HoldsUp

Daniel Amen

Dr. Daniel Amen is a researcher and author working in the field of neuroimaging and psychiatric health. His published research focuses primarily on using brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging to assess regional cerebral blood flow and neural connectivity. His work investigates functional brain imaging biomarkers across psychiatric and neurological conditions, including major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, cognitive disorders, and the effects of adverse childhood experiences.

60 claims checked on air: 7 context 2 contradicted 6 overstated 36 supported 9 unverified

What they said on air - supported

8 citing their own research

0:17:09supportedmoderateRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

Social isolation is a risk factor for dementia.

"isolation is actually a risk factor for dementia" (said at 0:17:09)

Large-scale systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and umbrella reviews of prospective longitudinal cohort studies confirm that social isolation (along with loneliness and low social engagement) is an established modifiable risk factor for incident dementia, associated with an approximately 1.5-fold increased risk of developing the condition.

0:17:13supportedmoderateRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

Social isolation is a trigger for depression.

"it's clearly a trigger for depression." (said at 0:17:13)

Extensive epidemiological and longitudinal evidence supports the claim that social isolation (and the related experience of loneliness) is a significant risk factor and precipitating trigger for the onset of depressive symptoms and major depression. A meta-analysis examining social isolation in older adults (PMID: 41578462) identified a 60% increased likelihood of depressive symptoms (pooled OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.39–1.84). Similarly, a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies (PMID: 35583561) evaluating the new onset of mental health disorders found that baseline social disconnection/loneliness more than doubled the adjusted risk of subsequent incident depression (pooled adjusted OR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.62–3.34).

0:21:56supportedmoderateRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

A breathing pattern of 3-4 seconds inhalation and 6-8 seconds exhalation triggers a parasympathetic nervous system response.

"we had worked on this very specific breathing pattern. It's been found to trigger a parasympathetic response, which is basically three or four seconds in, so take a deep breath, and then six to eight seconds out." (said at 0:21:56)

Paced slow breathing with prolonged exhalation (typically a 1:2 inhalation-to-exhalation ratio, such as 3-4 seconds inhaling and 6-8 seconds exhaling, corresponding to roughly 6 breaths per minute) is well-documented to enhance vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV) and activate parasympathetic nervous system activity. Experimental studies and randomized trials demonstrate that prolonging the exhalation phase relative to inhalation increases high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), established physiological markers of cardiac vagal tone.

0:24:15supportedlowtheir own paperRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

Dr. Amen scanned and evaluated 300 NFL players in a study starting in 2009 and found high levels of brain damage.

"I did the big NFL study starting in 2009. We scanned and treated 300 NFL players: high levels of damage." (said at 0:24:15)

Dr. Amen and colleagues initiated an ongoing longitudinal study in 2009 evaluating active and retired NFL players using SPECT perfusion neuroimaging and clinical evaluations. Published findings from this cohort reported significant hypoperfusion across 36 brain regions consistent with traumatic brain injury in 161 NFL players compared to 124 healthy controls, and a pilot open-label intervention study evaluated and treated 30 players. The certainty is low due to observational and open-label study designs.

0:29:10supportedhighRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

Dr. David Smith founded the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic.

"David Smith, who's founder of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic and really thought of as the father of addiction medicine in the United States" (said at 0:29:10)

Historical records and scholarly literature document that Dr. David E. Smith founded the Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic (HAFMC) in San Francisco in 1967. The clinic was established during the counterculture movement to provide free, nonjudgmental healthcare and addiction treatment to underserved populations, cementing Smith's role as a pioneer in the development of modern addiction medicine.

0:29:45supportedmoderateRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

Brain damage from head trauma increases the risk of addictive behavior and loss of behavioral control.

"You damage your brain, you're more likely to have behavior that gets out of control." (said at 0:29:45)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is well-documented in clinical neurotrauma and psychiatric literature to elevate the risk of behavioral dyscontrol, impulsivity, disinhibition, aggression, and addictive behaviors (such as substance use disorders and problem gambling). Systematic reviews and meta-analyses estimate that substantial proportions of TBI patients develop post-injury personality changes characterized by poor impulse control, emotional lability, and behavioral disinhibition.

0:30:00supportedmoderateRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

Frequent massive dopamine surges lead to desensitization in the nucleus accumbens, requiring higher stimulation to experience pleasure.

