Any chance we can take a poll?

Aroberson

So I would like to start by saying that my mother who is 76 has dementia and it is mild right now, but has gotten a little worse this year.  My Uncle recently passed away with dementia so it seems I am probably going to have it.  The common threads that my uncle, mother, and I have is that  (1) we all snore and (2) we all  have chronic low vitamin D.   While I don't work outside I spend a lot of time outside.  I take 50,000IU of D2 once a week and 5,000IU of vitamin D3 2-3 times a week. My 25-HYDROXYVITAMIN D assay includes  25-HYDROXYVITAMIN D2 and D3.  While it's never over 30 NG/mL at one time it was 7 NG/mL, so I guess that's a plus.  I was wondering if any other caretakers that have Vitamin D results and know whether or not the person they take care of snores or not would be willing to share the results?  The poll can be simple.  If you know the persons vitamin D level just type the number.  If they snore or not (N) for no and (Y) for YES. I would also like to add a scale to the level of snoring 1 - 5, with (1 ) being a soft snore and maybe not all the time to (5) being it would be hard to sleep in the same room as them.  So in the case of my mother I would put 34 for her Vitamin D level and  (Y2) for yes she but it's relatively quiet. My poll results will be under hers. If I can get my uncles information from my cousin I will add that also.

Mom - 34 Y2

Me - 29 Y3

Thank you for reading whether you participate or not.

SusanB-dil

Hi Aroberson - not really polling person, but MIL does take a vitamin D, as her levels were low. I have no idea if she snores.  Mother did not snore, but her mother did have alz, early-onset. Mother is 87, so not early-onset - and neither of her 2 sisters have it at all. (her older sister passed from complications of pneumonia when she was in her 80's) 

Thing is - I am all for doing what I can to be proactive in being preventive. But although it is disconcerting to know my chances are raised because mother has it, does not mean I will. Your mom has it. This does not mean that you are destined for it, even if chances are slightly higher...  try to stay positive.  I am preferring to stay on the positive side that mom's sisters did not, and doing things I can for my own physical and cognitive health.

Also - do be careful how much vitamin D is taken. Some may be warranted, too much can be toxic.

LaurenB

I'm not sure what level my mom's vit D levels are , but she does take vit D.  I also know that I have an extensive family history of dementia and am concerned about my risk, but also know that my mom ate very healthy, didn't drink a lot, walked to work (5 miles a day), was always outside, always thin (pants size 6/8).  Stayed mentally sharp as a critical care pharmacist...  I'm not sure what else she could or I can do for my own health.

harshedbuzz

Aroberson-

I'm a little confused. I checked your profile which is largely blank except to state that you are a sibling to a PWD.

I don't know that you can assume dementia is in your future or how Vitamin D would play into that. My mom is the one who supplements with D3 on her doctor's advice; my dad was the PWD. Both snore/snored because they have sleep apnea which, if untreated, can be associated with cognitive issues. Both are/were compliant with their machines. Only dad developed dementia.

In my mom's family they all snored. Summer nights at the family beach house were loud. Neither of my grandparents developed dementia. Of the 7 full siblings, 2 developed dementia- one world class snorer and one who was soft and intermittent. The two worst snoring offenders are currently 85 (mom) and 87 and have not developed dementia. 

If you haven't been evaluated for sleep apnea, it might be worth doing as a proactive measure.

HB

Ed1937

I'm with HB. Don't assume you have dementia coming, regardless of who in your family has/had it. It very well may not be in your future.

Marta

What is the purpose of your poll?

Lane Simonian

I clicked on this post becaue I like polls.  Unfortunately, the only part I can answer is that I snore; somewhat less or less noisely now that I have lost some weight.

