Natural News
by: Byron Richards, Health Freedom Editor
This year marks a major turning point in the theory of wellness and the prevention of disease. The drug-based paradigm of Western medicine is crumbling under the weight of its own massive fraud. New technology is proving how nutrients interact at the fundamental gene level to promote health and prevent disease. The discoveries are occurring at a breakneck pace – these are exciting times.
In the face of an obesity epidemic and the early onset of the diseases of aging in even young Americans, there shines a bright ray of hope. It is there for anyone who chooses to inform themselves and then take effective actions to better themselves. The aging clock can be slowed – and in many cases reversed. It is the dawn of a new era.
The following is a list of the Top 10 health breakthroughs of 2008. I know there are many other possible candidates for this Top 10 list. This is my version of the highlights that made 2008 special.
#10 – The......See it all.
#8 –.....Stop Alzheimer's Plaque......See it all
More more dementia information in 2009, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
AND HAPPY NEW YERR to one and all
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
New Memory Implants Make Large Strides
Daily Tech
Curing debilitating cerebral problems may just be a memory chip away
A new brain implant that could potentially solve a number of brain-related problems, ranging anywhere from Alzheimer’s, and other dementias to memory loss.
The research for the brain implant is being headed by Ted Berger from the University of Southern California Los Angeles. A pioneer of his field, Berger earned his Ph.D. in 1976 at the age of 26. From there, though, he parted ways with the thinking of many of his colleagues.
“The idea was that you could solve every brain problem with a drug or surgery,” said Berger to Stephen Handelman from Popular Science. Berger instead chose to look at the brain itself as a source to solve brain-related issues.
After years of research and hard work, Berger and his team of neuroscientists have ...... read the whole article
Click here for more dementia ideas
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
Curing debilitating cerebral problems may just be a memory chip away
A new brain implant that could potentially solve a number of brain-related problems, ranging anywhere from Alzheimer’s, and other dementias to memory loss.
The research for the brain implant is being headed by Ted Berger from the University of Southern California Los Angeles. A pioneer of his field, Berger earned his Ph.D. in 1976 at the age of 26. From there, though, he parted ways with the thinking of many of his colleagues.
“The idea was that you could solve every brain problem with a drug or surgery,” said Berger to Stephen Handelman from Popular Science. Berger instead chose to look at the brain itself as a source to solve brain-related issues.
After years of research and hard work, Berger and his team of neuroscientists have ...... read the whole article
Click here for more dementia ideas
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Scientists Find Brain Cell Suicide May Be Alzheimer's Culprit
Daily Tech
Science
Nature's kill switch seems to activate for some brain cells but not others, according to researchers
Preventing and reversing memory loss is a key field of research in the area of prolonging human life spans. While humans are living much longer than they once did, many suffer from debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, which limit their quality of life during their later years.
Scientists at the University of Florida may have gained a significant insight into understanding what causes some brain cells to die, triggering these diseases, while others cells remain alive. The studies, performed on mice examined two neighboring regions in the hippocampus; an anatomical region shaped something like a curved kidney bean. The region is thought to be central to the formation of memories, and is one of the first regions affected by brain blood flow problems or Alzheimer's.
What researchers discovered was that the....read the whole article
Click here for more dementia information
For Alzheimer's and other dementia activities, click here
Science
Nature's kill switch seems to activate for some brain cells but not others, according to researchers
Preventing and reversing memory loss is a key field of research in the area of prolonging human life spans. While humans are living much longer than they once did, many suffer from debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, which limit their quality of life during their later years.
Scientists at the University of Florida may have gained a significant insight into understanding what causes some brain cells to die, triggering these diseases, while others cells remain alive. The studies, performed on mice examined two neighboring regions in the hippocampus; an anatomical region shaped something like a curved kidney bean. The region is thought to be central to the formation of memories, and is one of the first regions affected by brain blood flow problems or Alzheimer's.
What researchers discovered was that the....read the whole article
Click here for more dementia information
For Alzheimer's and other dementia activities, click here
Friday, December 26, 2008
Alzheimer's Disease: past, current, and future treatments
Examiner.com
National
As the new year approaches we should be aware of Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias: past, current, and future treatments
by Meg Marquardt, Omaha Science Examiner
Agustine D., the first AD patient described by Alzheimer in 1906. Let's take an in-depth look at the history and exciting future of AD treatment.