"dopamine is really important and it presses on the nucleus accumbens, but if you dump it, it presses too hard, just like fame. So think of Miley or Justin. They get all of this dopamine, well, it wears it out, and then they need more and more in order to feel anything at all." (said at 0:30:00)

Extensive neuroimaging and preclinical research supports the concept that repeated, supraphysiological dopamine release in the reward circuitry (including the nucleus accumbens) leads to neuroadaptive down-regulation. Human positron emission tomography (PET) studies demonstrate that chronic excessive stimulation blunts striatal dopamine release and decreases dopamine D2 receptor availability in the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum. These neuroadaptations reduce baseline sensitivity to everyday rewards and require increasingly potent stimuli to achieve equivalent dopamine signaling and subjective reward.

0:30:27supportedhighRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

Dopamine acts directly on the nucleus accumbens in the brain.

"So dopamine is really important and it presses on the nucleus accumbens, but if you dump it, it presses too hard, just like fame." (said at 0:30:27)

The mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway is a well-established neural circuit in which dopamine-producing neurons projecting from the ventral tegmental area directly innervate the nucleus accumbens. Dopamine released into the nucleus accumbens binds to local dopamine receptors (such as D1 and D2 receptors) to regulate intracellular signaling, synaptic plasticity, reward processing, and motivated behavior.

0:55:35supportedhighRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

Chronically high blood sugar damages blood vessels, causing them to lose flexibility and become brittle and prone to breaking.

"Which is an emergency, because when your blood sugar is chronically high, it erodes your blood vessels, making them more likely to lose their flexibility, be brittle, and more likely to break." (said at 0:55:35)

Published literature confirms that chronic hyperglycemia drives vascular damage through multiple well-characterized pathways, including endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, advanced glycation end-product (AGE) cross-linking of extracellular matrix proteins, and vascular smooth muscle calcification. These pathophysiological alterations directly result in loss of arterial compliance (increased arterial stiffness) and structural vessel wall fragility, which predisposes to microvascular and macrovascular injury.

1:00:15supportedhighRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

In the United States population, 72% are overweight, 42% are obese, and 50% are diabetic or pre-diabetic according to published JAMA data.

"And what is it, 72% of the population is now overweight, 42% obese, 50% are diabetic or pre-diabetic, that was published in JAMA." (said at 1:00:15)

Published nationally representative epidemiological data (primarily from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES], frequently reported in JAMA and CDC publications) support these figures for US adults. In a landmark JAMA analysis of NHANES data (Menke et al., 2015), the unadjusted prevalence among US adults was 14.3% for total diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed) and 38.0% for prediabetes, totaling 52.3% (over 50%) with diabetes or prediabetes. Similarly, NHANES surveillance data show that approximately 71% to 73% of US adults are classified as overweight or obese (BMI ≥25 kg/m²), with adult obesity prevalence (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) reaching approximately 42.4%.

1:00:39supportedhighRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

Adipose tissue converts testosterone into forms of estrogen.

"If you're overweight, your hormone balance isn't right because fat takes healthy testosterone, turns it into unhealthy forms of estrogen." (said at 1:00:39)

Adipose tissue expresses the enzyme aromatase (CYP19A1), which catalyzes the peripheral conversion of androgens, such as testosterone and androstenedione, into estrogens (primarily 17β-estradiol and estrone). In overweight and obese individuals, increased adipose tissue volume and elevated aromatase activity lead to higher conversion rates of testosterone into estrogens, contributing to obesity-related male hypogonadism and altered sex hormone balance.

1:00:52supportedlowtheir own paperRecognize Influences on the Brain - with Dr. Daniel Amen | T

A published study by Daniel Amen examining 35,000 brain scans found a linear correlation where higher body weight was associated with decreased blood flow across virtually every brain region.

"I published a study last year on 35,000 scans showing there was, David, a linear correlation: as your weight went up, blood flow to virtually every area of your brain went down." (said at 1:00:52)

A 2020 cross-sectional study by Daniel Amen and colleagues analyzed 35,442 brain SPECT scans from 17,721 adults in a psychiatric clinic cohort across different BMI categories. The study reported that higher BMI was significantly correlated with decreased cerebral blood flow (hypoperfusion) during both resting and concentration tasks across virtually all 128 brain regions examined. Because this was a retrospective, cross-sectional observational study in a self-selected clinical population, it demonstrates association rather than direct causation.

