How is Alzheimer’s linked to anaemia?

Australian scientists claimed to have found a link between Alzheimer's disease and the blood disorder anaemia.

By: Editorial Team | | Updated: October 7, 2014 6:10 pm

Australian scientists claimed to have found a link between Alzheimer’s disease and the blood disorder anaemia. Also Read - Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: 4 reasons an eco-friendly Ganesha is good for you

Noel Faux and his team at Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health tested iron levels in the blood of 1,100 volunteers. Also Read - 7 reasons why the #BeefBan is good

The test conducted revealed that having Alzheimer’s disease lowered blood hemoglobin levels and was a major risk factor for developing an untreatable form of anaemia, according to ABC news report. Also Read - Weight loss diet: How to eat healthy in a restaurant when you want to lose weight

‘It’s a little left field, so to speak, because when people think of Alzheimer’s and dementia they think of the head, they think of the brain,’ Faux said.

‘Recently, research has been moving into the blood, and a lot of that research is more around finding a marker that allows us to identify people who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s.’

Faux said scientists do not fully understand what is causing the anaemia. (Read: What every dementia or Alzheimer’s caregiver ought to know)

‘We don’t understand exactly what that relationship is, outside that there is a relationship. Our hypothesis is that the process of Alzheimer’s manifesting within the red blood cells that will actually lead to the anaemia that we see.’

He however hopes that the new discovery could help in improving lives of those with Alzheimer’s after finding a treatment for the blood disorder.

‘We’re not trying to treat Alzheimer’s, but we can give them better quality of life,’ he said.

‘One of the other advantages of that is that it’s known that people who have anaemia in old age tend to have a rate of decline in terms of cognition; their memory starts to drop off.

‘So if we can sort of help alleviate the anaemia, then potentially the rate of decline of memory would slow – not be cured, but would potentially slow,’ he said.

‘And that would be one of the benefits of actually trying to find treatment for this anaemia. Given that there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, if we can improve quality of life for people with Alzheimer’s – in this case, those who are anaemic – then it’ll actually make life a little bit better,’ he said.

‘Alzheimer’s is no more an old age condition’

The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease is increasing among the younger lot. Our expert, Dr Arjun Srivatsa, renowned neuro and spinal surgeon and founding trustee of Spine Trust India tells us more about the condition and the symptoms you should look out for.

Alzheimer’s is a kind of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behaviour. It is found in close to 80% of those suffering from dementia and is therefore the most common type. It is commonly believed that Alzheimer’s is a condition that strikes only the elderly, but this is not necessarily true. While the chances of developing the disease increase with age, it is now seen that younger people are also now being diagnosed with the disease.

One of the first signs of Alzheimer’s is memory loss. It is usually a gradual process and gets ignored in a number of cases. This is followed by a decrease in other aspects of cognition such as word-finding, vision/spatial issues and impaired reasoning or judgement. As the disease progresses, newer symptoms start showing. The patient suffers damage in areas of the brain that control language, reasoning, sensory processing, and conscious thought. Memory loss and confusion become worse, and the person begins to have problems recognizing family and friends. People with Alzheimer’s find it exceptionally difficult to learn new things, carry out tasks that involve multiple steps (like getting dressed) and cope with new situations. They may have hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and may behave impulsively. As they progress to the more severe stages of Alzheimer’s disease, the brain completely shrinks and the patient becomes increasingly dependent on others.

With inputs from PTI

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Published : January 15, 2014 12:20 pm | Updated:October 7, 2014 6:10 pm

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