Pat Summitt

[UGADawg4Life]

I have a close relative who has early onset Alzheimer's Disease. He is a former athlete and it got me to thinking that it seems like an inordinate amount of former athletes, like Pat Summitt, get diseases like Alzheimer's and neuromuscular diseases like ALS. Anyone else with that observation or experience?

 

[eaglevol]

I'm not sure athletes get the disease any more than anyone else, but with their celebrity status, they are more in the news.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

I think there is some correlation between concussions and ALS...

Not a brain surgeon (the avi is a giveaway) but I would suspect there would be some connection between concussions and/or CTE and Alzheimers

 

[Tnman1]

Concussions/high stress, seems legit, probably. However, Pat Summit was a special human, programmed to do things a certain way, that's what made her great. I'm interested to see how Saban ends up. He seems like a high stress/obsessed guy.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Actually, non-contact sports like women's basketball help to reduce risk of getting Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, studies show:

The benefits of playing sport versus risk of dementia

So Pat and your relative got the disease in spite of their sporting background, not because of it.

Football players and boxers might be a different kettle of fish, though. That first article says their improved blood flow and other benefits of sport offset the increased risk from concussions. Other studies, such as this one, say football players are up to four times as likely as their non-playing peers to get dementia:

Football Players at Increased Alzheimer’s Risk

Sorry to hear about your relative with the disease.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

I wonder if screaming and high stress play a factor?

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I wonder if screaming and high stress play a factor?

When it comes to avoiding dementia, high blood flow == good.

Studies I looked at said nothing about stress, either way.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

When it comes to avoiding dementia, high blood flow == good.

Studies I looked at said nothing about stress, either way.

Ive heard that excessive or prolonged use of. . . Benadryl can be related to dementia. Idk if its true, i dont know where to find a published study on it. If true, that would be odd not to have sort of medical warning on the package.

 

[davethevol]

Ive heard that excessive or prolonged use of. . . Benadryl can be related to dementia. Idk if its true, i dont know where to find a published study on it. If true, that would be odd to have sort of medical warning on the package.

It shrinks your brain over time.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Ive heard that excessive or prolonged use of. . . Benadryl can be related to dementia. Idk if its true, i dont know where to find a published study on it. If true, that would be odd to have sort of medical warning on the package.

Here's the study you probably heard about. From the Journal of the American Medical Asssociation (JAMA) in 2015. Or maybe you heard about one of the earlier studies on the same subject, from 2010 and before, which are referenced by this study (look down at the bottom for references).

Strong Anticholinergics and Incident Dementia

It doesn't seem to address causation at all. Only correlation. Which may mean there's something else (or a lot of something elses) out there actually causing the dementia, and maybe contributing to people having allergies and/or colds as well.

As with anything medical, it's complicated. I wouldn't stop taking Benadryl if you need it, unless your doctor says you should (in which case, they'll probably give you an alternative).

 

[Majors]

Yes, there is strong thoughts that any of the anticholinergics drugs over a long period of time increase chance of dementia. That also includes tricyclic antidepressants. Rule of thought if you have a synthetic drug that targets in this case brain receptors, expect the long term use to be bad.

 

[GAVol]

I’ve been watching my Mother-in-Law deteriorate from early onset Alzheimer’s for 10+ years now. She was actually diagnosed about the same time as Pat Summitt, but unfortunately her process has been much more prolonged. It’s unbelievable how relatively little we understand as far as causation.

 

[BigOrangeAl 1979]

I watched my grandma deteriorate from Alzheimer’s over 8 years slowly at first then she got so bad that she couldn’t recognize me or my grandad. It’s a terrible disease that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I’ve been watching my Mother-in-Law deteriorate from early onset Alzheimer’s for 10+ years now. She was actually diagnosed about the same time as Pat Summitt, but unfortunately her process has been much more prolonged. It’s unbelievable how relatively little we understand as far as causation.

I watched my grandma deteriorate from Alzheimer’s over 8 years slowly at first then she got so bad that she couldn’t recognize me or my grandad. It’s a terrible disease that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

My father-in-law was kind of the opposite. From initial diagnosis until death, it was less than two years. Alzheimer's wasn't the only thing that killed him, the list was four or five items long, but it was the main cause of death. Super fast, for that disease. In a way, a blessing. Though still months of heartache for my wife, her mom, and her brothers.

You're right, GA, we know so little.

 

[kckempf]

I have a close relative who has early onset Alzheimer's Disease. He is a former athlete and it got me to thinking that it seems like an inordinate amount of former athletes, like Pat Summitt, get diseases like Alzheimer's and neuromuscular diseases like ALS. Anyone else with that observation or experience?

