Dr. Gregory Poland, Leader in vaccine research at the Mayo Clinic Interview

Dr. Gregory Poland speaks with Mendte in the Morning about the modifiable risk factors that can be changed to dramatically reduce dementia.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is so sad to see someone you love start
to lose their mental capabilities because of age, because of dementia.
It's happened to me a couple of times in my
life with my parents, but it also happens to spouses.
It happens over and over again too much in this country. Well,

(00:20):
now there's some great news. There's new study out that
they're saying could prevent forty four percent of dementia cases.
You know how big that is. So let's get the
latest on that with doctor Gregory Poland, president of the
Atria Research Institute in New York and leader in vaccines
and infectious diseases at the Mayo Clinic. Doctor Gregory Poland,

(00:44):
this is really exciting, very exciting.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
It really is. And you know, it tells us that
there's a simple equation. Vascular health is your brain health.
So factors like controlling hype pretension.

Speaker 3 (01:01):
Not smoking, diabetes, your cholesterol level, exercise, and obesity are
absolutely modifiable risk factors.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
And in this study that you're referring to, you're exactly right, Larry,
up to forty four percent of dementia could be reduced
by modifying those sorts of brain factors and vascular health factors.
Not only that, there's a second study called Life's Essential eight,

(01:34):
the Regards study that shows that the higher in your
cardiovascular health, it's associated obviously with lower cardiovascular disease. But
here's the thing people don't realize, it's also associated with
lower risks of cancer. So your cardiovascular health, your vascular.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Health will determine your brain health and about you can
reduce the risk of cancer by about half by modifying
those risk factors. And the reason for it is these
are lifestyle modifications and they interact with each other. So
when you're eating a high fat diet when you're diabetic,

(02:16):
you're more likely to develop cancer, you're more likely to
develop cardiovascular disease, and you're more likely to develop dementia.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
So what do you suggest to people just the same
thing that we hear all the time, and people have
a hard time doing just working out and needing better.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, you know, that's part of it.

Speaker 3 (02:37):
But I think the mistake we make as healthcare providers
is we tell people that.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
And we kind of leave them on their own, and
they don't know. The average American really doesn't have a
really solid idea of what a healthy diet is or
that when we talk about exercise, what do we mean
by that. It doesn't mean you have to go out
and run a marathon. It's really around this notion of

(03:03):
a comprehensive lifestyle modification. Starting small, educating yourself on what
these risk factors are and how to handle them, and
then with the help of people who have programs that
have been demonstrated to work, engage in those. You can
find some on the internet. I mean, it doesn't even

(03:25):
have to cost you anything.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
But you know, now, as when you start getting a
hold of your blood pressure, your fasting, blood sugar, your
total cholesterol, your activity, even your sleep, all of these,
as they're called Life's essential eight are what keep us healthy.
And unfortunately, as you know, we live in a society
where those things are kind of afterthoughts, aren't they.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
Yeah, they are, and that's this is so important, and
you know, well, let's continue the conversation next week, doctor
Gregory Paul, and thank you so much. A huge, huge study.
I appreciate aded Doctor Gregory Poland, President of the Atria
Research Institute in New York and leader in vaccines and
infectious diseases at the Mayo Clinic. Thanks so much, Doctor