Well this isn't good news....

[britishpub]

High blood pressure, diabetes and obesity each linked to unhealthy brains

https://mrc.ukri.org/news/browse/hi...ains/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

A study published in the European Heart Journal examined the associations between seven vascular risk factors and differences in the structures of parts of the brain. The strongest links were with areas of the brain known to be responsible for our more complex thinking skills, and which deteriorate during the development of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

They looked for associations between brain structure and one or more vascular risk factors, which included smoking, high blood pressure, high pulse pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio.

They found that, with the exception of high cholesterol levels, all of the other vascular risk factors were linked to greater brain shrinkage, less grey matter (tissue found mainly on the surface of the brain) and less healthy white matter (tissue in deeper parts of the brain).

The more vascular risk factors a person had, the poorer was their brain health.

...............other than that, everything is fine and dandy

 

[kitedoc]

Given all the dodgy research on cholesterol in these and past days I am skeptical that cholesterol is relevant.
It sounds like another stretch to involve statins which will kill off brains cells as far as I can fathom from what I have read.

 

[Brunneria]

Yes.

They have actually started calling Alzheimers Type 3 diabetes in some circles.
https://www.healthline.com/health/type-3-diabetes#the-link

Although there are other causes for Alzheimers (genetics, certain environmental factors, etc.) a significant proportion of sufferers seem to have insulin resistance of the brain, too.

Certainly, in my early 40s, when my bg had risen to T2 levels, and before I went even lower carb, I had some serious doubts about whether my brain fog and memory issues were due to early onset Alzheimers. Fortunately, my brain tightened up significantly on keto, although it has never returned to its original 'sharpness'.

 

[bulkbiker]

Link to the actual study

https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz100/5371095

Bit reliant on self reporting and "risk" what would be useful would be an annual decades long follow up to see who develops what from the cohort and what their "risk factors" predicted..

 

[kitedoc]

I wonder whether highish BSL over time cause a build up on the blood-brain barrier? Maybe the barrier needs a scale back and cleaning? Any ideas for cleaning agents? And for a way to push insulin through into the brain.
Or is it all down to inflammation and too many hypos ????

 

[bulkbiker]

I wonder whether highish BSL over time cause a build up on the blood-brain barrier? Maybe the barrier needs a scale back and cleaning? Any ideas for cleaning agents? And for a way to push insulin through into the brain.
Or is it all down to inflammation and too many hypos ????

Maybe nutritional ketones for the cleanse?
Not sure you want to push more insulin into the brain as most of the people would probably have an excess of it anyway. All of the conditions (hypercholesterolaemia aside) are probably down to hyperinsulinaemia anyway.

 

[kitedoc]

Point taken @bulkbiker. I suppose what i meant to say was enable more of the available insulin to get through rather than flood the system in the hope that more gets through !!!

 

[Member496333]

Basically, at some level or other, hyperinsulinemia is at least partially attributable as a cause of pretty much all of the degenerative ailments that are now normal.

 

[JohnEGreen]

There is also it is thought, the build up of high levels of amyloid-beta protein due to the enzyme responsible for breaking down amyloid-beta protein having to deal with the excessive Insulin circulating in the brain and not dealing with the amyloid-beta protein which damages the nervous system.

As IDE (Insulin Degrading Enzyme ) regulates both insulin and amyloid-beta protein in the brain..

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12634421

 

[KK123]

Whenever diabetes is mentioned as a risk factor in these surveys, I always wonder whether they mean diabetes that is out of control or not managed or for whatever reason has resulted in sustained high glucose levels. I cannot accept that a person within 'normal range' is at the same risk as those way out of normal range and yet it is all lumped together as 'diabetes thus unhealthy'.

 

[Listlad]

Whenever diabetes is mentioned as a risk factor in these surveys, I always wonder whether they mean diabetes that is out of control or not managed or for whatever reason has resulted in sustained high glucose levels. I cannot accept that a person within 'normal range' is at the same risk as those way out of normal range and yet it is all lumped together as 'diabetes thus unhealthy'.

Indeed. My belief is that there has to be recognition of a range of conditions. And following on from that a range of “prescribed” dietary treatments.

