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Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease
Could hazelnuts help with Alzheimer’s disease and other age related conditions?
Hazelnuts improve older adults’ micronutrient levels
Older adults who added hazelnuts to their diet for a few months significantly improved their levels of two key micronutrients, new research at Oregon State University indicates.
In the study, 32 people age 55 and older ate about 57 grams of hazelnuts – 2 ounces or about one-third cup – daily for 16 weeks.
Results showed increased blood concentrations of magnesium and elevated urinary levels of a breakdown product of alpha tocopherol, commonly known as vitamin E.
The findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, are important because many Americans do not eat adequate amounts of either micronutrient. Older adults are at particular risk – lower concentrations of the micronutrients are associated with increased risk of age-related health problems including Alzheimer’s disease.
“This is one of the first times a study of this type has focused only on older adults,” said co-author Alex Michels, a researcher at OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute. “We wanted to fill in a piece of the puzzle – can hazelnuts improve the nutritional status of older adults specifically?”
Michels also noted few hazelnut studies have involved Oregon hazelnuts, which account for 99 percent of U.S. production of a nut also known as the filbert.
“Not that we think Oregon hazelnuts are much different than other sources,” he said, “but now the booming crop that we have in this state finally has science behind it. Perhaps other benefits of Oregon hazelnuts are awaiting future study.”
Maret Traber, the study’s corresponding author, notes that she and her collaborators used a novel biomarker – an alpha tocopherol metabolite – to determine hazelnuts had improved the research subjects’ vitamin E levels.
“It’s hard to determine changes in α-tocopherol levels in the blood of older adults because they tend toward elevated cholesterol levels which leads to more α-tocopherol being retained in the blood,” said Traber, a professor in the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences and the Ava Helen Pauling Professor at the Linus Pauling Institute. “So what we did instead was look at the urine to see how much of a vitamin E catabolite was in it. The catabolite should only increase if the body is getting enough vitamin E.”
The catabolite is alpha carboxyethyl hydroxychromanol, abbreviated to α-CEHC.
“It’s basically a vitamin E molecule where the tail has been chewed up into nothing, part of the natural breakdown process of vitamin E as the body uses it,” Michels said. “We saw urinary α-CEHC levels go up in almost every participant.”
In addition, blood analysis showed decreases in glucose and low-density lipoproteins, also known as “bad” cholesterol, in addition to increases in magnesium.
“All of which says that hazelnuts are good for you,” Traber said. “The findings demonstrate the power of adding hazelnuts to your diet, of just changing one thing. Vitamin E and magnesium are two of the most underconsumed micronutrients in the U.S. population, and there’s much more to hazelnuts than what we analyzed here. They’re also a great source of healthy fats, copper and B6. People don’t like taking multivitamins, but hazelnuts represent a multivitamin in a natural form.”
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Alzheimer’s disease – what are the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease? Early detection matters
Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease progress slowly over several years. Sometimes these symptoms are confused with other conditions and may initially be put down to old age.
The rate at which the symptoms progress is different for each individual and it’s not possible to predict exactly how quickly it will get worse.
In some cases, infections, medications, strokes or delirium can be responsible for symptoms getting worse. Anyone with Alzheimer’s disease whose symptoms are rapidly getting worse should be seen by a doctor, so these can be managed.
Stages of Alzheimer’s disease
Generally, the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are divided into three main stages.
Early symptoms
In the early stages, the main symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is memory lapses. For example, someone with early Alzheimer’s disease may:
forget about recent conversations or events, or misplace items
forget the names of places and objects, or have trouble thinking of the right word
repeat themselves regularly, such as asking the same question several times
show poor judgement or find it harder to make decisions
become less flexible and more hesitant to try new things
There are often signs of mood changes, such as increasing anxiety or agitation, or periods of confusion.
Middle-stage symptoms
As Alzheimer’s disease develops, memory problems will get worse. Someone with the condition may find it increasingly difficult to remember the names of people they know and may struggle to recognise their family and friends.
Other symptoms may also develop, such as:
increasing confusion and disorientation – for example, getting lost, or wandering and not knowing what time of day it is
obsessive, repetitive or impulsive behaviour
delusions (believing things that are untrue) or feeling paranoid and suspicious about carers or family members
problems with speech or language (aphasia)
disturbed sleep
changes in mood, such as frequent mood swings, depression and feeling increasingly anxious, frustrated or agitated
difficulty performing spatial tasks, such as judging distances
By this stage, someone with Alzheimer’s disease usually needs support to help them with their everyday living. For example, they may need help eating, washing, getting dressed and using the toilet.
Later symptoms
In the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease, the symptoms become increasingly severe and distressing for the person with the condition, as well as their carers, friends and family.
Hallucinations and delusions may come and go over the course of the illness, but can get worse as the condition progresses. Sometimes people with Alzheimer’s disease can be violent, demanding and suspicious of those around them.
