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The way you manage a group of health problems called metabolic syndrome could have a great impact on the question of whether you develop dementia At a young age, according to a new study.
To be diagnosed with metabolic syndromeOne person must have three of the following conditions: a large size, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high blood triglycerides and low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as HDL or “good” cholesterol.
People with metabolic syndrome, or a combination of these components, were 24% more likely to develop dementia at a young age, showed data.
“The point to remember key (of the study) is that metabolic syndrome considerably increases the risk of developing a dementia of young people”, which is dementia before the age of 65, said the main investigator of the study, Dr. Minwoo Lee, in an email. “Our results underline the importance of managing metabolic health early on to potentially prevent dementia and maintain brain health.”
The study analyzed the data of nearly 2 million people from the Corean National Health Insurance Service which has undergone health assessments. The researchers analyzed the markers of the metabolic syndrome and which developed a dementia of young people between 2009 and the end of 2020, according to the study published Wednesday in The neurology of the review.
“Each component – such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, obesity, abnormal cholesterol rates – is individually linked to a risk of higher dementia,” said Lee, assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at the Sacred Heart Hospital of Hallym University in South Korea.
The observation suggests an increased risk for a large part of the American population, because around 1 out of 3 adults in the United States suffers from metabolic syndrome, according to the National Institute of the Heart, Lungs and Blood.
“Dementia is among our most feared diseases, and the development of dementia at an early age is even more worrying,” said Dr. Richard Isaacson, preventive neurologist and research director at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Boca Raton, Florida. He was not involved in the new study.
“People of all ages – from the years 20, 30, 40, 50 and beyond – should be allowed to make healthy choices in the brain from the start,” said Isaacson. “I think this study gives us more evidence to suggest that these healthy choices for the brain can lead to better brain results over time.”
Causality in relation to correlation
It is important to note that the study was observational, which means that researchers cannot say that metabolic syndrome caused dementia, only that there was a correlation between the two, said Isaacson.
“I don't really think that vascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome cause Alzheimer's disease, but I think it can go quickly to someone,” he said.
Additional research will have to be carried out to determine whether the treatment of metabolic syndrome actually deals with dementia or reduces the number of cases, said Isaacson. Researchers will also have to examine more populations to see if the results of South Korea can be widely applied.
But the latest study gives the hope that there are actions that people can take to combat the dementia of young people, he said. “Some people say that the young dedication at the start, you can do nothing about it-it is predetermined, but I do not agree with this. These lifestyle factors are non-trivial,” he added.
Lee thinks that people can influence their chances. “My advice is to proactively manage metabolic health by maintaining a balanced diet, regular physical activity and routine medical checks,” he said. “The fight against early metabolic syndrome can considerably reduce the risk of dementia later in life.”
The link between vascular health and the brain
The conditions that make up the metabolic syndrome may not seem immediately linked to the risk of dementia, but there are several ways whose vascular health can have an impact on cognitive decline, said Isaacson.
Metabolic syndrome can lead to inflammation, and “when someone has inflammation in the body and in the brain, it can go fast to aging,” said Isaacson. “And when you have an inflammation in the brain, things don't work as well.”
Your effectively operating blood vessels are also important for cognitive health to keep enough oxygen to the brain, he added.
And finally, he noted that metabolic syndrome can affect the brain's ability to metabolize energy, which can cause cognitive disorders.
The different conditions that make up metabolic syndrome tend to occur together because they have similar causes and have a mutually impact, he added.
“When a person is physically inactive and has an unhealthy diet … and someone does not sleep and you burn the candle at both ends … A bad activity, a weak exercise: these are the medical or clinical manifestations of this kind of thing,” said Isaacson. “This is why these risk factors often come together – because they are really interdependent.”
People can take measures to be healthy
Given that genetic and lifestyle factors contribute to dementia, some people can do everything that their doctor suggests and always has dementia, said Isaacson. But making healthy lifestyle changes and tackling metabolic syndrome can still prevent or dement the dementia in many people, he added.
The treatment of metabolic syndrome, which can also increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, begins with changes in lifestyle, said Dr. Pam Taub, preventive cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of California San Diego. It was not involved in research.
“In general, the lifestyle recommendations that we recommend Mediterranean regimeA balanced diet in terms of protein, carbohydrates and fibers, and also limiting the amount of calorie intake, “she added.
Certain Taub research on metabolic syndrome show that the restricted food in time can help manage the conditions, she said.
Maintaining regular physical activity is essential, although the quantity and proportion of strength, cardio and flexibility of you are specific and discussed with your doctor, she said. It is also essential to take enough sleep and manage stress to manage almost all the chronic conditions, she added.
“Of course, we cannot control the stress that is launched to us, but this is how we modify our response that is important,” said Taub.
But lifestyle changes may not completely solve the problem, she said. Your doctor may recommend medication to help blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin resistance, lipid lowering and weight management.
“It is really neither,” said Taub. “You must synergize lifestyle and pharmacology.”
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