Mother’s depression worsens asthma in children! Part 1

US researchers say that a mother’s depression can worsen her child’s asthma symptoms. The 6 month study done by researchers at John Hopkins university looked at 262 black mothers and their children. What they observed was that mothers who had severe depression also often had children with frequent asthma attacks. On the other hand, women who had less depression had children with fewer asthmatic symptoms.

The John Hopkins Children's Center team looked at black mothers and children because black children are excessively affected by asthma and are seen more often in the Emergency room than other ethnic groups. Says lead investigator Kristin Riekert, a pediatric psychologist and co director of the John Hopkins Adherence Research Center, "Even though our research was not set up to measure just how much a mom's depression increased the frequency of her child's symptoms, a clear pattern emerged in which the latter followed the earlier.“

On the other hand, children who had less asthma did not necessarily have mothers with less depression. Based on these observations the researchers say that depression may be an independent risk factor that can forecast the severity of asthma in a child.

Can some diets improve cognitive performance? part 2

So what should the average individual eat?

The above study has important implications for not only airline pilots, truck drivers, military personnel but also for patients with dementia. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other related dementias carry a high morbidity, and have a significant impact on families and care givers. As of today, no drug has made any impact on either prevention or treatment of the various dementias.

The question that remains to be answered is whether such diets can help improve cognition in patients with AD. Even though the study was done in pilots, preliminary results indicate that such a diet may also be applicable in individuals with dementia. At the moment, the data are preliminary and one does not have to eat a high carb diet or a high fat diet all the time. It is well known that the brain’s primary source of energy is glucose and a high carbohydrate diet does supply adequate sugar. However, with the obesity epidemic in society, one certainly cannot over indulge on a high carbohydrate diet.

The role of diet and its role in improvement of cognition and mental function has only now been appreciated. To improve long-term mental cognition, the answer may be more in the diet than consuming pills with unknown chemicals. However, a few more studies are needed to understand the complete role of nutrition and its impact on the brain. The take home message is that all individuals should eat at a well-balanced diet that has a lot of carbohydrates and a reasonable amount of fat. Moreover, one should not forget to exercise and stop smoking at the same time.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/708241

Can some diets improve cognitive performance? Part 1

For many years, clinicians have been wondering if certain diets can help improve cognitive performance, concentration, and mental aptitude. Over the past few decades, there has been a strong belief that diets high in protein are supposed to be better than high carb or high fat diets for good mental health. However, recently, there have been many isolated reports suggesting that diets high in carbohydrates or fat can lead to better concentration and attention span.

In the last two decades, evidence has accumulated that human error is a major cause of accidents in the airline industry. Further, long working hours, flying along several time zones and lack of proper nutrition have also been other factors associated with pilot errors. There is currently little data on the potential association between dietary intake and cognitive performance.

In the present study investigators sought to compare diets high in carbohydrates, fat, or protein to test their effects on cognition, flight performance, and pattern of sleep. Forty-five pilots were registered in this 14-week study during which individuals were randomized to be given a diet high in fats, diet high in carbs, a diet high in protein or a controlled diet.

The results showed that a diet high in carbohydrates or fat could lead to markedly enhanced cognitive performance and awareness testing score in pilots than a diet high in protein. Further, the study revealed that a high-carbohydrate diet helped pilots sleep better and longer, and a high-fat diet seemed to lead to a significantly quicker recollection of short-term memory. Finally, the results showed that by and large, flight-performance scores for pilots consuming a high-protein diet were considerably inferior than for those consuming a high-carbohydrate or a high-fat diet.

Can Axona help prevent Alzheimer’s Dementia? Part 2

So where does the consumer stand with Axona?

There have been numerous dietary substances hyped up to cure or prevent dementia and none has so far proven to be effective. AD is a complex disorder with numerous physiological and neurological changes. Inability to utilize glucose by brain cells is just one more hypothesis. Now we have axona and its ketone building properties. If high levels of ketone were the panacea for treating dementia, then all type 1 diabetics would never develop dementia and this is not true at all. In fact, diabetics have one of the highest rates of dementia and other cognitive problems—so the ketone theory is hogwash. Secondly, high levels of ketones can cause very unpleasant symptoms. Thirdly, despite Axona being available on the market for some time, very little has been reported about it. There are only anecdotal reports by a few individual who seem to have reported improved symptoms after taking axona. There is not a single patient whose dementia has completely reversed when taking axona.

More disturbing is that many individuals in the study were also allowed to continue their current AD medications and their diets were not altered in anyway. This makes it impossible to know what actually caused the mild improvement in these patients.