I can loosely connect some dots, though.  Weight is sometimes a factor in sleep apnea, and Vitamin D3 can potentially help reduce weight.  Sleep apnea is a risk factor for dementia because it reduces blood flow in the brain, by decreasing endothelial nitric oxide (which increases blood flow) and increasing inducible nitric oxide which when combined with superoxide anions produces peroxynitrite (which decreases blood flow).  Vitamin D3 partially reverses this trend.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788997/

https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/etm.2020.9132

Aroberson

I'm just trying to connect some dots really.  I know there is a link between snoring/sleep apnea and Parkinson's/Alzheimer/ Dementia/ Stroke/ Heart attack.  This has been clearly shown in dozens of  studies over the last 10 years.  As for Vitamin D ,well its not really a vitamin, it's a hormone.  I recently began getting my vitamin D tested every 3 months but am rarely able to get it over 30, despite eating pretty healthy (somewhat keto diet) and exercising a few times a week.  Beside connecting dots, I am also trying to raise awareness of what I think are probably some of the main factors that I think cause dementia.

Aroberson

Sorry about that evidently I didn't see you could click on more tabs.

Aroberson

harshedbuzz wrote:

Aroberson-

I'm a little confused. I checked your profile which is largely blank except to state that you are a sibling to a PWD.

I don't know that you can assume dementia is in your future or how Vitamin D would play into that. My mom is the one who supplements with D3 on her doctor's advice; my dad was the PWD. Both snore/snored because they have sleep apnea which, if untreated, can be associated with cognitive issues. Both are/were compliant with their machines. Only dad developed dementia.

In my mom's family they all snored. Summer nights at the family beach house were loud. Neither of my grandparents developed dementia. Of the 7 full siblings, 2 developed dementia- one world class snorer and one who was soft and intermittent. The two worst snoring offenders are currently 85 (mom) and 87 and have not developed dementia. 

If you haven't been evaluated for sleep apnea, it might be worth doing as a proactive measure.

HB

I've been tested and do have OSA, but I hate wearing the mask.  I fixed my profile. I didn't see the tabs on the right. Sorry!

Iris L.

Aroberson wrote:

I've been tested and do have OSA, but I hate wearing the mask.  

Were you tested for use of an oral device?

OSA is a real threat, and you are concerned about developing dementia.  I suggest that you work with your providers to make the treatment workable for yourself. 

Iris L.

Arrowhead

My wife does not take Vitamin D and she has never snored.

M1

Lots of interest in vitamin D in multiple scenarios, some will argue it's the most common vitamin deficiency in the western world. But all nutritional studies are very hard to conduct because there are so many confounding factors.  Doubt that you'll get many takers on your poll and like Marta not sure of the point. My partner has stage 5-6 dementia and has always had normal vitamin d levels, normal weight, and does not snore.

Marta

Everyone who lives a certain distance north or south of the equator can be relatively deficient in vitamin D3.  That includes most of us in North America.  We have been taught to cover up from the sun and may not get the required 20 minutes of skin exposure that it takes to convert vitamin D in the skin to its active form.  Consequently, I recommend to all my patients that they supplement with vitamin D3.  Personally, I take 1,000 units daily in spring/summer and 2,000 units daily when the clocks change.

Vitamin D deficiency is neither necessary nor sufficient to cause AD. 

Aroberson

Marta wrote:

Everyone who lives a certain distance north or south of the equator can be relatively deficient in vitamin D3.  That includes most of us in North America.  We have been taught to cover up from the sun and may not get the required 20 minutes of skin exposure that it takes to convert vitamin D in the skin to its active form.  Consequently, I recommend to all my patients that they supplement with vitamin D3.  Personally, I take 1,000 units daily in spring/summer and 2,000 units daily when the clocks change.

Vitamin D deficiency is neither necessary nor sufficient to cause AD. 

I understand that vitamin D deficiency on its own doesn't cause AD, but perhaps a combination of snoring/sleep apnea, vitamin D deficiency, and the APOE-e4 drastically increase the odds.  We do know that vitamin D increases the odds of dementia even it's just a hair. https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20220620/dementia-linked-to-vitamin-d-deficiency-study-says.  

We also know that snoring and lack of sleep causes all sorts of neurological problems. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-dementia