Tests and pathways leading to the early detection of Alzheimer's disease

There are 7 stages in Alzheimer's disease (AD) development, and we cannot realise it until stage 3-4 that there is a posibility of something wrong. In stage two there are only few incidents and usually they are identified as ''senior moments'. In stage two there is a very mild cognitive decline, but it is still not observable by the subjects or family or friends. Stage 3 has a mild cognitive decline, and the person may start  to have difficulties remembering names or finding/using words (especially 'fancy' words, as the vocabulary tends to get much simpler). In this stage you realise that something is wrong, but you brush it off, and try to minimasing, blaming age. Stage 4 is a full blown Alzheimer's disease (AD), and according to doctors, you may have on average 12 years left to live once you reach this stage. Which may or may be not true. Up to stage 4, you may still have a chance to delay it significantly or even recover. Just for your curiosity, in stage 5 you start to be confused, have problem with dressing and remembering informations about yourself and short term memory will not work optimally. In stage 6 you may be unaware of your surroundings, do not know where you are, do not remember much about yourself, start to wander around and have toileting accidents. Stage 7 is the terminal one, when you forget how to eat, speak and most of the other basic functions.

But, there is a way to deal with this from stage 2, and this is by using the knowledge already accumulated and test yourself in many way, keeping an eye on your cognitive abilities. Genetical informations are very important, as i already mentioned the ApoE allele involvement in AD in my previous post. By cheching which version of Apolipoprotein you got (E2, E3 or E4), you may have an idea at what age the degenerative process is most probably to start. Checking a service like 23ANDME can provide this information, but i find the price being quite prohibitive (in the £100-150 range). So my advice is to make an account and wait for them to offer some Christmas or Easter promotion, and you may get it done for half the price. Unless is urgent. Inflammation is another very important symptom, and it is closely linked with AD (and many other problems). Some infections are definetely linked with the AD (yes, tick bites, that's what i am talking about - viruses like Herpes Simplex, Borrelia - responsable for Lyme disease, some oral bacteria like Porphyromonas gingivalis, and a number of fungi and moulds). There is one aminoacid called homocysteine, which is causally associated with AD and linked to brain atrophy. Fasting insulin level or blood sugar level is of utmost importance, and some hormonal imbalance has definitely linked to AD. Mycotoxins (moulds) and heavy metals exposure can also be a cause for Alzheimer's disease. There are some other factors observed and almost never mentioned, for example the AD patient may have a distinct gut microbiome, even if we do not knnow yet if it is the microbiome leading to AD or the AD leading to the specific changes in microbiome. The blood-brain barrier is often abnormal in AD patients. And everybody is blaming obesity for many ilnesses, yes, it is to blame for AD also, as a higher BMI will increase the changes to suffer from it. Prediabetes state is also mentioned in some researches (it is related to the insulin resistance and the high levels of blood glucose). 

All this should be checked in an ideal situation, but what really happen in reality? You reach stage 4, you or your relatives or your friends start to worry about the cognitive decline, you check with a doctor, asked to do a MRI to check the brain, have some blood tests like complete blood count, vitamin B12, Thyroid hormone levels ( TFT, TSH T3 maybe) and metabolic panel, and then you are prescribe some generic meds and your partner or children are asked to help with finances and medication. And this is it. A surefire approach to failure. 

What i will talk about in some following posts is how to detect it early, as early as in stage 1-2, and what you need to do to delay it as much as possible. Stay with me and read my future posts (i still need to read a ton of research to realise all the intricaties involved. But i hope it will help you to stay cognitively healthy for longer. 

 

 

Supplement trends - Uridine monophosphate

Uridine monophosphate

Uridine monophosphate (UMP), also known as 5′-uridylic acid (conjugate base uridylate), is a nucleotide that is used as a monomer in RNA. It is an ester of phosphoric acid with the nucleoside uridine. UMP consists of the phosphate group, the pentose sugar ribose, and the nucleobase uracil; hence, it is a ribonucleotide monophosphate. As a substituent or radical its name takes the form of the prefix uridylyl-. The deoxy form is abbreviated dUMP.

In brain research studies, uridine monophosphate is used as a convenient delivery compound for uridine. Uridine is the active component of this compound. Uridine is present in many foods, mainly in the form of RNA. Non-phosphorylated uridine is not bioavailable beyond first-pass metabolism, as it is almost entirely catabolised in the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

Uridine Monophosphate, also known as UMP, is one of four major components of ribonucleic acid (RNA); the other three are adenosine, guanine and cytidine. Below are products containing uridine in the form of RNA. However, uridine in this form is bioavailable. It is destroyed by the liver and gastrointestinal tract, and the food intake does not increase the level of uridine in the blood. In infant’s consuming breast milk or commercial infant formula, uridine monophosphate present as, and this is indeed a source of uridine bioavailability and enters the blood. Consumption of food rich RNA may lead to increased levels of purines (adenosine and guanosine) in the blood. High levels cause an increase in purines uric acid levels and can impair or lead to the development of diseases such as gout. Moderate consumption of yeast, about 5 grams per day will provide adequate levels of uridine, for health improvement with minimal side effects. It has been suggested that RNA from yeast products must be chemically reduced, if these products are consumed in large amounts (50 g or more per day) as a source of protein. However, such processing is expensive and is rarely used. Harvard researchers have reported that the addition of uridine and EPA / DHA omega-3 fatty acids in rats act as antidepressants. Uridine plays an important role in glycolysis pathway galactose. There is no catabolic process for the metabolism of galactose. Thus, the galactose into glucose and glucose metabolized in the general way. After converting incoming galactose-1-phosphate (Gal-1-P), it participates in the reaction with UDP-glucose, a glucose molecule attached to a molecule of UDP (uridine di-phosphate). This process is catalyzed by the enzyme galactose-1-phosphate uridiltransferazy and transmits the UDP galactose molecule. The result is a molecule UDP-galactose and glucose molecule-1-phosphate. This process continues for the galactose molecule glycolysis.

