I believe you are right about toxins affecting our bodies. The rising cases of lymphoma from the pesticide Roundup is truly sad.
Our environment has changed and we are paying the price for it with our health.
My mother had stage 3 Ovarian cancer in 2009 and its been 13 years. Had no relapses, a top notch Oncologist and not genetic. Her Braca test was negative; probably was caused by the use estrogen medication for menopause.
Is it the food, toxins, pollution? Is it genetic? Scares me for my future....
I think there will always be exceptions to the rule, right? I believe in eating healthy for the most part but we have seen even vegetarians like Linda McCartney and Steve Jobs get cancer.