A number of other symptoms may also develop as Alzheimer’s disease progresses, such as:
difficulty eating and swallowing (dysphagia)
difficulty changing position or moving around without assistance
considerable weight loss – although some people eat too much and put on weight
unintentional passing of urine (urinary incontinence) or stools (bowel incontinence)
gradual loss of speech
significant problems with short- and long-term memory
In the severe stages of Alzheimer’s disease, people may need full-time care and assistance with eating, moving and using the toilet.
Read more about how Alzheimer’s disease is treated.
Seeking medical advice
If you’re worried about your memory or think you may have dementia, it’s a good idea to see your GP. If you’re worried about someone else, you should encourage them to make an appointment and perhaps suggest that you go along with them.
Memory problems are not just caused by dementia – they can also be caused by depression, stress, medications or other health problems. Your GP can carry out some simple checks to try to find out what the cause may be, and they can refer you to a specialist for more tests, if necessary.
Ten Signs of Alzheimer’s – What you Need to Know!
The thought of Alzheimer’s is very concerning. Especially when it affects family and friends!
But the earlier Alzheimer’s (and other forms of dementia) are diagnosed the better the treatments available.
So we are sharing this list of signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease from the Alzheimer’s Association.
Know the 10 signs – An infographic by the team at Alzheimer’s Association
Dementia with Lewy Bodies. What are the signs and symptoms DLB and how can it be treated?
Dementia with Lewy Bodies
As many of you know this month is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. So, somewhat counter intuitively, I have decided to have a look at other form of dementia. In this case I’d like to focus on a condition called Dementia with Lewy Bodies.
Dementia (and this form of dementia in particular) has been on my mind for the last few weeks. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly as I get older my family members age as well. Secondly because the man after whom this medical condition is named (albeit some decades apart) went to the same medical school as my cousin.
So I wanted to look at Dementia with Lewy bodies a bit more closely.
As you know Alzheimer’s disease is not the only type of dementia. In fact Dementia with Lewy bodies may be responsible for around 10% of dementia cases. Though it should be noted that typically in only 4% of cases are actually diagnosed as Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) by healthcare professionals. So there is more than a bit of uncertainty about a diagnosis.
Okay so let’s start from the beginning. What exactly are Lewy bodies?
Lewy bodies are “tiny deposits of protein in nerve cells” – currently scientists are not clear as to why they appear. Though, in fact, they are present in both DLB and Parkinson’s disease. In fact DLB shares symptoms with both Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. And also with some other progressive neurological conditions as well. As of today scientists are still unclear as to how Lewy bodies operate. Thought it does seems that the Lewy bodies interfere with chemical signals between nerve cells.
So what are the symptoms of Dementia with Lewy bodies?
As with Alzheimer’s disease people with DLB suffer from memory and judgement issues but they also have issues with concentration and visual perception. By visual perception we mean how a person sees objects in space and general recognition of those objects.
As with Parkinson’s they may suffer from tremors, slowed-down movements and stiff limbs.
In some cases the patient may suffer from hallucinations. Fatigue and disrupted sleep is also very common for person with Dementia with Lewy Bodies. And in a few cases falling and fainting will occur.
Many patients suffer from swings in concentration. This might mean a swift change from general alertness to simply just starring into space.
While Dementia with Lewy Bodies’ symptoms can be treated current there is no cure for the condition. Therapies are generally used for particular symptoms so treatment regimens will vary for patient to patient. For example Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors can be used for cognitive dysfunction, hallucinations and drowsiness.
As with other neurological conditions physiotherapy can be used alongside occupational therapy. And in many cases speech and language therapy as well.
Patients may also be exposed to other therapies. Cognitive stimulation which involves taking part in activities and exercises designed to improve memory, problem-solving skills and language ability. Reality orientation therapy reduces feelings of mental disorientation, memory loss and confusion, while improving self-esteem.
It should be mentioned that if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with any kind of dementia it is vital to get legal advice to make sure your or their affairs are in order.
If you have seen one of our discussion blog post at Patient Talk before you will know that the most important part is to start a discussion among our readers and those in the Dementia with Lewy bodies’ community. So we were hoping some of you may be able to help with the following questions which will help to educate others about the condition. We are keen to hear from friends, family and caregivers as well as people with Dementia with Lewy bodies.
So here goes:-
What were the earliest signs and symptoms of Dementia with Lewy bodies?
How did Dementia with Lewy bodies’ progress?
What treatments were offered to you or a loved one? How effective were those treatments for Dementia with Lewy bodies?
What advice would you give to a person
And their families who has just been diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy bodies?
Thanks very much in advance. Please note that these are just guide lines. Anything you have to say will be of massive interest to our readers.
Finally if you want or need more information why not have a look the web site of the Dementia with Lewy bodies Society in the UK and its fraternal organisation in America, Canada and Australia.