#512: Alzheimer’s Disease – Drs. Ayesha & Dean Sherzai

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Introduction

Alzheimer’s disease has a profound impact on individuals, families, and societies worldwide. As a progressive neurodegenerative disease, it not only robs individuals of their cognitive abilities but also places an immense emotional and economic burden on caregivers.

Mechanistically, the causes of Alzheimer’s are incredibly complex and not fully understood. And in terms of treatment, the landscape appears challenging. Drug discovery efforts for dementias, including Alzheimer’s, have faced setbacks, leaving a void in effective treatments. Consequently, attention has shifted toward preventive strategies, including dietary patterns.

From a prevention standpoint, both genetics and lifestyle should be considered. Which throws up many interesting questions…

To what extent do genetic factors contribute to Alzheimer’s risk compared to lifestyle choices, and how does this interaction influence disease development?

What role does lifestyle play in Alzheimer’s risk, and is there evidence supporting the influence of specific nutrients on cognitive health?

How do diet patterns impact Alzheimer’s risk? Are there discernible risk differences associated with specific dietary choices, and how do these interact with genetic factors, such as the ApoE genotype?

In this episode, Drs. Ayesha Sherzai and Dean Sherzai are on the podcast to answer these questions and discuss this topic in more depth.

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Overview

Hosts

Guest Information

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Dr. Ayesha Sherzai is a neurologist and co-director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University, where she leads the Lifestyle Program for the Prevention of Neurological Diseases. She completed a dual training in Preventative Medicine and Neurology at Loma Linda University, and a fellowship in Vascular Neurology and Epidemiology at Columbia University. She is also a trained plant-based culinary artist.

Ayesha Sherzai, MD

a neurologist and co-director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University

Dean trained in Neurology at Georgetown University School of Medicine, and completed fellowships in neurodegenerative diseases and dementia at the National Institutes of Health and UC San Diego. He also holds a PhD in Healthcare Leadership with a focus on community health from Andrews University.

Dean Sherzai, MD, PhD

co-director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University.

Connection to Previous Episodes

#438: Diet, Brain Health & Cognitive Function

In this episode the Sigma team look at the published data on a variety of nutrients, foods and dietary patterns, including: vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, caffeine, flavonoids, coffee and green leafy vegetables.

#406: Polyphenols & Cognitive Health

In this episode we discuss the potential impact of dietary polyphenols on cognitive health; including cognitive function, memory, and risk of dementia and Alzeimher’s. We talk about some potential mechanisms, cohort studies, and then direct controlled trials.

#304: Tommy Wood, MD, PhD – Neurodegenerative Disease, Traumatic Brain Injury & Genetics

Dr. Tommy Wood is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Washington in the Pediatrics Department. His research focuses on ways to increase resilience of, and treat injury of, the developing brain.

Useful Terminology for this Episode

Dementia: Dementia is the general name for a decline in cognitive abilities that impacts a person’s ability to perform everyday activities.
Alzheimerʼs: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens, and is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia.
Cognitive function: “the performance of the mental processes of perception, learning, memory, understanding, awareness, reasoning, judgment, intuition, and language.”
Cognitive decline: a ʻreduction in one or more cognitive abilities, across the adult lifespan.ʼ Itʼs a part of normal healthy ageing, but severe decline is not, and could be as a result of disease.
ApoE: Apolipoprotein E (Apo-E) is a protein involved in the metabolism of fats in the body of mammals. APOE has three major alleles (epsilon 2, 3, and 4):
APOE-ε2, APOE-ε3, and APOE-ε4. The E4 subtype is implicated in increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Amyloid: Amyloid beta (Aβ or Abeta) denotes proteins that are the main component of the amyloid plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Introduction to this Episode

Alzheimerʼs disease has a profound impact on individuals, families, and societies worldwide. As a progressive neurodegenerative disease, it not only robs individuals of their cognitive abilities but also places an immense emotional and economic burden on caregivers.

Mechanistically, the causes of Alzheimerʼs are incredibly complex and not fully understood. And in terms of treatment, the landscape appears challenging. Drug discovery efforts for dementias, including Alzheimerʼs, have faced setbacks, leaving a void in effective treatments. Consequently, attention has shi ed toward preventive strategies, including dietary patterns.

From a prevention standpoint, both genetics and lifestyle should be considered. Which throws up many interesting questions…

To what extent do genetic factors contribute to Alzheimerʼs risk compared to lifestyle choices, and how does this interaction influence disease development?

What role does lifestyle play in Alzheimerʼs risk, and is there evidence supporting the influence of specific nutrients on cognitive health?

How do diet patterns impact Alzheimerʼs risk? Are there discernible risk differences associated with specific dietary choices, and how do these interact with genetic factors, such as the ApoE genotype?

In this episode, Drs. Ayesha Sherzai and Dean Sherzai are on the podcast to answer these questions and discuss this topic in more depth.

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