Week of June 29 - July 5, 2008

Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have linked memory loss to a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol, in a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

In comparing the USA to other countries such as India, the rate of Alzheimer's is clearly high in comparison. One study (see below) came in with results showing a rate in India that was just one-fourth of the U.S. rate of Alzheimer's. Though no one as of yet can be sure as to the reason for this, this new MUSC study strongly indicates that our diet is part of our problem. The U.S. food supply is high in cholesterol and saturated fat, reflected in the high obesity rates in the United States.

Collaboration between two laboratories at MUSC and one at Arizona State University led researchers to discover that rodents that were fed a diet high in cholesterol and saturated fat displayed impairment in working memory. This memory loss is associated with inflammation in the brain, as well as the impairment of structural proteins that affect how a nerve cell functions. As inflammation is associated with a poor diet, the failure of functions in other key organs such as the eye and the ear also could be expected.

Assuming that the same phenomenon occurs in human beings, the study suggests that as humans age, memory may be preserved and brain functions improved by restricting the consumption of cholesterol and saturated fats. As cases of obesity and obesity-related diseases have increased exponentially in the United States, and are second only to tobacco use for premature mortality and the number of health-care dollars spent, the importance of this issue is immediate.

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About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 11,000 employees, including 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.6 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit http://www.musc.edu or http://www.muschealth.com.

Medical University of South Carolina
171 Ashley Ave.
Charleston, SC 29425
United States
http://www.musc.edu

BY:

By Peter Berger, Editor, Alzheimer's Weekly

Reviewed for medical accuracy by
Dr. Boaz Ancselovic, MD, Geriatrician, Alzheimer's Weekly

SOURCES:

"Effects of a Saturated Fat and High Cholesterol Diet on Memory and Hippocampal Morphology in the Middle-Aged Rat," authored by Ann-Charlotte Granholm, Heather A. Bimonte-Nelson, Alfred B. Moore, Matthew E. Nelson, Linnea R. Freeman and Kumar Sambamurti, appears in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 14:2 (June 2008), pp. 133-145.

Medical University of South Carolina

"Prevalence of dementia in an urban Indian population", authored by Vas CJ, Pinto C, Panikker D, Noronha S, Deshpande N, Kulkarni L, Sachdeva S., appears in International Psychogeriatrics, 2001 Dec;13(4):439-50.

"Prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in rural India: the Indo-US study", authored by Chandra V, Ganguli M, Pandav R, Johnston J, Belle S, DeKosky ST, appears in Neurology, 1998 Oct;51(4):1000-8.

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