AruraDangJoined: 10 Jun 2005
Posts: 22
Fri Jun 17, 2005 12:54 pm Reply with quote
A new American study published in
BMJ concludes:
Quote:
Obesity in middle adulthood increases the risk of dementia later in life, independently of comorbid conditions.
In a 27 year prospective longitudinal population based study that included 10 276 men and women, Whitmer and colleagues (p 1360) found that, in comparison to people with normal body mass index, obese people had a 74% greater risk of dementia and overweight people had a 35% greater risk. Similar results were obtained from analyses comparing skinfold thickness.
I have always believed that lifestyle an important factor for development of dementia, but how is the connection?
iRuleThisForumSite Admin
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 3934
Fri Jun 17, 2005 7:02 pm Reply with quote
AruraDang wrote:
I have always believed that lifestyle an important factor for development of dementia, but how is the connection?
Obesity is a result of certain life style, so I think your basic understanding supports this, IMO.
ThaisJoined: 07 Aug 2004
Posts: 1093Location: UK
Fri Jun 17, 2005 11:07 pm Reply with quote
I have no idea what the connection could be between obesity & dementia.
However, I wonder just what their definition of dementia is - there are two dictionary definitions. "Deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration, and judgment, resulting from an organic disease or a disorder of the brain. It is sometimes accompanied by emotional disturbance and personality changes." (this is often called Alzheimers Disease now) and "Madness; insanity."
Long ago, an old person's change from rationality to irrationality - ie doing & saying odd things & thinking they are back in the past, for instance - was referred to as 'senile dementia'.
So I just wonder exactly which of these three they are referring to?
iRuleThisForumSite Admin
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 3934
Fri Jun 17, 2005 11:28 pm Reply with quote
Thais wrote:
However, I wonder just what their definition of dementia is - there are two dictionary definitions. "Deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration, and judgment, resulting from an organic disease or a disorder of the brain. It is sometimes accompanied by emotional disturbance and personality changes."
Many older people suffer from this, don't they? Maybe obesity accelerates how fast the condition gets worse?
AruraDangJoined: 10 Jun 2005
Posts: 22
Sat Jun 18, 2005 5:23 am Reply with quote
3/4 of all elderly inhabitants of nursing homes in Norway suffer from dementia, but only half of them are diagnosed. There are no common agreement about the clinical diagnostic criterias for dementia among Norwegian nursing homes.
Why are so few elderly patiens given the diagnosis in primary care and at nursing homes?
Lack of knowledge among doctors and other health care workers in health care institutions may contribute. But also patients and the people surrounding them resist the diagnosis, because they see no point with a diagnosis that give fear and repression and which that has no cure.
Because this progressive brain dysfunction makes the patient increasingly functional helpless and dependent on the surrounding people, dementia affects not only the people with this dysfunction but also their family, relatives, friends etc, that give them emotional or physical long-term care.
Since our western society has increasing life expectancy, the probability that you are a family member, a friend or acquaintance of a person suffering from dementia is not minimal.
iRuleThisForumSite Admin
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 3934
Sat Jun 18, 2005 7:46 am Reply with quote
AruraDang wrote:
Why are so few elderly patiens given the diagnosis in primary care and at nursing homes?
Lack of knowledge among doctors and other health care workers in health care institutions may contribute. But also patients and the people surrounding them resist the diagnosis, because they see no point with a diagnosis that give fear and repression and which that has no cure.
Denial, huh?