0:08:55supportedmoderateProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Pre-hypertension is associated with brain atrophy.

"Even being pre-hypertensive is associated with brain atrophy." (said at 0:08:55)

Observational neuroimaging research shows that prehypertensive or elevated blood pressure (defined as systolic blood pressure of 120–139 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of 80–89 mm Hg) is associated with reduced regional gray matter volume and lower total cerebral brain volume, even in young to middle-aged adults without clinical hypertension.

0:12:25supportedvery lowtheir own paperProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly improves cerebral blood flow in military personnel who suffered blast injuries.

"I published a study in the Journal of Neurotrauma on soldiers who had blast injuries: significant improvements in blood flow with hyperbaric oxygen." (said at 0:12:25)

A preliminary phase I clinical trial published in the Journal of Neurotrauma evaluated 16 military personnel with blast-induced mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury/post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder treated with 40 sessions of 1.5 ATA hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) statistical parametric mapping analysis showed diffuse, statistically significant improvements in regional cerebral blood flow after 1 and 40 sessions. However, the evidence certainty is very low because the study was a small, open-label, uncontrolled pilot trial without a sham control group.

0:12:38supportedmoderatetheir own paperProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Meditation increases blood flow and neural activity in the frontal lobes.

"And meditation, which actually fooled us because, you know, you'd think meditation, it would calm everything down in the brain. Absolutely doesn't do that, especially in your frontal lobes; it increases blood flow and activity." (said at 0:12:38)

Functional neuroimaging and cerebral blood flow (CBF) studies demonstrate that meditation engages and increases neural activation and blood flow in frontal lobe regions, particularly the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate, rather than inducing generalized cerebral deactivation. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies show significant increases in regional cerebral blood flow in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbital frontal cortex, and cingulate gyrus during meditation, as well as higher baseline prefrontal CBF in experienced meditators. Coordinate-based fMRI meta-analyses similarly confirm consistent activation of fronto-medial and prefrontal networks during meditative practices, reflecting active attentional and executive control processes.

0:12:58supportedmoderateProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Brain SPECT imaging studies demonstrate that Ginkgo biloba and vinpocetine increase cerebral blood flow.

"And from a supplement standpoint, I'm a huge fan of Ginkgo and vinpocetine. Brain SPECT imaging studies on both of them showing that they increase blood flow." (said at 0:12:58)

Published neuroimaging studies using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) have documented increases in regional cerebral blood flow or perfusion following administration of Ginkgo biloba and vinpocetine. A double-blind, randomized trial of Ginkgo biloba in older men found improved cerebral perfusion on SPECT alongside reduced blood viscosity. Similarly, clinical investigations and reviews evaluating vinpocetine (Cavinton) in patients with chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency report enhanced cerebral hemoperfusion and metabolism measured via SPECT and related imaging modalities.

0:13:28supportedlowProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

A UK study of 88,000 people found that individuals playing racquet sports had increased longevity compared to other sports participants, whereas running showed no mortality difference.

"But there was a study last year on 88,000 people in the United Kingdom: the people who played racquet sports lived longer than everyone else. So football players lived shorter than everyone else, soccer players shorter, runners actually didn't make a difference, swimmers longer, but it was tennis, table tennis, badminton, squash, racquetball that they lived longer." (said at 0:13:28)

A 2017 pooled cohort study of 80,306 British adults published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine examined the associations of six sport types with mortality. Participation in racquet sports (badminton, tennis, squash) had the strongest inverse association with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.53, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.69) compared to non-participation, followed by swimming, aerobics, and cycling. In contrast, participation in running/jogging and football showed no statistically significant reduction in all-cause or cardiovascular mortality after multivariable adjustment. Note that while football players did not show a survival advantage in this cohort, they did not have a statistically significant increase in mortality ('lived shorter'). As an observational study, residual confounding and reverse causation cannot be ruled out.

0:14:10supportedmoderateProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Damage to the left frontal lobe turns off or suppresses activity in the right cerebellum due to cross-cerebellar diaschisis.

"If you damage the left frontal lobe, it actually turns off your right cerebellum, and we can see it beautifully on SPECT." (said at 0:14:10)

The speaker accurately describes crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD), a well-characterized neuroanatomical phenomenon in which supratentorial injury (such as ischemic damage or lesions in the frontal or motor cortex) leads to a functional depression of blood flow and metabolism in the contralateral cerebellar hemisphere via disruption of the cortico-ponto-cerebellar pathway. This reduction in contralateral cerebellar perfusion and metabolism is routinely detected and visualized using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) as well as PET imaging.

