November 2022 Newsletter | Unlikley bedfellows: AD and Cancer
My mission is to be the first woman in 4 generations to not develop Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). On my journey of discovering ways to mitigate my risk, I pass this information on to you in this Brain-Body-Health (BBH) Newsletter.
“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.”
—John Muir, while writing his book, ‘My First Summer in the Sierra’.
LESSONS FROM LIFE
What do AD (Alzheimer’s Disease) and Cancer have in common - it turns out a lot. Since we had our prostate cancer awakening this year (see BBH July newsletter) hubby Jim and I have been learning many interesting facts about how AD and Cancer are hitched together. For instance, in the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death with cancer and Alzheimer’s disease following closely in the top ten.
AD and Cancer can take years before they manifest. So, one might wonder how does a normal cell turn into a cancerous one, or for that matter, a neuron, or brain cell, start producing amyloid, the toxic substance some think drives AD? According to Siddhartha Mukherjee MD, author of “Song of the Cell”, in an interview on Fresh Air he would like to understand more about cellular metabolism to solve this morphing mystery. Indeed this is a direction that scientists are currently exploring with both AD and Cancer.
I don’t know about you, but does it seem like everyone is having something go awry in their bodies or brains? Some are calling this the new organ recital. ;) I don’t much care for the common reply, we’re all just getting old. Instead, I appreciate how MedlinePlus online library(NIH) summarizes aging,: ‘Most gerontologists (people who study aging) feel that aging is due to the interaction of many lifelong influences…including heredity, environment, culture, diet, exercise and leisure, past illnesses, and many other factors’. In other words, the short answer is AD and Cancer too develop from a combination of genes and epigenetic factors. At BBH, we work with clients to individualize strategies that will assist you in not only reducing the risk for AD but also for Cancer. See Resources Building Cognitive Resiliency.
FACTS SHARED BY BOTH AD AND CANCER
Top Ten causes of death in the US
Can take many years before symptoms of the disease begin
Epigenetic and genetic factors co-contribute
Preventive strategies for both AD and Cancer:
At least 18% of all cancer cases in the US are related to a combination of lifestyle habits. It has been estimated that 40% of Alzheimer’s can be reduced with lifestyle changes.
Reduce diabetes (DM): Diabetes (especially type 2) increases the risk for liver, pancreatic, colorectal, endometrial, breast, and bladder cancer. Not surprisingly, people with DM type 2 are also at greater risk of AD. This is most likely due to inflammation.
Stop smoking: Smoking has been shown to increase prostate cancer by a factor of three times and increase the risk of AD.
Exercise: American Cancer Society(ACS) recommendations: Adults should get 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or a combination. Getting 300 minutes or even more will give you the most health benefits. Exercise is probably the most important factor in reducing the risk of AD.
Less Sitting: ACS: Spend less time sitting or lying down. This includes time looking at your phone, tablet, computer, or TV.
Alcohol: ACS: It is best not to drink alcohol. But if you do, women should have no more than 1 drink per day and men should have no more than 2. A drink is 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
Diet: ACS: Eat a colorful variety of vegetables and fruits and plenty of whole grains and brown rice. Avoid or limit eating red meats such as beef, pork, and lamb and processed meats such as bacon, sausage, deli meats, and hot dogs. Avoid or limit sugar-sweetened beverages, highly processed foods, and refined grain products
LESSONS FROM COACHING
A dear friend in her early 70’s mentioned a recent diagnosis of pre-diabetes. I was curious about the root cause of this malady since she eats a Mediterranean diet, mostly fish and veggies, practices intermittent fasting, is thin, and exercises regularly. Despite her efforts at healthy living, she astutely understood how certain practices precipitated this condition. First, she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes when she was pregnant 40 years ago. She knew this alone put her at risk. Second, although she had an eating window of 6 hours (3pm-9pm), she was eating too much too late with little movement to reduce the subsequent surge in insulin. Best to have your primary meal in the middle of the day and to have a brief walk after all meals. Even 5-10 minutes reduces blood sugar after eating. Third, although she ate veggies and fish, she enjoyed mostly starchy ones which carry a higher glycemic load. The good news is that she has altered her diet using a continuous glucose monitoring device which gives her direct feedback as to what her glucose is at any given moment. You can also do a simple finger stick with a glucose meter. Fasting blood sugar should be 70-95mg/dL. HgbA1C<5.6 (prefer 5.3).
Another client, who recently had surgery for cancer, consulted BBH wanting to know how to better her diet. After a history of preferred foods and blood work, we began looking at changes she could make. These included lowering her red meat intake, stopping sugary gummy bear vitamins, reducing baked goods, and adding aerobic exercise. I referred her to the UCSF cancer nutrition program and provided literature from their program.
What tests do I recommend obtaining when doing an evaluation for BBH? Fasting blood sugar, Hgb A1C, CBC (complete blood count), CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel), B12, Vitamin D3, TSH, free T4, free T3 (Thyroid panel): Omega 3 index (fatty acid panel); PSA every year for men beginning age 40 if + prostate cancer family history or age 60 if no symptoms or history.
Other health screening tests: WOMEN DEXA Scan(bone health) every 2 years beginning post menopause, MEN- yes you need this too! every 2 years beginning at 70; Calcium Scoring Test every 5 years (dependent on radiation history); Vital signs (every year dependent on history): MRI of brain with NeuroQuant Analysis, dependent on history; Mammogram age 54-74 every 2 years for women, men if BRCA 1/2+ or if gynecomastia.
LESSONS FROM SCIENCE
“The Richardson effect”: the paradox that the more accurately you try to measure some things, the more complex they become.
From all the common connections we’ve outlined above, you would think that Cancer and AD have a direct relationship. However, results published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease show patients with one cancer diagnosis were less likely to develop dementia and had an overall slower cognitive decline than patients with no history of cancer. Science is still sorting this out but suffice to say factors measured may be problematic. For instance, if someone is undergoing chemotherapy and develops dementia-like symptoms, maybe that wouldn’t be picked up as dementia because it was attributed to the chemotherapy. As the Richardson effect is illustrated in his book, “Ways of Being, Animals, Plants, and Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence”, James Bridle posits, “Instead of resolving into order and clarity, ever-closer examination reveals only more and more splendid, detail and variation.” This seems to be the case in life as it is in science.
To our optimized health!
Subscribe to the email list for news and updates on Body-Brain Health
“If you want to go FAST, go alone. If you want to go FAR, go together."
- African proverb