Welcome back new this morning some new
research and information on Alzheimer's
joining us right now is Jim Hurley
with Colorado Alzheimer's Association.
Thank you so much for coming in my pleasure.
So you just got back from this
research conference in San Diego.
You're sharing some new findings.
First, talk about the study of processed
food and its correlation with dementia.
Yeah, there was a study done of
people who consumed more than 20% of
their calories in processed foods,
and that's ultra processed
means things that are machined.
They have sugar, fat, salt,
artificial flavors and colors added to them.
I mean, frankly, some of our favorite foods.
Yeah, ice cream, potato chips,
frozen pizza, yeah breakfast cereals,
and if that is more than 20% of your
calories, they say that that can lead
to a 28% faster cognitive decline.
Now that's the bad news.
The good news is,
and we've been looking for a cure for
Alzheimer's for 116 years since it was first.
Diagnosed, this gives us some room
to at least give people guidance
in how to construct their diets.
I mean, you may have to make some changes
and it's not like 20% of your diet is a,
you know a safety line.
19% doesn't mean you're safe.
21% doesn't mean it's that much worse,
but you need to cut back and make
more Whole Foods part of your diet to
give yourself that protection against
the changes that will come as we age,
the healthier you are,
the healthier you are so.
Exactly,
so we're also getting some some
information about COVID-19 and the long
term impacts of COVID. I understand
exactly and what we're finding is
that people one one of the side
effects of COVID can be loss of smell.
And So what scientists have discovered is
that loss of smell if it lasts longer,
is a better indication of long
term cognitive decline than even
the severity of the disease.
So we're still.
I mean, COVID is so new to us that
in terms of long term.
Tracking of this,
I think we're going to learn more,
but right now what they're saying is
that in terms of diagnosis and maybe
prediction of future challenges,
that the loss of smell
is a significant factor.
Wow, another
groundbreaking topic is the impact of
socioeconomic risks and dementia as well,
exactly, and as you see,
all of these things tie together because
if you grow up in a poorer neighborhood,
your family doesn't have the resources
you're crowded together in your home.
You may live in a neighborhood
that doesn't get as much fresh air.
And you may not have the resources
in your family to buy Whole Foods.
You may be eating more processed foods.
You may be breathing more polluted air.
So I mean all of these factors come together.
And frankly, one of the factors
that coincides with that is that
many of these people in the lower
economic income areas are people
of color blacks and Hispanics who
we already know by statistics.
Blacks are twice as likely as
whites to develop Alzheimer's,
and Hispanics are 50% more likely so.
All of these factors come together
and it's hard to single out one,
but we're finding that if you live
in a lower economic area,
you are subjected to all these
other factors which includes less
access to proper health healthcare.
Yeah, Jim. Was there anything at
this conference that that really
surprised you that came out?
Well, what we're really seeing,
I think over time, is that Alzheimer's
is not one-dimensional that there's so
many factors that feed into it. I mean,
we looked at hypertension and pregnancy.
We know that women are.
Account for 2/3 of all cases of Alzheimer's
and scientists have not really known why.
Now this you know one in seven
pregnancies involves hypertension,
so looking at that as an increased risk for
future dementia is an important factor,
and being able to control that
at the time is good not only for
the mother but for the child.
So I think what we're seeing is that so
many of these things are intermeshed,
and so we may not have a cure yet.
You know, we still got six and a
half million Americans and 76,000.
Parents living with an incurable disease.
But if we can find ways to help
forestall the start of that,
we can save a lot of people.
A lot of anguish and a lot of
financial costs too.
Sure,
yeah, good to
know I had no idea. 2/3 are women.
That was like a new thing for me.
Well, this is very eye opening and
we we appreciate you coming back in
after this conference you were in
like a couple weeks ago and you said
that you were going to this so we were
curious what was going to come out of
it and really interesting findings.
Happy to be back. All right,
good to see you, thanks.