Heart Smart Is Brain Smart

Cholesterol. We all know about, talk about, and try constantly to do something about lowering our LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol. We’ve learned over the years that dropping the levels of LDL can benefit our bodies by:

• Decreasing the chance of heart attack and/or stroke.
• Reducing the formation of new cholesterol plaque.
• Eliminating existing plaque.
• Preventing the rupture of existing plaque.

Now, there’s another reason to lower our cholesterol—to help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and reduce the deterioration from it. If plaque causes buildup in the arteries around the heart, it’s certain to cause damage in the brain.

Dr. Larry Sparks, a senior scientist at the Sun Health Research Institute (SHRI) Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research in Sun City, Arizona, recently presented research findings at an international Alzheimer’s symposium in Montreal that showed that Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowing medication, slows the progression of and reduces deterioration from Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Sparks was the principal investigator in a three-year clinical trial that studied 63 patients with high cholesterol. Those taking the medication stabilized and actually improved. Results of the study not only indicated a slowing in deterioration of function and memory, but also an improvement in mood and behavior.

The link is apparently the LDL cholesterol, which forms plaque—the clumps and tangles of protein that are found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Lowering the cholesterol levels stabilizes the disease by lowering beta-amyloid, which is the sticky substance responsible for plaque formation. After three months, 53 percent of the patients taking Lipitor stabilized or improved, compared with 28 percent of the patients taking a placebo.

Talk to Doctor
Does this mean that everyone should run to a doctor to get a prescription of Lipitor? As with everything else in scientific research, we should do our homework, read everything we can, and definitely talk about this medication to our physician.

We should also work hard at other ways of lowering our cholesterol. Following a heart-smart diet is essential, and that means including plenty of fruits and vegetables, unsalted nuts such as almonds and walnuts, oats and barley, fish, flaxseed, olive oil, omega-3 fish or flax oil, high-fiber cereal, whole-wheat breads and crackers.

It’s exciting to learn about the research being done around the world on this dreadful disease, and equally thrilling to know so much of it is going on here in Arizona, where many in the population are over 70. The research just isn’t on Alzheimer’s disease—they are making all sorts of strides in the study of Parkinson’s disease and arthritis.

My wife, Cappy, recently read an article in the Arizona Republic about the institute, learning more about its research, but also discovering a disturbing fact—more baby boomers are getting Alzheimer’s disease in their 50s. That’s staggering news.

Cappy recently took an institute tour, something offered to visitors on the first Tuesday of the month. She came home very excited and completely in awe of the research that is being conducted.

Aging Problems
The institute is a leader, nationally and internationally, in the effort to find answers to disorders related to aging. While well known for its studies of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, SHRI also conducts research on cancer and arthritis.

The institute’s president and senior scientist, Joseph Rogers, Ph.D., is internationally recognized for his pioneering research on the damage inflammation causes to brain tissue and how that impacts Alzheimer’s disease.

One of the most important ways for researchers to learn more about the causes and potential treatments of these disorders is to compare autopsied brain tissue from both affected and unaffected patients. The institute’s Brain Donation Program is one of the largest in the world.

“This is such an important tool in unraveling the mysteries of brain disorders,” Dr. Rogers explained to Cappy and the others on the tour that day. “We are so grateful to the many generous individuals who believe in the work we’re doing. We’re able to chart their medical progress, whether they’re healthy or suffering from disease, and then after their death, we can continue our research. It’s a gift of hope that truly makes a difference. I feel we’ll discover a way to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease within the next seven to ten years. We have to keep trying.”

On the wall in one of the laboratories is a quote by another doctor who made a difference in medicine, Jonas Salk:

“The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.”

It’s comforting to know these scientists and others around the world are continuing to explore the mysteries of the brain. I know I’m grateful for the work they’re doing.

For more information on the Sun Health Research Institute, call (623) 875-6501 or visit, www.sunhealth.org. Just log onto Research Institute once the main Sun Health Web site appears.

Here’s to your health!