Sample Articles: August - October 2005

Aluminum & Alzheimer’s: The Myth That Continues

Jennifer Williams, MSW
Alzheimer’s Association Desert Southwest Chapter

One of the most frequently asked questions that the Alzheimer's Association surprisingly still receives during its education programs and support groups, is in relation to aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease. This month, I wanted to write a little bit on this topic from the Alzheimer's Association point of view that will hopefully answer some of the questions that many of you continue to have about aluminum and its relation to Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Most researchers and mainstream health care professionals believe, based on current knowledge, that the exposure to aluminum is not a significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. It is unlikely that people can significantly reduce their exposure to aluminum by avoiding aluminum-containing cookware, foil, beverage cans, medications, or other products. The exact role (if any) of aluminum in Alzheimer’s disease is still being researched and debated.

If aluminum exposure had a major impact on risk, scientists would have gained a clearer picture of its involvement over the decades that they have been studying the issue.

Research studies since the 1960s have failed to document a clear role for aluminum in causing Alzheimer’s. For virtually every study suggesting that aluminum may be linked to Alzheimer’s, there is another study failing to confirm those results. There has been some contradictory data that has emerged over the years.

For example, aluminum is known to be toxic to the nervous system, but its effects differ from those of Alzheimer’s disease.
Some studies show elevated aluminum levels in the Alzheimer brain, but others do not. These studies include both “bulk” investigations measuring amounts of aluminum by weight and advanced analysis using laser microprobes. There is some evidence that in laboratory cultures of nerve cells, aluminum promotes aggregation of the protein fragment beta-amyloid into the amyloid plaques that are a hallmark Alzheimer abnormality. However, efforts to correlate aluminum levels with plaque density in people with Alzheimer’s have been inconclusive.

Research has failed to document a clear elevation of Alzheimer risk in individuals with occupational exposure to aluminum.
Studies finding the most consistent link have examined elevated levels of aluminum in drinking water and increased incidence of Alzheimer’s. However, there is no evidence that Alzheimer’s disease is more prevalent in cultures that traditionally drink large amounts of tea, even though tea is one of the few plants whose leaves accumulate large amounts of aluminum that may leach into the brewed beverage.

Did you know that the Alzheimer's Association offers 41 support groups throughout the metro-Phoenix area? For more information on Alzheimer’s disease and for a brochure on the Association’s programs and services covering Maricopa, Pinal and Gila Counties, please call our toll-free 24-hour, 7-day a-week Helpline at 1-800-272-3900.

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Live Without Limits

Barbara Feth, PT, MBA---HEALTHSOUTH

New Hope for Patients with Neuropathy
Neuropathy, a condition affecting nerves, can be caused by any of the following:

• Pressure—like when your foot falls asleep
• Inflammation due to a virus—from shingles or bell’s palsy
• Entrapment—as in carpal tunnel syndrome
• Metabolic disease—as in diabetes
• Vascular disease—as in diabetes or other vascular diseases
• Anemias
• Vitamin Deficiencies – like B12
• Drugs – like statins
• Infections – like HIV or Lyme Disease

Neuropathy symptoms vary, and can include numbness, tingling, pain and weakness. Numbness and weakness, particularly in the foot, can result in falls from tripping and toe dragging. Many neuropathy sufferers need to use walkers, and avoid crowds and uneven surfaces to prevent falling.

Imagine if you cannot feel a blister forming, and don’t think to look at the bottom of your foot! Neuropathy often leads to blisters and sores that are very difficult to heal. A wrinkled sock or an ill-fitting shoe can have devastating effects on neuropathy sufferers. Numb and weak hands can lead to broken objects, burns and cuts. Neuropathy sufferers may need specialized devices to help them open containers, open doors and safely drive cars.

Recent research and new technologies offer new help to neuropathy sufferers. Anodyne® Therapy is an infrared light therapy that can have dramatic results in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. One of the most significant results some patients experience is the return of protective sensation—sufficient feeling to detect potential harm from excessive heat, cold or pressure.

Maria Spielman, a physical therapist at HealthSouth Scottsdale Rehabilitation Hospital, is currently treating a young man with neuropathy from juvenile diabetes. Prior to Anodyne® Therapy, he had multiple non-healing wounds on his shins and ankles, severe foot pain, and he couldn’t feel heat or cold in his feet.

Following a course of Anodyne® Therapy, he reports feeling heat and cold again, his wounds are healing, and he is much less limited in standing and walking. Chris Biland, also a physical therapist at HealthSouth Scottsdale Rehabilitation Hospital, describes a patient with diabetic neuropathy, who initially walked with a cane. He experienced numerous falls, and he had to struggle to get up out of a chair. Chris reports that following a course of 12 treatments of Anodyne® Therapy, along with balance and strengthening exercises, his patient had a return of protective sensation in his feet, could easily rise from a chair, stopped falling, and no longer used a cane for walking.

Anodyne® Therapy is provided by physical therapists and occupational therapists in conjunction with appropriate exercises, wound care, skin protection, safety instruction and adaptive techniques. If you are one of the many neuropathy sufferers who improve with Anodyne® Therapy, home systems can be obtained for maintenance therapy. For more information about the contents of this column or rehabilitation technology available at HealthSouth Scottsdale Rehabilitation Hospital, please call 480-551-5471. Barbara Feth, PT, MBA, is the Director of Clinical and Marketing Services at HealthSouth Scottsdale Rehabilitation Hospital.