Often uridine is used in conjunction with cytidine. Nucleotide such as uridine triphosphate and cytidine monophosphate is used to treat diseases of the central nervous system. Cytidine active substance participates in the synthesis of complex lipids forming the neuronal membrane, preferably sphingomyelin – a chief component of myelin membrane. Furthermore, cytidine is a precursor of nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), is a serious component of cell metabolism. Uridine active substance acts as a coenzyme participating in the synthesis of neuronal structures of glycolipids and myelin sheath, thereby complementing the action of cytidine. Uridine is a source of energy in the process of muscle contraction. The combined effects of cytidine and uridine contribute to the regeneration of the myelin sheath, as well as the proper conduction of nerve impulses and restore muscle trophism.

Indicated for the treatment:

– Neuropathies osteoarticular etiology (lumbago, sciatica);
– Neuropathies metabolic etiology (diabetic, alcoholic polyneuropathy);
– Neuropathies infectious etiology (shingles);
– Inflammation of the facial nerve;
– Inflammation of the trigeminal nerve;
– Intercostal neuralgia;
– Lumbodynia.

Perform classical pharmacokinetic studies practically impracticable, because the medicament contains physiological products and cannot determine with accuracy the amount of endogenous and exogenous components. Due to the heavy load radiological also impossible to carry out analysis using labeled (radioactively) product. Given the low toxicity of the drug, overdose is unlikely even if unintentional excess of therapeutic doses. It does not affect driving and work that requires high concentration and speed of psychomotor reactions. In patients with hypersensitivity may develop allergic reactions.

Uridine can be found in many foods such as tomatoes, beer, and breast milk. Uridine can bypass the blood-brain barrier effectively by one of two neuro transporters known as equilibrate and concentrative. Uridine also when administered orally causes a production of CDP-choline.

Uridine is a Ribonucleoside, which are the building blocks for both RNA and DNA. Uridine is one of the four essential components of RNA (ribonucleic acid), and is absorbed within the intestinal tract. Studies have shown that supplementation of Uridine along with Choline and fish oil increases synaptic formation and function, showing improvement in persons suffering from mild Alzheimer’s Disease. This nootropic may increase or raise dopamine levels within the brain.
(Now these are two side effects that i will be happy to trigger, dopamine being the cause of most of our addictions - hint - decrease or stop smoking, caffeine or alcohol consumption, and synaptic formation and function means that the brain can regenerate and perform better.)

Other key element is that it is working better in combination with fish oil (Omega 3) supplements. I was already talking about the benefits of having a daily supplementation of Omega 3 fatty acids, and seems that a minimal dose of uridine will greatly increase the benefits of the aforementioned fatty acids.

You can find good sources of Uridine online.

Random quotes about life

"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web." - Pablo Picasso -

You can see beauty everywhere, if you are looking for it. If you set for beauty, it will surround and enchant you. But you all your thoughts are negative, dark, stressful, then the color will fade, and the magic will disappear from your life. Think about that. If you think that this world is hell, it is. If you think that this world is paradise, it is. Either way you are right. Then, why not to make the right choices?

Transforming idea of the week: "Make new friends by attending a class or event at a community center in a different neighborhood from your own." - Maya Angelou -

Do something new, outside your comfort zone. If you are white, go to a non-white predominant club. If you are black, go to an Asian predominant club. You get the idea. Learn about other country, or about other profession. Spend time with some bikers. As long as you are not in danger, reaching other circles than your usual ones will make you grow, adapt and challenge your beliefs. It is an useful exercise.

"There comes a day when you realize turning a page is the best feeling in the world, because you realize there is so much more to the book than the page you were stuck on." - Zayn Malik -

The metaphor is good, coming from Zayn, and it is making us thinking about our routines, about what are we doing in the same way every day, without trying to find if it is a better alternative. Do not become a person of habit. Challenge yourself and your little automatic gestures. The brain will rewire and your experience will make you a better person in any given direction. You will even start to learn faster, to change when needed and to find a teacher in everyone.

"There are three truths: my truth, your truth and the truth." - Chinese proverb -

Everything we see in understood through our life experience, and no one can see the same big picture in the same way. No, not even the twins. Can be close of our reality or far away, but it is not the same. We, people, are islands, surrounded by the entire world as an impersonal ocean. If we keep this in mind, sometime we can have a glimpse into another person life, and this is a big thing. The more often we can do this, the more wiser we will become.

How meditation change your brain, quote of the day and some other theories of relative self-importance

1. "There is nothing that the busy man is less busy with then living; there is nothing harder to learn." Seneca

Did you meet this kind of people? Always busy, always doing something, obsessed by time, always in a hurry. Did you envy them? Not at all, right? As we learn to put a portion of our income for play, and used it each month, do not forget to put a portion of your time for play, and use it each week. Or day. You will see the effect in few months. And you will like it. Action is the key, just do it!

2. One link of Jim Kwik 3 simple ways of achieving your goals, right here

3. How meditation change your brain. click here