alzheimers news-lose it and you might get it

ALZHEIMERS NEWS-LOSE IT AND YOU MIGHT GET IT 

what is that it that you might lose
well its sleep

alzheimers develops first in the hippocampus where short term memory is processed
amyloid and its plaques get deposited first then later tau tangles form
as the disease progresses it spreads over the brain

there are things that can put you at risk for alzheimers disease
poor blood pressure control
poor cholesterol control
poor diabetes control
obesity
lack of exercise
excessive alcohol intake
smoking
lack of exercise
stress
depression and anxiety
the apoe 4 gene

then there is sleep
it takes sleep usually 7-8 hours for the astrocytes and microglial the garbage collectors to go into the brain at night to clean out all the debris that has accumulated in the brain
failure to do so can lead to alzheimers disease

one way people dont get enough sleep is obstructive sleep apnea
the airway is blocked when the person goes into a deep sleep 
the brain gets a deficit of oxygen to the brain
the patient wakes up and then goes back to sleep all night long
they dont get a good nights sleep
plus
without a mask to keep their airway open their oxygen level gets low all night long
you know that has to kill a lot of brain cells every night

we all have seen those sleep apnea cpap machines on tv

now a study from science linked here looked at folks some young who died of other causes unrelated to sleep apnea
in looking at their brains
these researchers found even in younger folks that their hippocampus was smaller than it should be
and
they found those tell tale changes of amyloid deposits and tau protein tangles in their hippocampus
changes that are seen in alzheimers disesase

this leads to the conclusion that obstructive sleep apnea may lead to alzheimers disease
here is a review article of the above study

makes you want to use that cpap machine huh

be looking for your local alzheimers walks this fall
they are all being done virtually

below is the link to the santa barbara walk to end alzheimers to be done on november 7 2020
the opening ceremony will be virtual 
then everyone is asked to walk in their neighborhoods or their favorite walking spot using covid 19 safety guidelines

the promise garden with its different alzheimers flowers will be at the santa barbara missions beautiful front grounds
we plan to walk to the mission to see the promise flowers
we will pause there for a few moments to remember our loved ones whom we lost from this awful disease
in our case it is 
my mother 
my younger brother
probably my father
multiple other aunts and uncles and grandparents

consider getting involved with your local alzheimers walks

here below is the information on my team organicgreendoctor that will walk in this years santa barbara walk to end alzheimers on saturday november 7 2020

the opening ceremony will be virtual
so anyone can watch it online

then

each individual member will walk in their neighborhood or favorite hiking trail wearing their purple alzheimers shirts for the 2-3 mile walk 
this is the safest way to do the walk this year
please wear your mask and keep a good social distance from others
hopefully next year we can all be live

here is the link to our team
the organicgreendoctor team

donate and or join us that day
you can walk wherever you live

the organicgreen doctor