Further, many studies on axona have been sponsored by the company that manufactures the product –a conflict of interest is a major issue. Cardiologists claim that ingesting a saturated fatty acid like caprylic acid, on a daily basis can clog up blood vessels and induce heart attacks. The Food and Drug Administration claims that it does not know if Axona works, only that it is safe to consume and that it aims to correct a recognized nutritional deficiency.

Even though the company has made a lot of hype about Axona, none of the clinical studies has been published in reputable clinical medical journals where the work can be critiqued and analyzed. Axona does not come cheap either. A month’s supply is about $80 and requires a prescription. That is about $1000 a year.

Final Point

Axona is just another food product that is being promoted to treat AD. In reality, it is still too early to develop axona mania yet. Finally remember, the field of medical foods and health supplements is not innocuous especially when one looks back at recent data on weight loss products. Moreover, it looks like Axona is no different- a lot of false promises and disappointments is what most people will get. Until more is acknowledged about this medical food, Alzheimer’s Association does not advocate use of Axona for treatment of AD.

http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/Treatment/introducing-axona-a425.html
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Can Axona help prevent Alzheimer’s Dementia? Part 1

Axona is a relatively new medical food product that is heavily touted to improve cognition and memory in patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD). Axona is sold as a dietary food product but requires a physician’s prescription. Axona is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Accera. Research done in Accera laboratories has shown that treatment of metabolic deficiencies may help decrease devastating effects of AD.

In a few small-randomized studies, axona did show mild improvement in patients with dementia. The manufacturers of axona claim that that this health supplement provides an alternative source of energy to the brain cells. By providing energy to the brain, axona helps protect nerves against injury.

So does axona work?

In normal individuals, glucose is a primary source of energy for the brain. In patients with Alzheimer’s disease, there is a marked decrease in ability of brain cells to utilize glucose. The hypothesis is that when brain cells fail to use up glucose, this results in impaired memory and cognition. These metabolic defects are said to occur at least a decade earlier before symptoms of Alzheimer’s are evident.

Axona when ingested is converted by the liver into ketone bodies that provide an efficient alternative fuel for brain cells. Ketone bodies do occur naturally in our body during extended periods of fasting. There is some laboratory evidence that ketone bodies protect nerve cells. The key ingredient in Axona is a saturated fat called caprylic acid. The liver converts a portion of it into ketones, regardless of whatever nutrition the individual consumes.

At present axona has been specially formulated as a medical food for clinical management of mild to moderate AD. Axona is available as a powder and taken once a day. The company claims that there are no adverse effects of axona. The few reported side effects of axona include nausea, diarrhea, and bloating.

Axona is only available with a prescription from a physician.

Does high cholesterol increase the risk for alzheimer's disease? part 2

This is the first study that clearly shows that dementia can be delayed or prevented by modifying life style factors and lowering cholesterol.

At the moment, data clearly show that life style influence can lead to an increased risk for dementia. However, the role of genetics is not well established. In any case, there is now a clear trend among some physicians recommending life style changes to reduce blood cholesterol. Reducing cholesterol may help reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and dementia later in life.

So how should consumers reduce cholesterol levels?

Keeping fit, eating right and exercising regularly not only maintains the heart healthy but also keeps the brain intact and sharp. For most consumers the good news is that cholesterol lowering does not always have to be done with use of drugs. Changes in diet and life style in middle life are the cheapest and most efficient ways to reduce cholesterol. Irrespective of the genetic make up, walking everyday, eating healthy and keeping your weight down may go a long ways towards reducing the risk of dementia.

For more on cholesterol monitors, please visit www.medexsupply.com

Does High cholesterol increase the risk of dementia? Part 1

For decades, it has been known that high cholesterol levels are not good for the heart. High cholesterol levels have been associated with high blood pressure, increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and generalized narrowing of blood vessels. Now there is a study that shows that moderately elevated levels of cholesterol in middle-aged adults may be an increased risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Researchers recently published data on 9,800 individuals who were followed for more than 4 decades for development of dementia. It was observed that individuals who had high or even moderately elevated levels of cholesterol in their mid 40s had a significantly increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

In the past, scientists have always tended to think of the brain and heart as two distinct organs that are affected by different pathology. However, we are now learning that what is good for the heart is also good for the brain. This concept is now being applied by physicians in recommending changes in life style in middle age to help prevent onset of dementia.

The one minor negative of the study was that researchers did not distinguish between the HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol, chiefly because the significance of these different subtypes of cholesterol was not well understood forty years ago. At present, the current guidelines mention that total cholesterol of 240 or higher is considered high, and a cholesterol of 200 to 239 is considered borderline high. Cholesterol levels less than 140-160 are being recommended.....