 

[Member496333]

Whenever diabetes is mentioned as a risk factor in these surveys, I always wonder whether they mean diabetes that is out of control or not managed or for whatever reason has resulted in sustained high glucose levels. I cannot accept that a person within 'normal range' is at the same risk as those way out of normal range and yet it is all lumped together as 'diabetes thus unhealthy'.

I believe it’s more about the factors that brought about the diabetes in the first instance, and all the implied associations with hyperinsulinemia. Diabetes is merely a symptom of metabolic syndrome, along with all the other modern ailments. It’s a mistake to think that blood glucose is the sole marker of metabolic health.

 

[Tophat1900]

Good discussion on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia here and T2 and other factors

 

[Member496333]

Good discussion on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia here and T2 and other factors

Just listened to the podcast of this yesterday. Interesting stuff.

 

[HSSS]

It’s a mistake to think that blood glucose is the sole marker of metabolic health.

It pretty much the only one I know how to measure! Well, I can step on the scales, measure my waist, (both are a little arbitrary) and get a private insulin test but you get my point.

Whenever diabetes is mentioned as a risk factor in these surveys, I always wonder whether they mean diabetes that is out of control or not managed or for whatever reason has resulted in sustained high glucose levels. I cannot accept that a person within 'normal range' is at the same risk as those way out of normal range and yet it is all lumped together as 'diabetes thus unhealthy'.

whenever I see the Qrisk calculator I think the same. Surely my risk as well controlled is different to someone with consistent high numbers or frequent spikes but no difference is noted. Not even between type 1 and 2 which would presumably have different underlying causes and thus different risks if it’s causal factors rather than resulting effects.

 

[KK123]

It pretty much the only one I know how to measure! Well, I can step on the scales, measure my waist, (both are a little arbitrary) and get a private insulin test but you get my point.



whenever I see the Qrisk calculator I think the same. Surely my risk as well controlled is different to someone with consistent high numbers or frequent spikes but no difference is noted. Not even between type 1 and 2 which would presumably have different underlying causes and thus different risks if it’s causal factors rather than resulting effects.

I absolutely agree HSSS. My cholesterol is high (7, with trigs of 0.5 and HDL of 2.45) so I understand that coming into the Qrisk data but when you take out the diabetes factor, the risk drops to about 2%, put it back in and suddenly you are at 12% risk with a heart equivalent to someone 15 years older than you are! I know it can't account for every difference but it IS what the Drs go on when they are prescribing something.

 

[Member496333]

...but you get my point.

Indeed I do. Didn’t mean to pick holes in your post. I was just referring to the fact that there’s a myriad of misunderstandings regarding cause and effect in the world of health and nutrition. The classic being that obesity causes diabetes, rather than the two each being symptoms of a systemic problem.

In this context, what I meant was that although of course uncontrolled diabetes will likely bring about major issues from glucotoxity, there is the factor that it can take decades to be diagnosed, by which point the ravages of insulin toxity have already been hard at work bringing about any number of other ailments - in this case brain degenerative.

Also blood glucose is only a measure of glucose in the blood, not the tissues, but that can be a controversial subject on here among some, and there’s no need to over complicate things with that

 

[Brunneria]

@kitedoc
Being in ketosis has been shown to improve brain function or slow down deterioration for Alzheimers patients (Amy Berger has a book that discusses it in depth, which I read recently, and it is probably covered in the video posted above). The reason for this improvement is that the brain can run on glucose or ketones, and that the amyloid plaques and brain shrinkage seem to block glucose as a fuel, so that the brain cells 'starve' and function is reduced. However, ketones can still get through, so those brain cells which can use them as fuel can continue to function.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26766547

One significant issue with using ketones as fuel in Alzheimers brains must be persuading the patient to radically switch their lifetime's eating habit and go keto. A huge challenge for everyone involved, I suspect.

 

[Ponchu]

I wonder if the high cholesterol exclusion is due to the health benefits.

 

[Guzzler]

I wonder if the high cholesterol exclusion is due to the health benefits.

Well, I consider my high cholesterol as a health benefit