0:16:09supportedmoderateProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Working in an occupation that does not require new learning is associated with an increased risk of memory problems.

"If you're in a job that does not require new learning, you actually have a higher risk of memory problems." (said at 0:16:09)

Large prospective cohort studies demonstrate that occupations with low cognitive stimulation and low demand for novel, non-routine tasks are associated with an increased risk of subsequent cognitive impairment and dementia. In the HUNT4 70+ longitudinal cohort (n = 7,003), individuals working in jobs characterized by high routine task intensity (and low cognitive demands) during midlife had a significantly higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (relative risk ratio 1.74, 95% CI 1.41–2.14) and dementia (RRR 1.37, 95% CI 1.01–1.86) compared to those in cognitively demanding roles. Similarly, an individual-participant meta-analysis of over 107,000 adults across Europe and the US found that individuals in low cognitive stimulation jobs had a significantly higher risk of dementia compared to those with high cognitive stimulation at work (adjusted HR 0.82 for high stimulation, 95% CI 0.68–0.98).

0:16:44supportedmoderateProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

A study conducted in Baltimore found that volunteering increased hippocampal volume in older adults.

"And there's a study from Baltimore that found volunteering actually increased the size of the hippocampus." (said at 0:16:44)

A randomized controlled trial nested within the Baltimore Experience Corps Trial (an intergenerational volunteering program for older adults in public elementary schools) evaluated changes in brain volume over 2 years in 111 older adults. Participants in the volunteering arm demonstrated increases in cortical and hippocampal volumes compared to the typical age-related volume loss observed in control participants; these increases reached statistical significance in men (0.7% to 1.6% increase) and showed modest gains (0.3% to 0.54%) relative to control declines in women.

0:18:21supportedmoderateProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Elevated C-reactive protein levels correlate with a higher incidence of depression.

"So very few people actually know that, but in the studies looking at C-reactive protein, there is a higher incidence of depression in people who have high C-reactive protein." (said at 0:18:21)

Prospective longitudinal studies and meta-analyses support the association between elevated baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and a higher subsequent risk or incidence of depressive symptoms. A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective community studies (PMID: 32807846) confirmed that baseline CRP elevation is associated with future depressive symptoms in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, although the effect size is modest and significantly attenuated after controlling for confounding factors (such as BMI, health status, and age).

0:18:54supportedmoderateProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

A lower omega-3 index is associated with an increased risk of depression.

"Also, people who have a low omega-3 index, which is a study helped to be designed by Bill Harris from OmegaQuant—I think he's at the University of South Dakota. The lower your omega-3 index, the higher your risk for depression." (said at 0:18:54)

The claim accurately reflects epidemiological and clinical evidence linking a lower omega-3 index (the sum of eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] in red blood cell membranes) with an increased risk or severity of depressive symptoms. Multiple observational, case-control, and cohort studies demonstrate that lower red blood cell omega-3 fatty acid levels are inversely correlated with depression severity and major depressive disorder. For example, acute coronary syndrome patients with low omega-3 index values exhibit higher depressive symptom scores (PMID: 18842751), lower omega-3 index levels during pregnancy predict higher postpartum depressive symptoms (PMID: 23844041), and depressed adolescents show a significantly reduced omega-3 index compared to controls (PMID: 22464051). Systematic review evidence synthesising psychiatric research also identifies low omega-3 index status as a significant risk factor across major depressive disorder and postpartum depression (PMID: 37575565). Because the underlying data primarily stem from observational and case-control studies subject to potential residual confounding, the certainty of evidence for a causal risk relationship is moderate.

0:27:20supportedhighProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

For psychiatric conditions like ADHD and depression, EPA is the beneficial omega-3 fatty acid, while DHA is ineffective.

"And people think of EPA for the heart and DHA for the brain, but I don't like people thinking like that, because people who have ADHD or depression, DHA is not helpful at all; it's EPA that seems to be the most helpful." (said at 0:27:20)

Multiple meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials confirm that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), rather than docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is the primary driver of clinical efficacy in both depression and ADHD. In major depressive disorder, EPA-predominant formulations (typically containing ≥60% EPA) consistently show significant antidepressant benefits over placebo, whereas DHA-pure or DHA-predominant formulas fail to demonstrate efficacy. Similarly, meta-analytic evidence in ADHD indicates that symptom improvement with omega-3 supplementation is specifically correlated with higher EPA doses rather than DHA.

