Autoimmune disease may be linked to heightened dementia risk

BMJ: Autoimmune disease may be linked to a heightened risk of dementia, indicates a large long term study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. Although significant, the extent of the association found was small, caution the researchers. But the findings are consistent with the theory that Alzheimer’s disease may have an autoimmune component, they point out. It has been suggested that autoimmune and inflammatory activity may have a role in the development of dementia. In a bid to try and quantify this further, the researchers drew on hospital admissions data, including day cases, from 1998 to 2012 for England.

Addison disease

Addison disease is also called: Adrenal insufficiency, Adrenocortical hypofunction, Hypocortisolism

Your adrenal glands are just above your kidneys. The outside layer of these glands makes hormones that help your body respond to stress and regulate your blood pressure and water and salt balance. Addison disease happens if the adrenal glands don't make enough of these hormones.

A problem with your immune system usually causes Addison disease. The immune system mistakenly attacks your own tissues, damaging your adrenal glands. Other causes include infections and cancer.

Symptoms include

• Weight loss
• Muscle weakness
• Fatigue that gets worse over time
• Low blood pressure
• Patchy or dark skin

Lab tests can confirm that you have Addison disease. If you don't treat it, it can be fatal. You will need to take hormone pills for the rest of your life. If you have Addison disease, you should carry an emergency ID. It should say that you have the disease, list your medicines and say how much you need in an emergency.

More about Addison disease

Addison disease

Authors : Drs Anne Peters and Pejman Cohan USC Westside Center for Diabetes and Beverly Hills. 2008-05-02

The adrenal glands are two pyramid-shaped glands that sit on top of each kidney. Anatomically, the adrenal glands are composed of an outer compartment called the adrenal cortex and an inner compartment called the adrenal medulla. The adrenal medulla is regulated by the nervous system and secretes three distinct hormones: epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and dopamine. These are often referred to as the “fight or flight” hormones. The adrenal cortex can be further subdivided into three regions, each of which secretes its particular steroid hormone. The adrenal cortex is primarily regulated by the pituitary gland (an endocrine gland located in the brain) and releases more than 50 steroid hormones. Among these are the hormones called cortisol and aldosterone. Cortisol and aldosterone are considered life-sustaining hormones because they regulate blood pressure, blood sugar, and electrolyte balance, and also play an important role in our body’s response to stress.