Big-Bellied Dementia

[Poop Fresh-Herbed Pickles]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Having a big belly in your 40s can boost your risk of getting Alzheimer's disease or other dementia decades later, a new study suggests.

It's not clear why abdominal fat would promote dementia, but it may pump out substances that harm the brain.

It's not just about your weight. While previous research has found evidence that obesity in middle age raises the chances of developing dementia later, the new work found a separate risk from storing a lot of fat in the abdomen. Even people who weren't overweight were susceptible.

That abdominal fat, sometimes described as making people apple-shaped rather than pear-shaped, has already been linked to higher risk of developing diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

"Now we can add dementia to that," said study author Rachel Whitmer of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California.

She and others report the findings in Wednesday's online issue of the journal Neurology.

The study involved 6,583 men and women who were ages 40 to 45 when they had checkups between 1964 and 1973. As part of the exam, their belly size was measured by using a caliper to find the distance between their backs and the surface of their upper abdomens. For the study, a distance of about 10 inches or more was considered high.

The researchers checked medical records to see who had developed Alzheimer's or another form of dementia by an average of 36 years later. At that point the participants were ages 73 to 87. There were 1,049 cases.

Analysis found that compared with people in the study with normal body weight and a low belly measurement:

• Participants with normal body weight and high belly measurements were 89 percent more likely to have dementia.

• Overweight people were 82 percent more likely if they had a low belly measurement, but more than twice as likely if they had a high belly measurement.

• Obese people were 81 percent more likely if they had a low belly measurement, but more than three times as likely if they had a high measurement.

Whitmer said there's no precise way to translate belly measurements into waist circumference. But most people have a sense of whether they have a big belly, she said. And if they do, the new study suggests they should get rid of it, she said.

It's not clear why abdominal fat would promote dementia, but it may pump out substances that harm the brain, she said.

Dr. Jose Luchsinger of the Columbia University Medical Center in New York, who studies the connection between obesity and Alzheimer's disease but didn't participate in the new work, cautioned that such a study cannot prove abdominal fat promotes dementia.

But the study results are "highly plausible" and "I'm not surprised at all," he said. High insulin levels might help explain them, he said.

Dr. Samuel Gandy, who chairs the medical and scientific advisory council of the Alzheimer's Association, said the results fit in with previous work that indicates a person's characteristics in middle age can affect the risk of dementia in later life.

And it's another example of how traits associated with the risk of developing heart disease are also linked to later dementia, he said.

[Poop Fresh-Herbed Pickles]

Actor Samuel L. Jackson painted the railings on the motel balcony where civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed in 1968 on Tuesday. The Pulp Fiction star helped clean up the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee ahead of the 40th anniversary of King's murder next week. The civil rights icon was shot dead there by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968. Jackson, 59, said, "Being a Tennessean, being part of the civil rights movement, growing up through it, being in it, of it, around it, knowing the significance of preserving our history and having a place people can come to and an emotionally connection is very important." Bosses at the National Civil Rights Museum are expecting an influx of visitors to mark the anniversary of King's death next week.

[Mister Chaddy]

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Many have tried, but so far nobody has been able to pry the decade-in-the-works Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy" from the hands of lone remaining original member Axl Rose.
 
Now, Dr Pepper thinks it's up to the challenge. The soft drink company says it will give a free can of Dr Pepper to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-Guns members Slash and Buckethead) if "Chinese Democracy" arrives anytime during the calendar year 2008.

Rose responded on his band's web site (http://www.gunsnroses.com) that the band was "surprised and very happy to have the support of Dr Pepper." But the offer did not prompt him to rose to the challenge.

"Chinese Democracy" was most recently scheduled for release in March 2007, but promptly vanished from the schedule without a new date being set. Rose said at the time that all the recording had been completed, but there were some "scheduling difficulties."

It will be the first album of fresh Guns N' Roses material since the 1991 sets "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II." Rose has reportedly burned through $13 million in recording expenses for "Chinese Democracy," and also burned his bridges with the bandmates who helped him turn Guns into one of the biggest rock groups in the world by the early 1990s.

[Just Some Girl]

My (belated) condolences to Jeff, M_____ and family.

[Just Some Girl]

I like your new avatar, Matthew.

[captqitn]

Big love to Jeff's crew.

[Just Some Girl]

aiight, back to bed for me... (I think) I'm done with the sweating/chills/achy part, but still have the exhausted/coughing my fool head off part. This bug really knocked me on my ass.

[captqitn]

You're terminated, fucker. 

[Poop Fresh-Herbed Pickles]

My niece is in love with Elmo, so my mom bought her a tickle me Elmo that rolls around and laughs maniacally.  The creepy robot scared the crap out of her

These videos would destroy her childhood I'm sure.

[Poop Fresh-Herbed Pickles]

AC/DC is the most kickass rock n' roll band ever. I'm not saying they're the best band, but I am saying they kick the most ass.

My vote goes to the Postal Service.

[Tripp]

murn

[Poop Fresh-Herbed Pickles]

Went to the $1 theater last night.  We started with I Am Legend, but walked out of that 40 minutes into it and walked into Jumper for the last hour of that.

Jumper is total crap.  Hayden Christiansen is a block of wood with marbles in his mouth.  He's makes Paul Walker look charismatic.  The movie is all set-up for a dumb franchise.  Beyond shitty.

I Am Legend is better, I guess.  The first 20 minutes are kind of cool with the vacated, weedy NY.  The car chase with the deer was pretty neat, but it fags out.  Don't think about plot holes...which I was willing to do.  But the vampire zombies are digital crap.  Not scary, but tedious and loud.  Will Smith washes and kisses this dog all the time.  It's like Pursuit of Happyness for animal lovers, I think.

If I had to do over, I would've just stayed in Legend, but that's not saying much.

[captqitn]

Did you have any snacks?

[full blown possession]

gOOD morning!  sometimes i dont have time to comment but you make me laugh a lot during my boring day doing accounting, SO THANK YOU...

I have a migraine and am in a crappy mood....

supposedly my grandpa played bass with Wes Montgomery, my dad has pictures somewhere but I have not seen them for confirmation

the clintons are continuing their assault of our state, blah fuckan blah...

i wish someone would ask her about her bosnia trip?  That was hilarious...yeah and i was the manager for the stones

since we had a beatles/sir paul day...this would be my fave stones track

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/KU5VQSdZoco" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/KU5VQSdZoco</a>


i like the bass on this, is this easy to play trippster?  ignore the intro of sastisfaction
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/DI6WA-2CgyE" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/DI6WA-2CgyE</a>

[Tripp]

yeah, thats easy.