High cholesterol is a common condition that affects the human body by potentially causing plaque build-ups on the artery walls. When these plaques rupture or are damaged, they can lead to the formation of blood clots, which in turn causes blood flow restrictions. When blood circulation is affected, it can lead to a series of other health problems.
What is dementia?
Dementia is not a disease in the true sense of the word, but rather a collection of cognitive function losses and behavioral ability impairments which can interfere with the daily routine and completely change a person’s lifestyle.
The symptoms of dementia may vary from one person to another, but they typically fall within the same cognitive function loss category. Those who have dementia will have trouble remembering things, they will lose judgment, the ability to focus, will have difficulties in speaking, and also have altered visual perception.
Dementia normally affects short-term memory loss, causing people to forget routine activities, such as planning meals, going to the grocery store, or misplacing items around the house. The condition is basically a consequence of damaged nerve cells, causing them to be unable to communicate with each other.
The human brain is divided into different areas, each one of them being responsible with certain functions. For example, one region of the brain called the hippocampus, and it is responsible for memory and learning processes. When the brain cells of the hippocampus regions are affected, people start experiencing memory loss, which is one of the first signs of Alzheimer's.
What is Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's is a very particular form of dementia which is characterized mostly by memory loss, but also by changes in behavior and thinking. Although most of the people who have Alzheimer's are at least 65 years of age, this is not a characteristic of older people. There are also people under the age of 65 who have what is known as early-onset Alzheimer’s.
One of its characteristics is that it gets worse with time, because it’s a progressive condition. The average life-expectancy of a person who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's is four to eight years, but there are factors that can contribute to a longer life, as some people can live with this condition for 20 more years.
Alzheimer's is a very controversial condition, and is still a lot of ongoing research on the topic. It doesn’t have a cure, but the symptoms are somewhat treatable. However, there is no treatment that could prevent the condition from advancing, but can slow it down. Caregivers play a very important part in the life expectancy of someone diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Dementia and high cholesterol
Dementia has several risk factors, some of which cannot be avoided (such as genetics or age), but researchers are working to come up with new ways to prevent dementia, and most of their research includes focus on diet, physical activity, and prevention of cardiovascular problems.
Diet doesn’t just have an impact on your cholesterol level: it can also impact the brain, which is related to how healthy your heart is. In both cases (cholesterol and dementia), doctors recommend a healthy diet, which implies the consumption of less red meat, and eating more fish, whole grains, cereal, fruits, and vegetables.
Physical exercise will always play an important part in keeping your cholesterol levels healthy, but it turns out that it’s also good for the brain. While not efficient in all cases, exercising can prevent some forms of dementia, because it keeps the brain cells oxygenated, which also means they’re healthier.
The brain receives all the oxygen, blood, and nutrients it needs to survive through the blood vessels. When this pathway of vessels suffers any damage, your brain is no longer “fed”. As a consequence, alterations in the brain’s blood vessels can lead to problems such as vascular dementia.
Scientists believe that the best way to keep your brain protected from such problems is to take the steps you would to keep your cholesterol and blood pressure under control: avoid alcohol, smoking, eat a healthy diet, and keep the blood sugar levels low.
Early-onset dementia and high cholesterol
As previously stated, early-onset dementia occurs in patients that are younger than 65 years. Scientists have studied whether cholesterol has an impact on early-onset dementia. The causes are still unsure, but as far as genetics are concerned, it would seem that it has something to go with the gene called APOE E4, which has also been associated with elevated bad cholesterol levels.
Research also suggests that high cholesterol levels can speed up the aggravation of Alzheimer's disease.
Types of dementia
Excerpts of several studies have revealed the fact that some types of dementia can indeed be linked to a higher cholesterol level. On a general note, the most common types of dementia are:
- Vascular dementia
- Korsakoff syndrome
- Parkinson's disease dementia
- Posterior cortical atrophy
- Normal pressure hydrocephalus
- Mixed dementia
- Huntington's disease
- Frontotemporal dementia
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- Lewy body dementia
- Down syndrome
- Alzheimer's disease
Aside from Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia has also been scientifically linked to high cholesterol. People who have high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol problems are more likely to end up having vascular dementia and cognitive impairment.
In fact, high cholesterol is listed as a risk factor for both of the aforementioned types of dementia, along with other factors such as an improper diet, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, or high blood sugar levels.
Conclusion
While dementia and Alzheimer's disease cannot be cured, their progression can slowed down thanks to the discoveries made by researchers, who have developed strategies that help people cope with such a disease. With proper care and emotional support, patients with Alzheimer's disease can live for two more decades after being diagnosed.
- Photo courtesy of SteadyHealth
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