DR MICHAEL MOSLEY reveals what he's doing to ward off dementia trends now
A friend, whose mum has Alzheimer’s, told me last week that she’s going to take a genetic test that looks at the APOE gene — if you have inherited one bad variant of this gene, it doubles your risk of developing the disease.
A quarter of the population has one bad variant. If you have two bad variants, (which is what the actor Chris Hemsworth recently discovered he has), the risk jumps almost 12-fold.
A few years ago I took this genetic test and discovered I have no bad variants, which was a huge relief.
But I’m not complacent. My dad, who died aged 74, was already showing signs of cognitive decline, so I’ve been keeping an eye on dementia research and doing what I can to minimise my risk.
Understandably there’s been a lot of excitement recently about several new drugs that seem to tackle amyloid plaques, the build-up of proteins in the brain linked to the disease.
My dad, who died aged 74, was already showing signs of cognitive decline, so I’ve been keeping an eye on dementia research and doing what I can to minimise my risk
Earlier this month, drug company Eli Lilly published trial results showing that its drug, donanemab, slowed ‘clinical decline’ by 35 per cent compared with a placebo.
Although these results look promising, the study also showed that of the nearly 600 patients given the drug, 24 per cent developed brain swelling, 31 per cent had small bleeds in the brain and three died from complications.
Prevention is better than cure. Following the Mail’s useful guide last week on steps to avoid this awful disease, here are a few things I do myself to keep my brain in shape.
DAILY PRESS-UPS
There are special benefits for the brain from resistance exercises such as press-ups and squats, which is why I do at least 30 of each most mornings. That sounds like bragging, but I have built up to this level slowly and painfully.
These exercises are great for preserving your spine and muscles, but what’s interesting is their impact on brain cells.
Professor Damian Bailey, director of Neurovascular Research Laboratory at the University of South Wales, told me that doing squats and press-ups not only stimulates blood flow to areas of the brain such as the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning, but it also stimulates the release of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which encourages the growth of new brain cells. Press-ups and squats seem to be especially good at boosting BDNF, far more so than walking or jogging.
STATIN OR HRT BOOST
I have a family history of heart disease, so I take statins to reduce my risk of heart attack and stroke. But they may also help my brain.
A recent review, in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, concluded that people who took statins were 20 per cent less likely to develop dementia than those who don’t.
The researchers point out, however, that the evidence isn’t strong enough to recommend people take statins simply to reduce their dementia risk.
While I take statins, my wife Clare takes hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Like statins, there is evidence that HRT reduces a woman’s risk of developing dementia, probably because oestrogen and progesterone help support brain cells.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia reported in January that brain scans of 1,178 women taking part in the European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia initiative found that those taking HRT had better memories and larger brains than those who didn’t.
And the biggest differences were seen in women who were at greater risk of dementia (because they were most vulnerable to brain changes), and in those taking HRT early, i.e. during the perimenopause, when a woman’s hormone levels start to change.
This was an observational study, so they are planning a trial to measure the brain impact of HRT.
COLD SHOWER SHOT
Not only does it feel good afterwards, but regular dips in cold water may also boost levels of ‘cold shock proteins’
As many of you will know by now, Clare and I have cold showers most mornings and when we get the chance, we also swim in the sea, currently a chilly 11c.
Not only does it feel good afterwards, but regular dips in cold water may also boost levels of ‘cold shock proteins’ — molecules that help protect brains against damage.
THE BIG BREAKFAST
I like to start my day with (protein-packed) eggs or kippers,
