From: hounddog23x@gmail.com   
      
   Wednesday, October 8, 2014   
      
   Does Anesthesia Cause Memory Loss or Dementia in the Elderly?   
      
   Does anesthesia increase the odds of developing dementia later in life? Does   
   anesthesia hasten memory loss in persons already living with Alzheimer's and   
   dementia?   
      
   Bob DeMarco   
   +Alzheimer's Reading Room    
      
   Does Anesthesia Cause Dementia or Memory Loss in the Elderly?   
      
   Related Content    
   What is the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Dementia   
   Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Tests)   
   Is Alzheimer's World an Irrational Place?   
   Communicating in Alzheimer's World   
   Alzheimer's, Your Brain, and Adaptability   
   The Seven Stages of Alzheimer's   
   Exposure to general anaesthesia increases the risk of dementia in the elderly   
   by 35% according to a new study presented at Euroanaesthesia, the annual   
   congress of the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA).    
      
   The research was conducted Dr Francois Sztark, INSERM and University of   
   Bordeaux, France, and colleagues.    
      
   In a previous study Mayo clinic researchers concluded that elderly patients   
   who receive anesthesia are no more likely to develop long-term dementia or   
   Alzheimer’s disease than other seniors.    
      
   The senior author of the Mayo report was David Warner at the Mayo Clinic   
   Children’s Center.   
      
   Yes, No, Maybe?    
      
   Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room   
   Email:    
      
   There are a few issue here so lets try and untangle them.    
      
   The research we are referencing here in this article has to do with a single   
   issue -   
      
   Does anesthesia increase the odds of developing dementia later in life.   
      
   The research at INSERM and University of Bordeaux and indicates that it can.   
      
   Here is the Gist of this INSERM research.   
   Exposure to general anaesthesia could increase the risk of dementia in elderly   
   by 35 percent   
   Exposure to general anaesthesia increases the risk of dementia in the elderly   
   by 35%, says new research presented at Euroanaesthesia, the annual congress of   
   the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA). The research is by Dr Francois   
   Sztark, INSERM and    
   University of Bordeaux, France, and colleagues.   
   Postoperative cognitive dysfunction, or POCD, could be associated with   
   dementia several years later. POCD is a common complication in elderly   
   patients after major surgery. It has been proposed that there is an   
   association between POCD and the development    
   of dementia due to a common pathological mechanism through the amyloid β   
   peptide. Several experimental studies suggest that some anaesthetics could   
   promote inflammation of neural tissues leading to POCD and/or Alzheimer's   
   disease (AD) precursors    
   including β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. But it remains   
   uncertain whether POCD can be a precursor of dementia.   
   The researchers analysed the risk of dementia associated with anesthesia   
   within a prospective population-based cohort of elderly patients (aged 65   
   years and over). The team used data from the Three-City study, designed to   
   assess the risk of dementia and    
   cognitive decline due to vascular risk factors. Between 1999 and 2001, the 3C   
   study included 9294 community-dwelling French people aged 65 years and over in   
   three French cities (Bordeaux, Dijon and Montpellier).   
   Participants aged 65 years and over were interviewed at baseline and   
   subsequently 2, 4, 7 and 10 years after. Each examination included a complete   
   cognitive evaluation with systematic screening of dementia. From the 2-year   
   follow-up, 7008 non-demented    
   participants were asked at each follow-up whether they have had a history of   
   anaesthesia (general anaesthesia (GA) or local/locoregional anaesthesia (LRA))   
   since the last follow-up. The data were adjusted to take account of potential   
   confounders such as    
   socioeconomic status and comorbidities.   
   The mean age of participants was 75 years and 62% were women. At the 2-year   
   follow-up, 33% of the participants (n=2309) reported an anaesthesia over the 2   
   previous years, with 19% (n=1333) reporting a GA and 14% (n=948) a LRA. A   
   total of 632 (9%)    
   participants developed dementia over the 8 subsequent years of follow-up,   
   among them 284 probable AD and 228 possible AD, and the remaining 120   
   non-Alzheimer's dementia.   
   The researchers found that demented patients were more likely to have received   
   anaesthesia (37%) than non-demented patients (32%). This difference in   
   anaesthesia was due to difference in numbers receiving general anaesthetics,   
   with 22% of demented    
   patients reporting a GA compared with 19% of non-demented patients. After   
   adjustment, participants with at least one GA over the follow-up had a 35%   
   increased risk of developing a dementia compared with participants without   
   anaesthesia.   
   Dr Sztark concludes:    
   "These results are in favour of an increased risk for dementia several years   
   after general anaesthesia. Recognition of POCD is essential in the   
   perioperative management of elderly patients. A long-term follow-up of these   
   patients should be planned."   
   We already wrote about the Mayo clinic study so you can read the Gist of those   
   finding here -- No Link Between Anesthesia, Dementia in Elderly.   
      
   There is a second issue that can cause confusion. The issue   
      
   Does anesthesia hasten memory loss in person already living with Alzheimer's   
   and dementia?   
      
   We have a long list of articles on this issue. Here are a few.   
   Study Links Surgery and Anesthesia With Alzheimer’s   
      
   "Although not definitive, this human biomarker study gives some credibility to   
   the notion that anesthesia and surgery produce an inflammatory insult on the   
   brain and accelerate chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's,"   
   Eckenhoff added.   
   Alzheimer's and Anesthesia   
      
   Alzheimer's and anesthesia don't mix well. Some physicians are advising their   
   patients that are already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s to avoid surgery unless   
   absolutely necessary.   
   Dementia and Memory Loss Caused by Infection   
      
   Undetected infections are common in dementia patients. These infections can   
   lead to permanent memory loss, hard to deal with behavior, dullness (the not   
   there effect), and even death.   
   You can also search the ARR Knowledge Base for additional information on these   
   issues. The search box is on the right hand side of every webpage.   
      
   _________________________________________________   
   Bob DeMarco   
   Bob DeMarco  is the Founder of the Alzheimer's Reading Room (ARR). Bob is a   
   recognized expert, writer, speaker, and influencer in the Alzheimer's and   
   Dementia Community worldwide.   
   Search more than 4,900 original articles for Answers to Your Questions About   
   Alzheimer's and Dementia    
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)