As research continues, Alzheimer’s remains mysterious disease
In December, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said an ultrasensitive test has been developed that detects the protein associated with Alzheimer’s and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
And just a few weeks ago, a new study claimed that Alzheimer’s disease could be caused by a gum infection.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal “Science Advances” and suggests the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis that destroys gum tissue in the mouth is linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Researchers observed the bacteria in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. They also conducted tests on mice that showed the gum infection led to an increased production of amyloid beta, a part of the amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
They also looked at post-mortem brain tissue samples from approximately 100 people with and without Alzheimer’s disease to test for the presence of two protein fragments produced by P. gingivalis bacteria, called gingipains to see if people with Alzheimer’s disease had more gingipains in their brain tissue.
According to the study, researchers found gingipains in 91 percent and 96 percent (for each of the two protein types) of brain tissue samples from people with Alzheimer’s disease, compared to 39 percent and 52 percent of brain samples from people without Alzheimer’s disease.
They said the concentration of gingipains in brain tissue was “significantly higher” in brain samples from people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers also tested the saliva and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which surrounds the brain and spinal cord, of people with Alzheimer’s disease, looking for presence of P. gingivalis DNA.
That specific DNA was present in seven out of 10 cerebrospinal fluid samples of people with Alzheimer’s disease, and all 10 matched saliva samples.
Yet other research links heart health to dementia and Alzheimer’s.
These kinds of reports might make the younger generation more apt to take care of their teeth or exercise regularly in hopes of not falling into the unknown universe of Alzheimer’s, but for now, the National Alzheimer’s Association contends that the disease is the only top 10 cause of death in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.
“Although deaths from other major causes have decreased significantly, official records indicate that deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have increased significantly,” said the association’s website. “Between 2000 and 2015, deaths from Alzheimer’s disease as recorded on death certificates increased 123 percent, while deaths from the number one cause of death (heart disease) decreased 11 percent.”
Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
The National Alzheimer’s Association said 5.7 million Americans will be living with Alzheimer’s by 2050 and every 65 seconds someone in the United States develops the disease.
Dr. Dan DiCola, an Excela Health family medicine physician who is also board certified in the sub-specialty of geriatrics, said patients with dementia develop significant dysfunction and short-term memory, orientation, judgment, visual spatial skills, and complex thinking.
“The etiology of dementia is not certain but thought to be due to microvascular changes, decrease in brain neurotransmitters, and deposition of abnormal proteins in the brain,” he said.
DiCola said that while some forms of dementia or Alzheimer’s dementia are inherited, other forms are based on cerebrovascular disease, brain trauma and excess alcohol intake.
He added that some conditions known to increase the likelihood of Alzheimer’s include brain trauma, Parkinsonism and Cerebrovascular disease.
The National Alzheimer’s Association says Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills, but early detection does matter.
The 10 early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s include memory loss that disrupts daily life, challenges in planning or solving problems such as making a pot of coffee or keeping track of bills, difficulty with completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place and trouble understanding visual images.
Other symptoms are having new problems with words, misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps, decreased or poor judgment, withdrawal from work or social activities and changes in mood or personality.
DiCola said physical exercise and activities that also exercise the brain, such as word puzzles, might just help with decreasing the risks of Alzheimer’s.
The National Alzheimer’s Association agrees that while some risk factors, such as age or genes, cannot be changed, other risk factors, like high blood pressure and lack of exercise, usually can be changed to help reduce risk.
Terrie Eger, a certified dementia practitioner with the mental health community Arden Courts in Allegheny County, said it’s true that heart healthy is brain healthy.
“Take care of your heart – eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep,” she said. “Also, be socially active. Join a book club or a fishing club and continue to actively push your brain with new activities and new hobbies.
“If you’ve mastered word search, go to sodoku, and when you’ve mastered sodoku, got to crosswords,” Eger said.