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Q & A with Dr. Joe Quinn
Can you explain the risks of dementia as it relates to other illnesses, such as heart disease?
I hear this question a lot. Risk factors are identified by studies that compare people with dementia and people without dementia. Their life experiences and medical conditions are evaluated to see what commonalities those people who develop dementia share.
We’re not quite sure of the mechanism by which a risk factor produces dementia. But we have found that basically everything we know that’s bad for the heart is also bad for the brain. So things like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes have all been linked to dementia.
There’s some uncertainty about whether those risk factors that we think of as damaging to blood vessels are causing dementia because they’re perhaps causing strokes in the brain, or whether those risk factors lead to Alzheimer’s specific processes, like amyloid production. There’s evidence on both counts.
We don’t have any clinical trials yet to prove that controlling these factors – blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes – reduces the incidences of dementia. But we already know that it’s good for you to make heart-healthy choices, such as eating a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables and proteins that are low in animal fats, getting regular exercise, managing stress, and taking medications if needed.
It makes good sense to think of these choices in terms of prevention strategies for dementia as well. Tending to the risk factors for heart disease and blood vessel damage is really one of the most tangible things we can do now to reduce the risk of dementia later in life.
Dr. Joseph Quinn specializes in general neurology and dementia and is an associate professor of Neurology at OHSU. He received his medical degree from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, in 1990. He completed his residency training at OHSU, and his fellowship in Geriatric Neurology at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Quinn received his board certification in Neurology in 1997.
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