POSTED: 4:13 pm EST December 27, 2007
UPDATED: 4:32 pm EST December 27, 2007
Researchers may know why fish oil is helpful in preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers at University of California, Los Angeles studied how a compound in fish oil, called Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, affects human brain cells and mice.
DHA appears to boost the production of a protein that destroys Alzheimer's-causing plaques.
DHA is found in fish oil supplements or fish like salmon.
Researchers are still trying to determine the most beneficial dose of DHA.
But, DHA may be most helpful for patients who haven't developed the disease yet.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Regular Walking Protects the Aging Brain
Elders and all interested in maintaining their brain should exercise by Susan Berg author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals, and long time dementia care practitioner
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Grant to move UCR Alzheimer's study from mice to men
Download story podcast
10:00 PM PST on Friday, December 14, 2007
By ELAINE REGUS
The Press-Enterprise
A $2.1 million stem cell grant will allow a UC Riverside researcher to shift the focus of his Alzheimer's disease studies from mice to men.
Douglas Ethell, an assistant professor of biomedical sciences, said Friday that, until now, his research has focused on the rodent.
A study published last year showed that injecting specific T cells, which coordinate immune responses, from healthy mice into mice with Alzheimer's resulted in improved memory and learning.
click here for the whole story
10:00 PM PST on Friday, December 14, 2007
By ELAINE REGUS
The Press-Enterprise
A $2.1 million stem cell grant will allow a UC Riverside researcher to shift the focus of his Alzheimer's disease studies from mice to men.
Douglas Ethell, an assistant professor of biomedical sciences, said Friday that, until now, his research has focused on the rodent.
A study published last year showed that injecting specific T cells, which coordinate immune responses, from healthy mice into mice with Alzheimer's resulted in improved memory and learning.
click here for the whole story
Monday, December 10, 2007
Study: Excessive Consumption of Sugary Drinks Linked Alzheimer's Disease
If you want to keep your mind sharp, you may want to lay off the soda. Excessive drinking of sugary beverages may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
For the study, Dr. Ling Li, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and her colleagues tested whether high sugar consumption in an otherwise normal diet would affect Alzheimer’s progression.
Researchers used a genetic mouse model and over a 25-week period supplemented the regular
Click here for the whole story
For the study, Dr. Ling Li, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and her colleagues tested whether high sugar consumption in an otherwise normal diet would affect Alzheimer’s progression.
Researchers used a genetic mouse model and over a 25-week period supplemented the regular
Click here for the whole story
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Alzheimer's-as-diabetes debate
by The Star-Ledger Business Desk Friday December 07, 2007, 8:36 AM
Scientists have been searching for the cause of Alzheimer's disease for more than 100 years, and during that time, theories about why brain cells are destroyed in the course of the illness have come and gone. One of the newer and more unorthodox theories posits that Alzheimer's may actually be a form of diabetes, BusinessWeek reports. Some experts have even taken to calling the brain disease type 3 diabetes, as distinct from the insulin-dependent (type 1) and adult-onset (type 2) varieties of the condition.
The diabetes hypothesis stems from growing evidence that cells in the brains of Alzheimer's victims are resistant to insulin; just as in diabetes, the cells don't respond appropriately to this hormone. As a result, neurons are deprived of glucose, which they need for energy. As the evidence mounts, the type 3 label is gaining currency in Alzheimer's research circles and is drawing attention from the pharmaceutical industry. Pharma companies are testing existing diabetes drugs against Alzheimer's, while startup Acumen Pharmaceuticals, in partnership with Merck (MRK), is focusing on molecules that allow insulin to reach brain cells.
SUGAR-STARVED CELLS
If the fundamental understanding of Alzheimer's disease shifts in this direction, it could have a big impact on GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) floundering diabetes drug, Avandia. Sales have dropped dramatically in recent months over concerns that the drug raises the risk of heart attack and bone disease in diabetics. But last year, a small clinical trial yielded intriguing evidence that Avandia might slow the progress of Alzheimer's. Glaxo is now testing the drug against a placebo on 3,400 Alzheimer's patients, with results expected in 2009
click here for the whole story
Scientists have been searching for the cause of Alzheimer's disease for more than 100 years, and during that time, theories about why brain cells are destroyed in the course of the illness have come and gone. One of the newer and more unorthodox theories posits that Alzheimer's may actually be a form of diabetes, BusinessWeek reports. Some experts have even taken to calling the brain disease type 3 diabetes, as distinct from the insulin-dependent (type 1) and adult-onset (type 2) varieties of the condition.
The diabetes hypothesis stems from growing evidence that cells in the brains of Alzheimer's victims are resistant to insulin; just as in diabetes, the cells don't respond appropriately to this hormone. As a result, neurons are deprived of glucose, which they need for energy. As the evidence mounts, the type 3 label is gaining currency in Alzheimer's research circles and is drawing attention from the pharmaceutical industry. Pharma companies are testing existing diabetes drugs against Alzheimer's, while startup Acumen Pharmaceuticals, in partnership with Merck (MRK), is focusing on molecules that allow insulin to reach brain cells.
SUGAR-STARVED CELLS
If the fundamental understanding of Alzheimer's disease shifts in this direction, it could have a big impact on GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) floundering diabetes drug, Avandia. Sales have dropped dramatically in recent months over concerns that the drug raises the risk of heart attack and bone disease in diabetics. But last year, a small clinical trial yielded intriguing evidence that Avandia might slow the progress of Alzheimer's. Glaxo is now testing the drug against a placebo on 3,400 Alzheimer's patients, with results expected in 2009
click here for the whole story
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Top holiday gifts for those with dementia
Over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Buying a gift for them for the holidays is not difficult if you keep a few things in mind.
First you should know the persons likes and dislikes. Also important is knowing their strengths and weaknesses. In addition consider, when purchasing a gift for someone with dementia, keeping their mind and body active. Also think about a gift that will keep on giving long after Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza or other celebrated holidays are gone Keep in mind, also, that gift selections should change as Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, progress
Gifts that keep dementia persons’ mind active
All stages, most interests
A book called Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals is an ideal gift because just about everyone loves babies. This book uses baby photographs to engage those with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia in mind stimulating activities. Also it has great tips and resources for caregivers and health care workers.
A journal
click here to read the whole story
First you should know the persons likes and dislikes. Also important is knowing their strengths and weaknesses. In addition consider, when purchasing a gift for someone with dementia, keeping their mind and body active. Also think about a gift that will keep on giving long after Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza or other celebrated holidays are gone Keep in mind, also, that gift selections should change as Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, progress
Gifts that keep dementia persons’ mind active
All stages, most interests
A book called Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals is an ideal gift because just about everyone loves babies. This book uses baby photographs to engage those with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia in mind stimulating activities. Also it has great tips and resources for caregivers and health care workers.
A journal
click here to read the whole story
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