There has been an observed link between head trauma and the risk of developing Alzheimer:

Head injury doubles the risk of Alzheimer's disease

There has been some speculation on a link between traumatic brain injury and ALS but not enough data yet to be conclusive:

https://journals.physiology.org/doi...dies have,mild TBI and genetic predisposition.

Those are the main links that I know about.

 

[GAVol]

My father-in-law was kind of the opposite. From initial diagnosis until death, it was less than two years. Alzheimer's wasn't the only thing that killed him, the list was four or five items long, but it was the main cause of death. Super fast, for that disease. In a way, a blessing. Though still months of heartache for my wife, her mom, and her brothers.

You're right, GA, we know so little.

Absolutely a blessing. My MIL has been in a nursing home for 5 1/2 years and hasn’t had a clue what is going on for about 3-4 years. It’s excruciating.

 

[kcvols1]

I’ve heard maintained social interaction and continued problem solving activity can help stave it off, but Pat probably ticked both of those boxes. Heredity probably plays a role also.

In that case, I think I’m screwed!

Tough to watch my grandmother struggle with it before she passed.

I wish the best of everything to your friend and his family.

 

[VolAllen]

A couple of other things....deodorant and drinking alcohol.

 

[FLVOL_79]

I wonder if dwelling on not folding the towels right 8 years ago then bringing it up during a long road trip contributes to this?

 

[87&91ALUM]

I know a lot of folks with dementia/Alzheimer's that never played sports. I hope and pray one day soon they will find a cure for this disease as well as cancer.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

Here's the study you probably heard about. From the Journal of the American Medical Asssociation (JAMA) in 2015. Or maybe you heard about one of the earlier studies on the same subject, from 2010 and before, which are referenced by this study (look down at the bottom for references).

Strong Anticholinergics and Incident Dementia

It doesn't seem to address causation at all. Only correlation. Which may mean there's something else (or a lot of something elses) out there actually causing the dementia, and maybe contributing to people having allergies and/or colds as well.

As with anything medical, it's complicated. I wouldn't stop taking Benadryl if you need it, unless your doctor says you should (in which case, they'll probably give you an alternative).

I don't take it. I had been reading about NDE and found an article about drug-addicts and recovery. It talked about recovery options and potentialities. It stated that many methadone patients were supplementing their doses with increased dosage amounts of Benadryl, believing it increased the effectiveness of methadone. It went on to link the increased potential for dementia by excessive and/or prolonged use of Benadryl. Strange.

 

[BigBadVol]

I believe it’s from the products we consume and put on our bodies.
Alzheimer’s Disease Linked to Exposure to Aluminum

 

[TNnative]

I have a close relative who has early onset Alzheimer's Disease. He is a former athlete and it got me to thinking that it seems like an inordinate amount of former athletes, like Pat Summitt, get diseases like Alzheimer's and neuromuscular diseases like ALS. Anyone else with that observation or experience?

Just from what I have read, and followed over the years, I have a feeling the chief cause of Alzheimer's will be found to be something in the genetics. As to cases of diagnosed Alzheimer's disease I have seen and known, the vast majority have been non athletes. But as to early onset cases, I saw very few.

But as to your close relative, just as to Pat, I hope the answers and cure come in time. I think the research is getting us closer to the goal, and it is just a matter of somebody having an "aha" moment. My best thoughts for you and your family.

 

[TNnative]

I wonder if screaming and high stress play a factor?

Ha ha. I would think the screamers are blowing off high stress. But those who internalize their stress and don't blow it off? They seem to be ones who more often have a multitude of health problem down the road.

 

[TNnative]

I watched my grandma deteriorate from Alzheimer’s over 8 years slowly at first then she got so bad that she couldn’t recognize me or my grandad. It’s a terrible disease that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

I hear ya, man. One of my best friend's Dad got diagnosed three years ago, while my Dad was starting to have serious health problem. I was able to care of my Dad, but he did not have Alzheimer's. Just a degree of senility due to his kidney disease. While caring for him until his death was not easy, it was manageable.

But in a lot of cases, I have seen a few that get violent. My friend has his Dad in a facility with folks trained to deal with Alzheimer's cases. He felt a little guilty about that, but i told him if my Dad was going through that? No question. I would have managed to have my Dad there. Trying to care for them at home? Another friend lost one of his aunts three years ago, and his other one is going through it right now. Until a cure if finally found (and God, I hope it is soon), it is a tough choice to put them in a home, but it is the safer choice. Alzheimer's is unpredictable.