الصفحة 1
الصفحة 1
New Frontiers in Lifestyle-Related Diseases
Akiyoshi Hosoyamada, M.D., Ph.D. President, Showa University Tokyo, Japan September 2007 v Preface The leading cause of death in Western countries and some developing countries is atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Among them, acute myocardial infarction is the most common type of fatal disease, caused by the progression of atherosclerosis characterized by accumulation of choles terol in vascular walls. Development of atherosclerosis is greatly enhanced by major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as obesity, hyperlip idemia, diabetes (hyperglycemia), and hypertension. Among those, obesity frequently initiates a metabolic change that subsequently induces hyperlip idemia, diabetes, hypertension, and eventually atherosclerotic cardiovascu lar diseases. Because obesity and its related disorders largely depend on lifestyle factors such as high calorie intake and low physical activity, a series of disorders are termed lifestyle-related diseases.
Homocysteine : Related Vitamins and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
There is an increasing interest in the connection between the homocysteine metabolism and neuropsychiatric disease with a steeply increasing number of publications. In particular, the association between homocysteine metabolism and cognitive decline/dementia attracts much interest. If simple, non-toxic homocysteine-lowering treatment with vitamins can reduce the incidence of, or delay the onset of dementia, it would have an enormous impact in societies with a rapidly increasing number of elderly at risk for dementia. This book summarises the research within the neuropsychiatric field, but also gives an overview of the underlying biochemistry and of diagnostic aspects.
