Recent studies have shown that cholesterol and the way it affects the body is closely related to neurological disorders. Neurological disorders are often genetic, and it may affect neurodegeneration due to changes in cholesterol metabolism. There are many cause-and-effect stories, but the most notable one is the lead towards Alzheimer’s disease. The different studies conducted by a neuro specialist in chennai verify the presence of cholesterol ten times more in the brain. This groundbreaking discovery again tells us the importance of cholesterol synthesis and storage in the functioning of the human nervous system. It has been concluded that an interdependent role exists between them.
Cholesterol And The Nervous System
Most of the cholesterol in the brain is stored in myelin as an insulating material. There is evidence of increased cholesterol synthesis and storage in relation to the need for efficient signal transfer between axons. The research done by a neurologist in chennai claims that this cholesterol insulation is highly efficient. They help in accelerating the neurotransmitter diffusion. This, in turn, allows for faster chemical communication. Myelin is present over the Central Nervous System as well as Peripheral Nervous System. Lipoprotein-bound cholesterol does not enter the brain due to the blood-brain barrier. This is why the homeostasis principle is different at the brain and spinal cord compared with the rest of the body.
The rest of the cholesterol in the brain could be found in neurons and glial cells. Neurons are the cells within the nervous system that transmit electrical impulses from the brain to different parts of the body. They have a cell body, axon and dendrite. Neurons synthesize only small amounts of cholesterol and depend on glial cells for the supply entirely. Glial cells are known to be responsible for protecting the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system by maintaining homeostasis, forming myelin sheath and protecting neurons all the more. Research suggests that the removal of a critical gene from cholesterol synthesis can leave adult neurons without cholesterol synthesis at all.
Alzheimer’s Disease And Cholesterol
A neurologist in chennai has concluded the link between the severe neurodegenerative disease of Alzheimer’s and cholesterol synthesis storage and application in the human nervous system. Hypercholesterolemia or high levels of cholesterol present in the blood during mid-age is a high-risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease. Hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disorder that is another version of hyperlipidemia and hyperlipoproteinemia.
Hyperlipidemia is the presence of high amounts of lipids in the blood and hyperlipoproteinemia refers to the high amounts of lipoprotein in the blood. Several genes are responsible for the production of lipids and proteins in the blood. It is when these turn awry that the cholesterol synthesis is affected. The shoot up of blood cholesterol levels is the precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. It has been found that the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease have reduced levels of enzymes as a result of the neuronal location of the enzyme and loss due to this disease.
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Other Conditions Affected By Cholesterol
Several disorders in life are connected with cholesterol synthesis, and some are rarely fatal congenital disabilities. It often occurs due to the accumulation of 7-dehydrocholesterol, desmosterol, or lathosterol. These are the flag markers in cholesterol-related defects. Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis has been discovered as a genetic disorder caused by a mutation in a specific gene that is linked with the bile acid synthesis.
Cholesterol is accumulated in parallel with cholestanol. Cholestanol is a product of biohydrogenation of cholesterol. Abnormally high plasma cholestanol is characteristic of Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. An upper motor neuron degenerative disease is Hereditary spastic paresis. This is characterized by axonal loss in the dorsal columns and corticospinal tracts. It is often accompanied by other neurological disorders as well such as epilepsy, mental retardation, ataxia, visual dysfunction and dementia.
It is best to consult an expert neurologist in chennai for proper diagnosis and early treatment to diminish or eradicate the disorders. It could be an eye-opener into what lies in the dark and lurking to consume the entire life of an individual.