We all know that #obesity is linked to a host of other diseases. Now, a new study points out that you could develop #AlzheimersDisease sooner if you’re #overweight. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/01/obesity-alzheimers-disease123/

Obesity has previously been associated with an increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease; now, a new study points out that you could also develop the disease sooner if you’re overweight.

Researchers looked at midlife risk factors that could set off Alzheimer’s

The study, published in Molecular Psychiatry addressed the effect midlife obesity had on the onset as well as the severity of Alzheimer’s disease. The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, a population-based cohort was used in this long-term study. Data was obtained for 1394 cognitively normal individuals, who were followed up roughly every 14 years. The basal metabolic rate (BMI) at the age 50 was used as a marker of midlife obesity. Participant brains were scanned for the presence and extent of tangled protein or plaques, which are like the cellular signatures of a brain with Alzheimer’s disease.

Midlife obesity associated with early Alzheimer’s onset

142 of the total number of participants developed Alzheimer’s during the span of the study. The researchers found that for every unit increase in midlife BMI, the onset of Alzheimer’s was 6.7 months earlier. They compared autopsy brain samples and brain imaging samples from non-demented participants, and found that participants with higher than normal midlife BMI had worse neuropathology. This means that higher BMI is associated with more protein tangles, which indicate worse disease outcomes.

Controlling midlife obesity could stave off Alzheimer’s

Although the study did not establish that midlife obesity causes Alzheimer’s disease, the strong correlation points to the possibility of delaying the onset of this debilitating disorder by maintaining a healthy body weight. It is believed that risk factors like high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes that are often coexistent with obesity could, as a combination, raise the risk for Alzheimer’s. While the mechanism for the observed effect isn’t clear, the researchers speculate that obesity puts the brain at a higher risk of inflammation and thereby a higher risk for developing the neurodegenerative condition. Alzheimer’s disease exacts tremendous amount of societal as well as economic resources; it is slated to become a trillion dollar disease by 2050. Therefore, lifestyle changes that could delay the illness would drastically relieve the economical burden and improve the disease-free quality of life for the older population.

Study finds out why Alzheimer’s affects women more

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Obesity May Hasten the Onset of Alzheimer"s

Firstborn Women More Likely to Be Overweight #obesity #overweight #sisters - http://clapway.com/2015/08/28/firstborn-women-overweight123/

While firstborns may bask in the glory of having slightly higher IQ than their younger siblings, when it comes to their body weight, the news is not so good. A recent study revealed that firstborn women are more likely to be overweight.

The study looked at sister pairs from the Swedish national register

In line with previous research that birth order affects body weight in men, scientists from the University of Auckland wanted to find out if a similar relationship existed for sisters too. Published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, this study examined the prenatal clinic records from the Swedish National Birth Register and followed up for a period of 20 years spanning 1991 to 2009. The register was started in 1973 and has the record of virtually all births in Sweden. Totally, 303,301 girls were born between 1973 and 1988 and these women gave birth between 1991 and 2009. Only first and second born women were selected for the study resulting in 13,406 sister pairs. Their weight and height were assessed at birth and, next, at the time of their first prenatal visit (3 months into pregnancy). Twins were excluded from the study.

Firstborn women: Birth order influences their bodyweight

Firstborn women were found to be lighter at birth than their younger sisters. However, during their first three months of pregnancy, the firstborn sisters had a 2.4% higher BMI. Overall, firstborns were 29% more likely than their second born sisters to be overweight and 40% more likely to be obese. In addition, firstborn women were more likely to be taller (1.2 mm) than their younger siblings in adulthood. Though this might seem like a negligible difference, it corroborates what researchers call the resource dilution hypothesis, which states that as the size of a family increases, there’s less to go around, thereby diminishing genetic resources for each additional child.

The reduction in family size may be contributing to the rise in adult BMI

This study is purely observational and even though comparing sisters ruled out common genetic factors, nutritional and physical activity variables could have been responsible for the observed difference. Still, the study examined a large sample of the population, and found a considerable spike in the BMI of firstborn women. Also, this supports similar findings in men, where birth order affects both their height and weight. This warrants further studies to explore the metabolic health issues that are unique to firstborns.

Photo Credit: Bubble Time via photopin (license)

We now know how obesity works

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Firstborn Women More Likely to Be Overweight

%VitaminD pills are quite popular, but scientists suggest that providing #obeseteenagers with many of them may have adverse consequences.% - http://clapway.com/2015/08/16/vitamin-d-pills-dangerous-teenagers-101/

Vitamin D pills are quite popular, but scientists suggest that providing obese teenagers with many of them may have adverse consequences. The new research of Mayo Clinic Children’s Center on childhood obesity advises that vitamin D pills may elevate adolescents’ cholesterol and fat-storing triglycerides levels.

VITAMIN D IS NOT THAT BENEFICIAL. YET.

Dr. Seema Kumar, a pediatric endocrinologist from Mayo Clinic, has been studying the effects of vitamin D for 10 years, but recently she came up with a discouraging conclusion:

“After three months of having vitamin D boosted into the normal range with supplements, these teenagers showed no changes in body weight, body mass index, waistline, blood pressure or blood flow,” she says, “We are not saying the links between vitamin D deficiency and chronic diseases do not exist for children – we just haven’t found any yet.”

VITAMIN D PILLS ARE NOT SLIMMING

While teenage obesity has quadrupled in the past thirty years, many studies indicate that vitamin D deficiency can lead to a series of weight-related medical complications. As a result, worried parents and providers increase the recommended daily intake, in an attempt to fight the clinical complications associated with obesity.

Dr. Kumar, however, notes that the pills’ popularity as a homeopathic weapon against obesity is what made her want to study their effects on overweight teenagers, a population at increased risk for chronic disease.

BE CAREFUL WITH THE INTAKE

Dr. Seema Kumar says that she is surprised that she and her team haven’t found more health benefits, but she made clear that, while vitamin D supplements at reasonable doses are not harmful at all, their usefulness for improving overall health in adolescents is still not clear.

Also, if you ingest too much vitamin D, you will suffer from  a condition called hypervitaminosis, which can result in poor appetite, nausea, vomiting or even kidney complications.

BEFORE YOU SLOW YOUR PILL INTAKE, MOMENTO, THIS WEEK:

Vitamin D Pills May Be Dangerous for Teenagers