Alzheimer's Disease

What Causes Alzheimer's Disease?

In order to manage Alzheimer's disease we need to understand and — if possible — remove the underlying causes and risk factors.  We need to ask: "What else is going on inside the body that might allow Alzheimer's disease symptoms to develop?"

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Accurate diagnosis of the factors behind Alzheimer's disease consists of three steps:

Step 1: List the Possible Causative Factors

Identify all disease conditions, lifestyle choices and environmental risk factors that can lead to Alzheimer's disease symptoms.  Here are eight of many possibilities (more below):
  • Lyme Disease*
  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Metal Toxicity
  • Excess Salt Consumption
  • Senile Dementia
  • Mercury Toxicity
  • Megaloblastic Anemia*
  • Chronic Inflammation
* symptoms can be very similar

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

Identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:
Under 1 year above 180 blood sugar
confirmed Parkinson's disease
minor joint pain/swelling/stiffness
back-of-neck lymph node problems
frequent confusion/disorientation
mild diesel exhaust exposure
suspected Parkinson's disease
showers cause fatigue
severe fatigue after slight exertion
nasal congestion
Lyme disease
regular sore throats
... and more than 70 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of Alzheimer's disease symptoms:
Cause Probability Status
Senile Dementia 94% Confirm
Excess Salt Consumption 21% Unlikely
Chronic Inflammation 21% Unlikely
Lyme Disease** 5% Ruled out
Mercury Toxicity 2% Ruled out
Parkinson's Disease 0% Ruled out
Megaloblastic Anemia** 0% Ruled out
Metal Toxicity 0% Ruled out
* This is a simple example to illustrate the process
** Symptoms can be very similar

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate unusual mental conditions/symptoms, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:
Is Alzheimer's Disease affecting you?
Possible responses:
→ No / don't know
→ There is good reason to believe I have it
→ Doctors think I might have it
→ I have been diagnosed with it
Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either possible Alzheimer's disease or Alzheimer's disease, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:
Dehydration

Due to older people's precarious homeostatic mechanisms they are much more prone than younger people to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.  This may induce a confusional state which may be mistaken for a dementing illness such as Alzheimer's.

Heavy Metal Toxicity

Because Alzheimer's patients often exhibit increased concentration of heavy metals in their blood and brain, toxic exposure is believed to play an important role.

Lyme Disease

Spirochetes, such as those found in Lyme disease, may be one of the causes of Alzheimer's disease and may also be the source of beta amyloid deposited in the brains of such infected patients.

Senile Dementia

Alzheimer's Disease is the most common cause of dementia, being responsible for 60-80% of cases.  All people with Alzheimer's disease have problems with memory loss, disorientation and thinking ability.

Chronic Inflammation

Research published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation in July, 2012 has shown that chronic inflammation can leave the brain vulnerable to developing Alzheimer's.

Excess Salt Consumption

August 25th, 2011: A study published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging has found that elderly people who have salt-rich diets and exercise little suffer quicker mental decline.  Just over a teaspoon (7.7gm) of salt a day can dull the mind and raise the risk of Alzheimer's, the study suggests.

The team from the University of Toronto tracked salt consumption and physical activity of 1,262 healthy men and women aged between 67 and 84 over a three-year period.  They also assessed the mental health of the participants at the start of the study and once a year for the duration.

The good news is that sedentary older adults showed no cognitive decline over the three years if they had low sodium intake.

Low Male Testosterone Level

Baltimore Longitudinal Study showed a strong correlation between low testosterone levels and dementia, as well as increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Megaloblastic Anemia / Pernicious Anemia

Pernicious Anemia can be mistaken for Alzheimer's in older patients.

Mercury Toxicity (Amalgam Illness)

Because Alzheimer's patients often exhibit increased concentration of heavy metals such as mercury in their blood and brain, toxic exposure is believed to play an important role.  The areas of the brain that mercury favors are those involved with memory (amygdala and hippocampus).  It is not just aluminum that is implicated in Alzheimer's.

Parkinson's Disease

A study published in 2003 in The Archives of Neurology found that people who rapidly develop symptoms of Parkinson's disease may be up to 8 times as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.  The study found that the physical symptoms of Parkinson's disease are linked to a decline in mental functioning as seen in Alzheimer's disease.  About 15% of Parkinson's disease victims eventually develop Alzheimer's disease, and another 15% develop other forms of dementia.

STD Syphilis

See the link between syphilis and schizophrenia.

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