Urea on the brain leading to dementia

[catkinspolymer]

For those of you that follow the medical Science, World Prof Garth Cooper of Manchester University has show that high levels of Urea in the brain can lead to dementia and in particular is the cause of the mental deterioration in Huntingdons disease.

For those us on regular doses of Hydroxy urea now called hydroxy carbamide for our myloproliferative blood diseases , are we at more risk of accelerating dementia by inducing hig levels of Urea in our bodies. ? My spelling is getting aweful so perhaps ite started already.

Can someone ask Prof Claire Harrison what she thinks?

all the best Town Crier ET since 1986 HU since 1996

[katiewalsh]

That’s a good question. Thanks for asking it. Happy holidays. Katie. By the way, living in the U.S. I’ve never known any town criers so it’s nice to meet you.

[catkinspolymer in reply to katiewalsh]

I will try and contact Prof Cooper and see if their is any cause for concern ,

However I have heard of Town Criers in the USA. Here in the UK we go back to 1066 and william the conquerer and were installed to collect tax.

[katiewalsh in reply to catkinspolymer]

How cool, thanks for info.

[catkinspolymer]

I have sent this toProf Cooper , if he replies I will post it

Dear Professor Cooper,

Firstly congratulations on your and your teams discovery of a link to high urea levels in the brain and its effect on Huntingdons disease and dementia. Quite a coup.

However I belong to a group of people with myloproliferatve diseases of the blood , Essental Thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera in which many of us are prescribed Hydroxy urea( now known a hydroxy carbamide) to surpress bone marrow manufacture of some of the blood components. Indeed i have been taking a gramme of HU a day for the last 20 odd years and have reached the age of 73. Should I be worried or at least watchful of the onset of dementia. As always with a lifetime acute condition its often difficult to seperate the efect of the disease and just old age.

I would be most obliged to you to advise me if I should be more cautious of the onset of dementia. The specialist in this field of blood diseases is Prof Claire Harrison of Barts / St Thomas Hospitals London.

many thanks for your time.

Chris Atkins FiM CEng BSc and ex Mancunian

[catkinspolymer in reply to catkinspolymer]

I have received a very promt answer from Prof Garth Cooper reasuring in tone

"Dear Chris,

Thanks for your kind message.

I am unaware of an association between hydroxyurea and dementia.

What we have been seeing in dementia (Alzheimer’s & Huntington’s so far) are very high levels in the brain itself – much higher apparently than in the rest of the body.

These I believe to be made in the brain itself.

I think this process would probably be separate from the mechanism of action of hydroxyurea.

Therefore, I do not think that you will be at increased risk because you are taking hydroxyurea.

With best wishes,

Garth Cooper"

[shiftzz]

Is the Urea in Hydro the same as the urea mentioned?

[catkinspolymer]

It has an OH group substituted for one of the hydrogens makes it more soluble. Otherwise the same

[Mazcd Partner MPNVoice]

Prof Harrison has said there is no evidence of this risk with Hydroxyurea