Episode # 8
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EPISODE 8
Summary and Audio
Today in episode # 8 I’ll be reviewing the role of hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease (cardiometabolic disease), and insulin resistance in your risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD).
The metabolic pathways by which cardiometabolic disease increases the risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s later life is the central theme in my book: The Diabetic Brain and Alzheimer’s Disease.
The book thoroughly describes how and why the most prevalent age-related disorders of our time, put your brain and you at great risk for either vascular dementia, type 3 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease in later life.
And this episode provides a summary on how obesity and cardiometabolic disease drive pro-inflammatory pathways and insulin resistance in the body and brain. and subsequently increases the risk for LOAD.
Plus, I’ll also provide an overview about a couple of very important risk biomarkers—hemoglobin A1c and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs)— that are prime risk factors for not only diabetes and heart disease, but also for cognitive decline, vascular dementia, and LOAD.
Laboratory assessments of those very biomarkers, and many others are critical risk factors that you and your physician can track and leverage for a proactive intervention and dementia risk reduction approach.
Hemoglobin A1c and fasting glucose are biomarkers that are easily and widely available on blood tests, and these biomarkers and many others should be carefully monitored as one ages—particularly if there is a family history of cardiometabolic disease, dementia, or late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Think ahead and please, do listen in to the podcast and read my book on the topic on the role of cardiometabolic disease, and the onset of brain insulin resistance and type 3 diabetes in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Top Takeaways
• The brain damage associated with LOAD starts early in life—and the preclinical phase of Alzheimer’s (asymptomatic)—when damage is already occurring in the brain—begins decades before symptoms appear. That’s why early assessment and intervention strategies earlier in life is critical.
• For example, belly fat isn’t just excess fat—it is metabolically active and a source of inflammation. Chronic inflammation—driven by fat tissue and poor metabolic health—is a core driver of both heart disease and LOAD. Managing belly fat and diet is critical earlier in life.
• ApoE4, a common genetic risk variant for LOAD, significantly increases your risk for LOAD when chronic inflammation and poor metabolic health are concomitant risk factors—but diet and lifestyle interventions can significantly lower this risk even if you are an ApoE4 carrier.
• Hemoglobin A1c and fasting glucose are powerful and accessible biomarkers that reflect your metabolic health. Keeping A1c (a measure of glycation) below 5.5% can dramatically reduce the risk for cognitive decline as you age.
• Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are toxic. AGEs derived from elevated blood sugar and high-temperature cooking of meats—increases the risk for vascular damage and cognitive decline.
• Metabolic health is vital for brain health. The biological glycation process and insulin resistance are not just diabetic concerns—they’re factors that disrupt the integrity of your cognitive performance and brain health. The disease process associated with LOAD includes many such metabolic derangements that drive the disease process.
• Midlife is a crucial window of time for taking control of your risk for LOAD. Taking proactive steps in midlife, including diet and lifestyle interventions, monitoring risk biomarkers, and optimizing metabolic health, can significantly reduce your risk for LOAD.
Epidsode 8
Timestamp Highlights
In this Episode
[2:45] An overview of the 2 most common forms of dementia—Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. How and why hypertension and atherosclerosis, which are complications associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, contribute to vascular dementia and mixed dementia
[6:03] The importance of early detection and intervention. Midlife is a critical period to address obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular issues that increase risk for cognitive decline and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD).
[8:57] The role of lifestyle, inflammation, and poor diet in driving cardiometabolic disease.. Additionally, I share my personal experience and increased awareness with regard to the connection between obesity, insulin resistance, and long-term dementia risk.
[12:20] How chronic inflammation and insulin resistance contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, and the metabolic interactions between fat cells, pro-inflammatory messengers (cytokines), blood glucose toxicity, and the ApoE4 gene variant.
[16:07] A deep dive into hemoglobin A1c as a key biomarker for long-term blood sugar control. Explanation of glycation and its link to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s.
[21:28] The role of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), how they’re formed (e.g., cooking meats at high temperatures), and their impact via the RAGE receptor—leading to inflammation and oxidative stress.
Please listen in!
Ralph Sanchez, MTCM, CNS, D.Hom
BrainDefend®
www.facebook.com/TheAlzheimersSolution
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