0:33:31supportedvery lowtheir own paperProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Eighty percent of retired NFL players treated with Dr. Amen's intervention program demonstrated cognitive improvement.

"This is what we used on our NFL players, and 80% of our players—we published this—80% of our players show improvement when we put them on this program" (said at 0:33:31)

The speaker accurately cites the findings from their published open-label clinical trial in 30 retired NFL players. In the study, retired players underwent an average of 6 months on a multi-component intervention (lifestyle changes, fish oil, and brain-directed dietary supplements) and demonstrated significant improvements across multiple cognitive domains on the MicroCog assessment (corrected for practice effects) and increased cerebral perfusion on brain SPECT. Because the study was a small, open-label, uncontrolled before-and-after case series, the certainty of evidence for the intervention's causal efficacy is very low.

0:36:00supportedhighProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Studies show that anesthesia is associated with decreased overall blood flow to the brain.

"there are a number of studies showing that anesthesia is associated with lower overall blood flow to the brain" (said at 0:36:00)

Multiple functional neuroimaging studies using PET and fMRI demonstrate that general anesthesia (such as propofol-induced anesthesia) significantly decreases global and regional cerebral blood flow (CBF), coupled with reductions in cerebral metabolic demand. Quantitative PET measurements in healthy volunteers show approximately 45% to 50% reductions in total CBF during surgical levels of anesthesia compared with the conscious awake baseline.

0:38:12supportedlowProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

A Finnish study found that taking saunas five to seven times a week was associated with a two-thirds lower risk of Alzheimer's disease compared to taking them once a week or not at all.

"Brand new study from Finland: people who take saunas five to seven times a week had two-thirds lower risk of Alzheimer's disease than people who were just taking it once a week or not taking them at all." (said at 0:38:12)

A prospective cohort study of 2,315 middle-aged Finnish men (the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease study) followed for over 20 years found that men who took saunas 4 to 7 times per week had a 65% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease (hazard ratio 0.35, 95% CI: 0.14-0.90) and a 66% lower risk of dementia (hazard ratio 0.34, 95% CI: 0.16-0.71) compared to men who had only 1 sauna session per week. As this is observational cohort data in a male-only Finnish population, evidence certainty is graded as low.

0:42:57supportedmoderateProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Exercise is equally effective as antidepressants in head-to-head studies for depression.

"Head-to-head against antidepressants, exercise is equally effective for depression." (said at 0:42:57)

Systematic reviews and network meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials comparing exercise interventions directly against antidepressant medications (pharmacotherapy) find comparable reductions in depressive symptom severity, with no statistically significant differences in effectiveness between the two modalities for non-severe or major depression. However, study authors note that exercise interventions often suffer from higher dropout rates than pharmacological treatments and that many trials have methodological limitations such as lack of participant blinding.

0:43:08supportedhighProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Cognitive restructuring techniques are equally effective as antidepressants head-to-head.

"Head-to-head against antidepressants, learning how to not believe every stupid thought you have is equally effective as antidepressants." (said at 0:43:08)

Large systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials demonstrate that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which centers on cognitive restructuring (identifying and modifying maladaptive or automatic negative thoughts), demonstrates comparable efficacy to antidepressant medications in the acute treatment of depression. Furthermore, CBT shows advantages over pharmacotherapy at longer-term follow-up (6 to 12 months) due to enduring skills and lower relapse rates.

0:45:45supportedmoderateProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

A Harvard study found that 52% of individuals with untreated ADHD have substance abuse issues.

"52% according to one study from Harvard have problems with substance abuse" (said at 0:45:45)

A landmark longitudinal study from Harvard Medical School / Massachusetts General Hospital (Biederman et al., 1999) and related cohort studies from the same group evaluated substance use disorder (SUD) rates among individuals with ADHD. In longitudinal follow-ups and adult cohorts, untreated ADHD was associated with a marked increase in substance use disorders (with lifetime prevalence around 52% to 75% in untreated/clinical adult cohorts, compared to significantly lower rates in medicated individuals and controls).

0:49:20supportedlowProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Having asthma increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 20%.

