My Alzheimer's Journey
Part 145 - Heat Therapy For Alzheimer's Disease
There is an article in the latest edition of New Scientist that jumped out and grabbed my attention. Doug Whitney’s family carries a mutation of the Presenilin 2 gene. This mutation almost always guarantees the carrier will develop early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Doug states that his mother had 13 brothers and sisters and 10 died from AD before the age of 60.
Doug is in his late 70’s, and he does not have AD. His doctors and researchers at Washington University in St; Louis, believe Doug dodged the AD bullet due to his career as a mechanic on large ships. Doug worked for about twenty years in hot ship engine rooms for hours at a time. These engine rooms would reach temperatures of 50 degrees C (122 degrees F).
Possibly, as a result of his heat exposure, Doug has very high levels of heat shock proteins in his cerebrospinal fluid. These high levels of heat shock proteins may have prevented Doug from developing AD by regulating the tau in his brain. PET scans show Doug’s brain is full of amyloid plaque and very little tau protein. Amyloid plaque is a characteristic of AD; yet, it is tau that correlates to AD symptoms.
The New Scientist article goes into detail about testing that led researchers to believe that Doug’s exposure to heat is a factor in his lack of AD symptoms. Additionally, the article talks about lab tests where mice that were placed in miniature saunas had better tau protein structures. As I continued reading the article, I learned that geographic locations where there are very low incidences of AD also have some of the highest temperatures.
One example is Ballabhgarh, India where the average high temperature reaches around 40C to 41C (101F to 106F). This rural community in Northern India has the lowest recorded rates of AD in the world, with studies indicating a rate of just 0.62% in residents aged 55+ and 1.07% in those aged 65+. Researchers attribute this low rate of AD to a physically active lifestyle, a low-fat vegetarian diet, and low stress. Additionally, it is believed that the extreme heat has a role in preventing AD.
Being curious about the possible connection between high heat exposure and a low risk of developing AD, I started digging. A study published in 2020, found that “heat therapy can be of tremendous clinical benefit to patients with AD.”
In simple terms, this is the role of heat therapy in preventing AD:
1. Interorgan Cross Talk (Body Communication)
Heat therapy increases blood flow, which helps our body organs send “messages” back and forth more effectively. The messages are sent via endocytic vesicles (EV).
2. Heat Shock Proteins & Mitochondria
The EVs may contain Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs). These act like a repair crew. Their main job in this context is to fix the mitochondria (power plant of our cells) and restore proteostasis.
3. Proteostasis
Proteostasis is the cellular process that maintains a balanced and functional protein network. This process breaks down in AD. Heat therapy seems to trigger the process of proteostasis.
4. Metabolic Homeostasis
All the above effects can improve our whole body metabolic homeostasis (reducing blood glucose and insulin) and improve tissue-specific outcomes such as cognitive function.
In summary: heat therapy leads to better blood flow with messages sent via endocytic vesicles (EV). The EVs contain heat shock proteins (HSP). The HSP fixes the mitochondria (our cell power plants) and proteostasis. This results in clean cells and balanced metabolic homeostasis. Ultimately, our cognitive functions are improved.
Should we all go buy saunas or join a health club with saunas? Even if the sauna doesn’t prevent you from developing AD, you will enjoy these benefits:
Improved cardiovascular function
reduced blood pressure
lower stress
relief from chronic pain
overall relaxation
enhanced sleep quality
detoxification through sweating
Or, become a ship engine mechanic, like Doug.
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