New Alzheimer’s Research Should Concern Washington Residents

Disease and affliction has been a part of human existence since...the beginning of human existence roughly 6 million years ago.  As we continued to carve out our place on the planet, we began to learn, create, research, discover, and treat many of those diseases and afflictions.  Even with all of our amassed knowledge there are still diseases we continue to learn about and seek ways to treat through research.  One such disease is Alzheimer's.

What is Alzheimer's Disease?

Sounds like a silly question with how much discussion is around Alzheimer's, but it needs to be stated.  The Alzheimer's Association describes it as

...a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. Symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.

The disease was first discovered in 1906 by German psychiatrist Alois Alzeheimer who, in 1903, opened up a clinic in Germany focusing on brain research. In 1906 he gave a talk to a group of psychiatrists revealing what he described as 'an usual disease of the cerebral cortex' afflicting a female patient of his.  An autopsy conducted after the death of Alzheimer's patient showed the cerebral cortex was thinner than normal and that plaque was found in the brain.

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It was given it's name in 1910 by another German psychiatrist, Emil Kraepelin, who ran the lab where Alois Alzheimer conducted his research.  Kraeplin debuted the moniker in edition eight of his book "Psychiatrie." As the 1900's moved forward, inventions like the electron microscope enhanced the ability of scientists to study the brain.

Research began to take a new turn when measurement scales to detect cognitive decline emerged in the late 1960's.  Federal funding to study the disease came into play in the 70's when the National Institute on Aging (NIA) was created.

What Causes Alzheimer's Disease?

A number of things over the last four decades have been linked to the development of Alzheimer's.  1984 saw the discovery of the beta-amyloid protein and how it factors in to the development of Alzheimer's.  The 80's also saw the discovery of the Tau protein as well as a rare gene that showed some forms of the disease could be inherited.

As research continued other factors such as age, lifestyle choices (smoking and drinking), environmental, and genetic (diabetes, hypertension) became linked.  The latest discovery, released July 29th at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia, may be the most concerning.

Wildfire Smoke is Now Linked to the Development of Alzheimer's Disease

The results of a 10 year study of over 1 million California residents was revealed and those of us that live in areas where wildfires are prevalent, like the Pacific Northwest, need to pay close attention to this.  Researchers stated that exposure to wildfire smoke has a more profound impact on the development of dementia than any other air pollutant.

Wildfire smoke emits a type pf pollutant called PM2.5.  The particular PM2.5 emitted by wildfire smoke was found to have a greater impact on dementia diagnosis than PM2.5 emitted by motor vehicles or factories.  Even with less exposure to wildfire smoke than other forms of PM2.5 pollutants, the risk for a dementia diagnosis was greater.

Is There Anything I Can Do To Protect Myself and My Family?

There are things you can do to mitigate the impact.  Suggestions from the researchers were:

• Update your home air filtration systems when possible
• Stay inside when the air quality is unhealthy
• Wear an N95 mask outside when the Air Quality Index reaches 100