We all think about our parents and grandparents as we get older, don't we? Sometimes when they forget little things, we think, "Oh, this is how we get older." But not all forgetfulness is that normal. Sometimes, it can be an early sign of a serious disease like Alzheimer's, which gradually causes memory loss. Now, a new study suggests that there is a connection between our genes, cholesterol, and blood pressure, and Alzheimer's disease in a way we didn't think. Let's talk about this in more depth today.
What is this latest discovery?
A group of researchers in Europe have come together to conduct a very large study. This involved more than 39,000 people with Alzheimer's disease and more than 400,000 people without the disease. So what they found is what really surprised many people.
Simply put, they have found that due to our genetic influences, some people are predisposed to having high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and those people are also at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
Now you might be wondering, "What are these genes?" Genes are little sets of instructions that we inherit from our parents that determine almost everything in our bodies. These genes affect everything from the color of our hair and eyes to the diseases we may develop. So this study suggests that genes related to blood pressure and cholesterol also influence Alzheimer's disease.
How are cholesterol and pressure related to this?
This study has highlighted two very clear points. To make it easier to understand, let's look at it this way.
| Risk Factor | What the study found |
|---|---|
| "Good" cholesterol (HDL Cholesterol) | It has been found that people with genetically high HDL cholesterol levels are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. |
| Systolic Blood Pressure | It has been found that people with genetically high systolic blood pressure (the top number of blood pressure) are also at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. |
Now you may have a big question. We've always heard that HDL cholesterol is the "good cholesterol." So how does increasing it increase the risk of Alzheimer's? This is the most interesting point in this study and one that needs a lot of further research. Some experts offer different explanations for this, and we'll talk about that too.
What exactly is Alzheimer's disease?
Before we talk about this, let's understand a little about Alzheimer's disease. Simply put, Alzheimer's is a disease in which our brain cells gradually die and the brain gradually shrinks. This is the main and most common type of dementia, a group of memory loss diseases.
What happens in this disease is,
- First, you start to forget things that happened recently.
- You may forget the day, time, and place.
- Over time, we become unable to recognize even those we know well, even family members.
- Things like talking and making decisions become difficult.
- Eventually, they reach a point where they can't even do their own work on their own.
This is a very painful and challenging situation for both the patient and their family.
What do experts say about this?
Alzheimer's disease experts around the world have had mixed reactions to this study. A prominent American physician who was not involved in the study had this to say about it:
As she says, "While this is important information, we cannot draw any big conclusions from this alone. This is something that needs to be further confirmed."
She offers one explanation for the fact that increasing "good cholesterol" (HDL) increases the risk of Alzheimer's. Think about it this way. A person with a high HDL level is largely protected from heart disease. Therefore, he is likely to live a healthier life than others. As he lives longer, the risk of developing a disease like Alzheimer's that comes with age automatically increases. So whether this is a direct relationship or an indirect relationship like this needs to be further investigated.
"This is research that needs to be further confirmed and better understood. This is certainly important. But this is just one small piece of a larger puzzle."
Also, since this study was conducted using European populations, it remains to be seen in the future to what extent these results are applicable to us in Asia, especially Sri Lanka.
So what should we do?
When you read about research like this, you might be scared. You might think, "Oh, I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, will I get Alzheimer's?" But don't worry.
This is still in the research stage. This does not mean that everyone with high cholesterol or high blood pressure will develop Alzheimer's. It only means that the risk may be 'slightly' increased for those who are genetically predisposed to those conditions.
The best thing we can do is to follow the advice of our doctor and keep conditions like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and diabetes under control. It is also very important to adopt a healthy lifestyle. That means,
- Eating a good balanced diet.
- Exercising regularly.
- Avoiding smoking and alcohol.
- Reducing stress.
If you or someone in your family thinks you have a memory problem, don't be afraid or embarrassed about it, but immediately see your family doctor and talk about it. He or she will conduct the necessary tests and give you the right advice.
Take-Home Message
- This is a new discovery that is still in the research stage. Don't worry about taking this as a final conclusion.
- Don't let this study cause you unnecessary fear about your cholesterol or blood pressure levels.
- The best thing you can do is to keep your pre-existing medical conditions (high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol) well controlled, as advised by your doctor.
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle (good diet, exercise) is very important.
- If you or someone in your family is experiencing symptoms of memory loss, don't hide it and talk to your doctor immediately.
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