Research linking cardiometabolic diseases and dementia supports Prof Noakes’ thesis
A person diagnosed with cardiometabolic multimorbidity suffers from at least two cardiometabolic diseases, a group of common but often preventable conditions including heart attack, stroke, diabetes, insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Thus, it already constitutes a life-threatening condition. To make matters worse, this article explains that new research indicates that people with cardiometabolic multimorbidities are more likely to experience accelerated cognitive decline and conversion to dementia – in proportion to the number of morbidities present. It must be mentioned that this research supports Professor Tim Noakes' theory that a low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diet is of critical value and consequence. This article first appeared on Med Brief Africa. – Nadya Swart
Cardiometabolic diseases accelerate cognitive decline, dementia
Cardiometabolic disease (CMD) multimorbidity accelerates cognitive decline and conversion to dementia, Abigail Dove, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues found when analysing the combined effects of CMDs (type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke) on cognitive outcomes.
The analysis, it was noted in their study just published online in Alzheimer's & Dementia, included 2,577 dementia-free participants (aged 60 years and older) followed for 12 years.
The researchers found that CMD multimorbidity was associated with cognitive decline only (hazard ratio, 1.73) and its progression to dementia (hazard ratio, 1.86). The onset of cognitive decline without dementia and the onset of dementia were accelerated by 2.3 years and 1.8 years, respectively, with CMD multimorbidity. Cognitive decline was found to accelerate in a dose-dependent manner with an increasing number of CMDs.
"This is good news. The study shows that the risk only increases once someone has at least two of the diseases, so it's possible that dementia can be averted by preventing the development of a second disease," Dove said. "We should therefore focus on cardiometabolic disease prevention already in middle age, since the risk of cognitive failure and dementia appears higher among those who develop a cardiometabolic disease earlier in life."
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