We may not know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease, but after decades of research five new potential causes have surfaced.
Usually, Alzheimer’s affects our elders, and is mistaken for senility or short-term memory loss – things that are considered a normal part of aging. But if we learn more about what leads to the disease, we’ll be better able to prevent Alzheimer’s.
Too often, the little things are overlooked. We know that Alzheimer’s forms when the brain deteriorates, but what helps lead to these breakdowns? Here are five potential causes of Alzheimer’s that new science points to:
A class of drugs called benzodiazepines is commonly prescribed for short-term use against anxiety and insomnia. But long-term use of the class of drug (which includes “medications” like Xanax) has been associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
In fact, one conclusion of this study states that benzodiazepines have a stronger association with Alzheimer’s in long-term use, which could indicate a direct association between the drug and the disease.
Typically, when you hit your head you get dazed and see stars, but you’ll be alright. If you subject your most precious organ to repeated blows, however, you’ll develop chronic inflammation.
When brain cells called microglia are always inflamed, they have a really tough time clearing toxic proteins from the brain. These proteins, called amyloid beta, lead to Alzheimer’s when allowed to buildup in the brain.
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When you sleep, your brain gets some work done. No, they aren’t solving complex issues, like math equations, but they are solving something else.
While we sleep, our brains clear out the waste. This is why, when we don’t get enough rest, we feel slow and sluggish: because our brains are full of yesterday’s junk., like amyloid beta Sleep depravation is a form of chronic stress on the body and based on the symptoms, can lead to Alzheimer’s.
Keeping our brains active and happy helps to keep them healthy. Being part of a community and staying connected with friends and family is important, but science is still unsure why. A study by the British Medical Journal finds that the feeling of loneliness in older adults makes them 1.63 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s.
Neuroscientist Suzanne de la Monte, MD, of Brown University, is so sure Alzheimer’s is a metabolic disease in the brain that she has started referring to it as Type 3 Diabetes.
“Any organ can be affected by insulin resistance,” says de la Monte. “You can have it in the liver- we call that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. If you get it in the brain, we call it Alzheimer’s.”
When your brain is insulin-resistant, toxic proteins build up and the brain shuts down.
Learn as much as you can about new health developments; you’ll keep your brain safer if you fill it with as much knowledge as possible. Now you’ve got five more informed ideas on what leads to Alzheimer’s, and some preventative measures.
Don’t just open your body to pills and inoculations from big-pharma. If you remember the easy, natural steps – like getting enough sleep and keeping your brain healthy, you’ll remember for longer.
Sources:
http://www.prevention.com/health/causes-alzheimers
http://www.alz.org/dementia/types-of-dementia.asp
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_10_signs_of_alzheimers.asp
http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g5205