"And autoimmune disorders increase your risk of Alzheimer's disease, even simple ones like asthma. If you have asthma, it increases your risk 20%." (said at 0:49:20)

Large observational studies support the claim that asthma is associated with an approximately 20% increase in the risk of Alzheimer's disease. A 2024 nationwide Medicare cohort study of over 5.4 million beneficiaries found that individuals with asthma had a 20% to 33% higher 2-year incidence of Alzheimer's disease (matched odds ratio 1.20, 95% CI 1.17–1.24). A 2025 meta-analysis similarly identified elevated risks of cognitive decline and dementia among asthma patients. Notably, these findings reflect observational associations rather than proven direct causation, and asthma is medically classified as a chronic inflammatory/allergic airway disease rather than a classic autoimmune disorder.

0:53:28supportedmoderateProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Consuming a high dose of sugar causes an acute drop in testosterone levels of 25%.

"because if you get a sugar burst, it drops your testosterone by 25%." (said at 0:53:28)

Clinical studies show that acute ingestion of a glucose load causes a rapid, transient reduction in serum testosterone levels in men. In randomized experimental and crossover trials, acute oral glucose intake acutely suppresses total and basal testosterone secretion (typically by approximately 25%) in conjunction with reductions in pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion.

0:53:46supportedhighProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Forty percent of Americans are obese.

"a brand-new study just came out last week: 40% of Americans are obese." (said at 0:53:46)

Nationally representative surveillance data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) published by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics found that the prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30) among US adults was 40.3% during the August 2021–August 2023 cycle.

0:53:58supportedlowProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

A brain imaging study by Cyrus Raji showed that overweight individuals had 4% less brain volume and obese individuals had 8% less brain volume compared to normal-weight individuals.

"He published the first study—I call it the dinosaur syndrome. He showed as a person's weight went up, the actual physical size of their brain went down. If you were overweight, you had 4% less brain volume, and your brain looked eight years older than healthy people. If you were obese, you had 8% less volume, and your brain looked 16 years older than the healthy weight population." (said at 0:53:58)

A 2010 neuroimaging study led by Cyrus Raji evaluated 94 cognitively normal elderly participants and examined brain tissue volume differences using tensor-based morphometry. The investigators found that higher BMI was associated with regional and global brain volume deficits, showing that overweight individuals had approximately 4% lower brain volume (corresponding to roughly 8 years of accelerated brain aging) and obese individuals had approximately 8% lower brain volume (corresponding to roughly 16 years of accelerated brain aging) compared to normal-weight individuals. Because this was a cross-sectional observational study with a relatively small sample size, the overall certainty of the evidence is low.

0:56:58supportedmoderateProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Sixty million Americans have sleep-related disorders.

"60 million Americans have sleep-related issues." (said at 0:56:58)

Standard epidemiological estimates from US public health authorities and published literature indicate that approximately 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders or sleep-related issues, placing the speaker's figure of 60 million directly within the consensus range.

0:57:23supportedlowProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

A Montreal Neurological Institute study using SPECT imaging showed significant perfusion decreases in the parietal lobes of individuals with sleep apnea.

"that's actually a published study published last year out of the Montreal Neurological Institute—in SPECT, significant decreases in the parietal lobes, the same area that dies early in Alzheimer's disease, with people who have sleep apnea." (said at 0:57:23)

A 2015 SPECT imaging study evaluating regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 50 untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients and 20 age-matched healthy controls found that individuals with severe sleep apnea had significant hypoperfusion in parietal regions—specifically the left parietal lobules and right precuneus—compared to controls. Mild and moderate sleep apnea groups did not show significant rCBF changes compared to controls. The study design is cross-sectional and observational with a modest sample size, placing the body of evidence at low certainty.

0:59:38supportedvery lowProven Strategies to Prevent Disease - with Dr. Daniel Amen

Dr. Amen published a study demonstrating that hypnotic trance decreases Parkinsonian tremors.

"And we ended up—that was one of my first published papers—that in a hypnotic trance, you can decrease parkinsonian tremors" (said at 0:59:38)

Dr. Daniel Amen co-authored an early 1990 paper reporting the reduction of severe Parkinsonian tremor during hypnosis, documented with polygraph/electromyography (EMG) and electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. Because the publication is an uncontrolled single-patient case report, it provides only very low-certainty evidence regarding the clinical efficacy of hypnosis for Parkinson's disease tremors.

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