Top 10 Health Problems in America

Heart Disease

 

For both men and women, heart disease kills the largest number of Americans per year. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease, which causes heart attacks and strokes, kills more people than all forms of cancer combined. Quit smoking and eat a diet low in fat and sodium to cut your risk.

 

Cancer

Lung cancer is the cancer responsible for the most deaths in both men and women. Women are also affected greatly by breast and colorectal cancers, according to the Mayo Clinic. Reduce your risk of cancers by not smoking, eating a healthy diet, using sunscreen and getting regular cancer screenings.

Stroke

 

Stroke is the number three cause of death in women, and the number four cause of death in men. Lifestyle changes that can reduce your risk of stroke, according to the Mayo Clinic, include quitting smoking, losing excess weight, exercising and eating a healthy diet.

Respiratory Diseases

 

Respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema belong to a class of diseases called COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends quitting smoking to prevent COPD, as it is the largest risk factor.

Injuries

 

According to the Mayo Clinic, the Centers for Disease Control states that the leading cause of fatal injuries in both men and women is motor vehicle accidents. Wearing your seatbelt, driving safely and not mixing alcohol and driving can prevent these accidents. Other causes of fatal accidents include poisoning and falls.

Diabetes

 

Type 2 diabetes can cause kidney damage, heart disease and blindness. It is also a leading cause of death in both men and women. Lose extra weight, exercise and eat a healthy diet to prevent diabetes.

Alzheimer's Disease

 

Alzheimer's disease is the fifth-leading cause of death in women, and the tenth in men. Doctors do not know exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease, but there may be a link between this disease and heart disease, as well as head injuries.

Influenza and Pneumonia

 

Most healthy people can fight off a simple case of influenza, but in some people, it may cause complications such as pneumonia, which are potentially fatal. Wash your hands frequently and get a flu vaccine each year as recommended by your doctor. Also, ask your doctor if a pneumonia vaccine is right for you.

Kidney Disease

 

Kidney disease is the ninth-leading cause of death for both male and female Americans. It can be caused by high blood pressure or diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic. The American Diabetes Association stresses the importance of keeping your blood sugar under control if you are a diabetic in order to prevent kidney disease.

Septicemia

 

Septicemia, or blood poisoning is the tenth-leading cause of death among women. It is usually a complication of a bacterial infection such as a lung or urinary tract infection. The best ways to prevent septicemia are to wash your hands often, seek medical care for any infections in the body and to change tampons often and avoid using tampons that are more absorbent than you need.

How liver health impacts the risk of Alzheimer's

While we still do not know exactly what causes the development of Alzheimer's disease, specialists have been hard at work trying to identify the most salient risk factors. New research has now identified a new player when it comes to Alzheimer's risk: the liver.

New research highlights the liver's potential role in raising the risk of Alzheimer's.

This week, at the yearly Alzheimer's Association International Conference — held in Chicago, IL — researchers led by Dr. Mitchel A. Kling, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, have presented the intriguing findings of their latest study.

They observed that Alzheimer's disease risk is associated with reduced levels of plasmalogens, a type of phospholipid produced in the liver. They play key roles in maintaining the health of brain cells.

From the liver, plasmalogens are carried to the brain and other organs through the blood. Levels of these phospholipids can be measured through specialized tests that have been devised by Dr. Kling in collaboration with colleagues from the Alzheimer's Disease Metabolomics Consortium at Duke University in Durham, NC.

The researchers identified three indices — assessing the ratios of different plasmalogens to each other, the ratios of plasmalogens to other lipids, and a combination of these measurements — that allow them to determine the amount of plasmalogen as it relates to cognitive functioning.

Specifically, they were interested in confirming whether decreased plasmalogen levels were linked with an increased risk of developing various degrees of cognitive impairment, including: Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or significant memory concerns (SMC).

Changes in the liver influence risk

Dr. Kling and team assessed the levels of several different plasmalogens, including ones containing specific omega-3 fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid. They also measured the levels of one omega-6 fatty acid, and of some nonplasmalogen lipids closely related to plasmalogens.

The measurements were taken in samples of blood-based bodily fluids collected from two different groups of study participants.

The first group was made of 1,547 people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, MCI, or SMC, as well as a number of people confirmed to be cognitively normal. These participants were enrolled in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.

The second group was made of 112 individuals with Alzheimer's or MCI, or who were considered cognitively normal. These latter participants were recruited via the Penn Memory Center.

Dr. Kling and colleagues saw that lower values of the indices they measured corresponded to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's, and a similar association was observed for MCI diagnoses.

Moreover, the scientists also noticed that decreased levels of certain plasmalogens appeared to be linked with heightened levels of the tau protein, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

"This research shows that an age-related deficiency of plasmalogens could lead to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, because the liver cannot make enough of them," notes Dr. Kling.

"This research [...] highlights a potential relationship between conditions such as obesity and diabetes and Alzheimer's — as the liver has to work harder to break down fatty acids over time."

Dr. Mitchel Kling

"This could lead to the eventual destruction of the peroxisomes [functional elements within cells] that create plasmalogens which thus, increases the risk of Alzheimer's."

A 'promising' journey of discovery

These observations, the team adds, might also explain why Alzheimer's patients who receive fish oil or supplementary DHA do not show any improvement of cognitive function.

This may happen because the liver is unable to integrate the fatty acids into the plasmalogens.

Another intriguing notion is the fact that certain genes thought to play a role in Alzheimer's disease also regulate the transport and metabolism of lipids, so researchers are now interested in finding out whether this has any bearing on the relationship between lipid production and brain health.

"Our findings provide renewed hope for the creation of new treatment and prevention approaches for Alzheimer's disease," Dr. Kling explains. "Moving forward, we're examining the connections between plasmalogens, other lipids, and cognition, in addition to gene expression in the liver and the brain."

"While we're in the early stages of discovering how the liver, lipids, and diet are related to Alzheimer's disease and neurodegeneration, it's been promising," he adds.