Risk Factors For Alzheimer's Disease

Risk Factors For Alzheimer's Disease.
Older adults with tribute problems and a old hat of concussion have more buildup of Alzheimer's disease-associated plaques in the brain than those who also had concussions but don't have respect problems, according to a new study. "What we think it suggests is, head trauma is associated with Alzheimer's-type dementia - it's a gamble factor," said study researcher Michelle Mielke, an collaborator professor of epidemiology and neurology at Mayo Clinic Rochester. But it doesn't sorry someone with head trauma is automatically going to develop Alzheimer's. Her contemplation is published online Dec 26, 2013 and in the Jan 7, 2014 print originate of the journal Neurology.

Previous studies looking at whether head trauma is a risk factor for Alzheimer's have come up with conflicting results. And Mielke stressed that she has found only a connection or association, not a cause-and-effect relationship. In the study, Mielke and her line-up evaluated 448 residents of Olmsted County, Minn, who had no signs of recall problems.

They also evaluated another 141 residents with memory and thinking problems known as mild cognitive impairment. More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Plaques are deposits of a protein sliver known as beta-amyloid that can body up in between the brain's nerve cells. While most family develop some with age, those who develop Alzheimer's generally get many more, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

They also wait on to get them in a predictable pattern, starting in brain areas crucial for memory. In the Mayo study, all participants were old 70 or older. The participants reported if they ever had a brain injury that interested loss of consciousness or memory. Of the 448 without any memory problems, 17 percent had reported a brains injury. Of the 141 with memory problems, 18 percent did.

This suggests that the relationship between head trauma and the plaques is complex as the proportion of people reporting concussion was the same in both groups. Brain scans were done on all the participants. Those who had both concussion yesterday and cognitive mental impairment had levels of amyloid plaques that were 18 percent higher than those with cognitive decrease but no head trauma history, the investigators found.

Among those with unassuming cognitive impairment, those with concussion histories had a nearly five times higher danger of elevated plaque levels than those without a history of concussion. The researchers don't identify why some with concussion history develop memory problems and others do not. The research was funded by the US National Institutes of Health, among several other supporters.

The study adds valuable data for experts in the field, said Dr Robert Glatter, director of sports medicine and damaging brain injury in the department of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City. Glatter, who is also a ci-devant sideline physician for the National Football League's New York Jets, reviewed the immature study findings. Other studies often rely on postmortem information.

In the Mayo study, participants had to have wastage of consciousness as a measure of having a concussion history. However the unheard of thinking is that loss of consciousness is not necessary to define a concussion - one can occur without that. The produce of head injury may be cumulative over time in the development of Alzheimer's.

In the past, experts ratiocination only severe head trauma was linked with Alzheimer's, but less severe injury may actually be related as well. Some other factor or factors yet to be discovered may be at play. Both Mielke and Glatter stressed that concussions don't automatically exceed to Alzheimer's. "Not all people with head trauma come out Alzheimer's help ed top. If you do hit your head, it doesn't mean you are going to develop Alzheimer's," Mielke said, although "it may extension your risk".