Alzheimer’s is one of those diseases that brings together more researchers around the world in search of its solution, and yet there is resistance to treatment. This dementia is present in our society now—it is estimated that it affects about 800,000 Spaniards—but its prevalence could double in the future. Dementia will be one of the challenges of the next decades as our population ages, Although many mysteries of the disease remain to be discovered, scientists have observed that Alzheimer’s is closely related to lifestyle habits.
While the cardiovascular benefits of a healthy diet and exercise are well known, until recently we thought they had nothing to do with the brain. So much, that they can protect us from some cases of stroke or other circulatory problems in this organ, Although neurologists, psychologists and psychiatrists increasingly recommend that we improve these habits, by themselves, they have been shown to be protective against dementia.
In this sense, type 2 diabetes is a condition associated with an unhealthy lifestyle: a sedentary lifestyle, obesity or consumption of certain unhealthy foods, among other factors. Furthermore, in recent years many experts have warned Association between this condition and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. According to the Epidemiological Study of Diabetes in Spain ([email protected]), it is estimated that 10% to 15% of adults in Spain suffer from it, a very alarming warning. That is, it is a very common disease in our country.
harmful mechanism
In any case, the mechanisms by which Alzheimer’s and diabetes are related are not fully understood. In this sense, a team of researchers from the Universities of Granada and Cadiz have found One reason why diabetes in particular may contribute to cognitive decline, The results of their research have been published in the scientific journal CNS fluids and barriers And they point to a possible way to slow the progression or prevent some Alzheimer’s cases in the future.
As the authors point out, Alzheimer’s progresses differently in patients who only suffer from this dementia, compared to those who also have diabetes or pre-diabetes. The latter presents a large beta-amyloid angiopathy: This is the accumulation of amyloid beta peptide at the vascular level. But that’s not the only thing that favors a worse version of Alzheimer’s, according to the study, diabetes favors soluble forms of these amyloid beta peptides, which are more toxic to neuronal tissue.
“Such modification of beta-amyloid pathology leads to increased oxidative stress at the neuronal and vascular level. All this facilitates the breakdown of blood vessels in the brain and potentiates the neuronal death typical of Alzheimer’s disease“, they explain in this Sink article. After finding these results, the authors wondered whether controlling diabetes could help slow its progression or even prevent the disease in the event that it was not contracted. can go.
sports and mental activity
Avoiding diabetes basically involves adopting healthy eating habits, physical exercise and getting a good night’s rest. Adhering to these parameters, a huge number of diseases, from cardiovascular to oncological, can be avoided. In fact, it is estimated Up to 30% of Alzheimer’s cases are attributed to environmental factors, as explained in this article from EL ESPAÑOL. “Mental activity is important for brain care, but it has been observed that regular physical activity does more,” said Guillermo García Ribas, spokesman for the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN).
Some scientific studies have shown that people who do physical exercise have better cognitive performance in aspects such as mathematical or language skills. A sedentary lifestyle, for its part, is related to depletion of the hippocampus, An area of the brain that is associated with memory. In any case, the scientific community has not yet reached a consensus on which physical activity is best for preventing Alzheimer’s, nor the intensity, nor the frequency with which it should be done.
In this sense, it’s best to do the physical exercise we love most—from dancing to CrossFit—as it’s the most efficient way to practice a sport and not give it up in the future. In addition, other ways of preventing Alzheimer’s have been described, such as preventing deafness or even maintaining regular social interactions. Hobbies such as Sudoku or crosswords are also activities that can help expand our cognitive reserve, as well as reading or studying, which serves to protect our brain of cognitive decline.