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Can You Hear Me Now?

WHY 2 EARS ARE BETTER THAN 1
Lesa Gaudreau, BC-HIS, ACA

Being able to hear with both ears is just as important as being able to see with both eyes. If you have difficulty hearing with both ears, you will almost certainly benefit form wearing a hearing aid in each ear. The most important benefits are:

• It will be easier to understand speech in noisy surroundings
• The risk of auditory deprivation is considerably reduced
• Your ability to localize sounds will improve
• You will experience a fuller, more comfortable sound picture.

Do you have trouble understanding people in noise? Background noise makes it difficult to follow what people are saying. For people who don’t hear equally well with both ears, it suddenly becomes much harder to separate individual voices from background noise.

The brain needs input from both ears in order to separate sounds effectively. Your brain has the natural ability to filter out background noise by getting professionally fitted with two hearing aids.

Reducing the risk of auditory deprivation Another risk that is considerably reduced by wearing two hearing aids, is the risk of auditory deprivation.

Auditory deprivation refers to a person’s lack of adequate hearing stimulation. This is when the brain gradually loses some of its ability to process information from the unaided ear because of a continued lack of sound stimulation.

Several investigations have shown that people who wear only one hearing aid experience a reduction in their ability to understand speech in the ear that has not been stimulated with an aid. The ability of the auditory system to process speech declines, due to a lack of stimulation. This most often occurs when the ear goes unaided over a long period of time - so, the earlier you consider wearing two hearing aids, the better your chances are of minimizing this risk. The old expression “use it or lose it” seems to apply to our ability to hear and understand speech.

Sense of sound direction Why do people have two ears? Because, the brain needs input from both ears to tell us which direction sounds are coming from. Your ears alert you to danger by sending sound signals to your brain. Within a split second, your brain compares the information received from both ears. This tells you instantly which direction the sound is coming from, and how far away it is.

A fuller sound picture If you hear equally well with both ears, sounds are more comfortable to listen to. You don’t have to strain to hear, and sounds have the kind of clarity and depth that give you a sense of space and volume. Imagine listening to your favorite music on the stereo. It has two amplifiers and two speakers to give the music a natural depth. However, if only one amplifier and speaker are working, the sounds become shallow and flat.

Be good to yourself If you do have a hearing loss in both ears, you should talk with your hearing care professional and follow their advice. Allow her to fit you with two instruments, and allow yourself the necessary time it takes to adjust to wearing them. - you will notice an overall improvement in the quality of your life.

For more information or questions on this article, hearing problems or concerns, please call Lesa at (480) 443-9119 at Abbott Hearing Centers or visit www.abbotthearing.com.

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Certain Health Conditions & Medications

Make Lowering Sodium Intake Imperative!

“Take the salt shaker off the table” used to be the advice doctors gave patients who needed to lower their sodium levels. But today, with the proliferation of processed foods and eat-on-the-go lifestyles, sodium is in more places than the kitchen.

Tips for Surviving Life with Less Sodium…..

1. Read the sodium content of every food you want to eat, whether raw or processed. Don’t assume that only salty foods contain sodium. Other culprits include some baked goods and tomato-based products like spaghetti sauce, soup, ketchup, and some types of processed tomato juice.

2. Make a chart to record your sodium intake. Be vigilant.

3. Analyze your eating patterns. If your favorite food is an after-dinner snack that contains a bit more salt than you ought to eat, don’t squander your precious sodium count on breakfast. Switch to fruit salad and low-salt cheese, or bake your own bread and muffins.

4. Try salt substitutes. Some people don’t like them, but you might. Potassium chloride, the most common salt substitute, tends to add a metallic taste.

5. Use more herbs and spices. In some foods, they will be a satisfying alternative to salt. In other foods where salt is needed, herbs and spices let you use much less salt.

6. Use salt-free spice blends. There’s an art to combining spices well. If you’re not sure about the proportions, treat yourself to the salt-free combos. They may cost a bit more than you normally spend on spices, but if you love how they flavor your food, they’re worth it. The best sources tend to be health food and gourmet cooking stores.

7. Use roasted garlic. By covering unpeeled cloves in plastic wrap, you can “roast” garlic in the microwave oven. The cloves develop that roasted garlic flavor while remaining firm enough to slice. Keep them in the refrigerator so you can toss a few into omelets, sauces, salads, and mashed potatoes.

8. Replace condiments with low-salt versions. Thanks to the other strong flavors, you probably won’t miss the salt in low-salt ketchup, mustard, seafood sauce, horseradish, and salad dressings. If you do, you may be able to compensate by adding balsamic vinegar, pepper (such as black of cayenne), or citrus juice (orange, lemon, or lime).

9. Find and use good low-salt products. Experiment with different brands and types—some low-salt crackers and cheeses are excellent. But, always read the sodium content on the label. Just because a product claims to be low salt, doesn’t mean it’s low enough. And, beware a higher fat content. Sometimes manufacturers increase the fat when they decrease the sodium. No-salt potato chips often provide this unwelcome surprise.

10. Replace saltiness with sweetness. On toast, replace salted margarine with preserves. On veggies like carrots and winter squash, replace salt with honey or brown sugar. Incorporate more fruit into your diet—it’s very low in sodium.

11. Be patient. Within a few months—maybe just weeks—you’ll notice that high-salt snacks taste too salty.

Source: Visiting Angels, Bob & Pam Dailey (480) 833-8247, see P.7 - ARA Content.