Part I: A Historical Perspective
The history Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a short-lived one. It was identified by Alois Alzheimer as a unique manifestation of dementia in 1906, a time when senile dementia had been made a popular topic by the likes of Freud. But what of all the time before the 20th century? Certainly people were suffering from AD and dementia long before the modern period. It could be argued that there were few cases of people afflicted with diseases associated with old age simply because they are not living to an old age. The typical onset of AD is around the age of 60, and the average worldwide lifespan did not reach 60 until recent times. The World Health Organization estimates that the average global life expectancy was 31 years in 1900—and below 50 years in wealthy, developed countries. So in 1906, when Alzheimer first outlined the disease, there is a chance that there had been relatively few cases that were noticed, let alone studied.
There were other factors leading to a lack of investigation into AD, assumptions made by scientists and complacency leading the pack. It was generally held that dementia was an.....read the whole article
For more dementia info, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
National
As the new year approaches we should be aware of Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias: past, current, and future treatments
by Meg Marquardt, Omaha Science Examiner
Agustine D., the first AD patient described by Alzheimer in 1906. Let's take an in-depth look at the history and exciting future of AD treatment.
Part I: A Historical Perspective
The history Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a short-lived one. It was identified by Alois Alzheimer as a unique manifestation of dementia in 1906, a time when senile dementia had been made a popular topic by the likes of Freud. But what of all the time before the 20th century? Certainly people were suffering from AD and dementia long before the modern period. It could be argued that there were few cases of people afflicted with diseases associated with old age simply because they are not living to an old age. The typical onset of AD is around the age of 60, and the average worldwide lifespan did not reach 60 until recent times. The World Health Organization estimates that the average global life expectancy was 31 years in 1900—and below 50 years in wealthy, developed countries. So in 1906, when Alzheimer first outlined the disease, there is a chance that there had been relatively few cases that were noticed, let alone studied.
There were other factors leading to a lack of investigation into AD, assumptions made by scientists and complacency leading the pack. It was generally held that dementia was an.....read the whole article
For more dementia info, click here
For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Do Carbs Help With Memory?
Here is some interesting news about eating carbs ansd memory.Could eating more carbs help those with dementia?
USA Today
Need justification for grabbing that crusty roll at Christmas dinner or ripping from challah bread during Chanukah? Here it is, albeit from a small study.
A 19-woman Tufts University psychology study found that people on low-carb diets performed worse on memory tests than those on low-calorie diets. But once they started eating carbs again, their memory skills....Read the whole article
Certainly more research is needed to see if this information holds out in a larger study and if eating more carbs helps those with dementia
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's disease and dementia activities, click here
USA Today
Need justification for grabbing that crusty roll at Christmas dinner or ripping from challah bread during Chanukah? Here it is, albeit from a small study.
A 19-woman Tufts University psychology study found that people on low-carb diets performed worse on memory tests than those on low-calorie diets. But once they started eating carbs again, their memory skills....Read the whole article
Certainly more research is needed to see if this information holds out in a larger study and if eating more carbs helps those with dementia
For more dementia information, click here
For Alzheimer's disease and dementia activities, click here
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Home for the Holidays, Check List
zip06
By Fay Abrahamsson, Courier Senior Staff Writer:
During the holidays, there’s one thing that registered nurse Barbara Katz can count on, and she’s not talking tree lighting or eggnog. She knows she will receive numerous phone calls from adults anxious over their elderly parents. especially if they have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia.
“Adult children come to visit their aging parent who they haven’t seen in a while and notice a striking difference,” said Katz, who is also director of clinical program development at VNA Community Healthcare in Guilford. “A year can make a big difference in a senior’s ability to cope.”
This time of year when families visit families, adult children, especially in the 50- to 60-year age group, call the VNA Community Healthcare in a panic about changes they see in their mother or father.
“You may find that the situation is an emergency that requires residential placement but in most cases, you will find that you can, with competent help, keep your parent independent at home much longer,” Katz adds.
For the holidays, and other times of the year when children visit their parents such as Mother’s Day or a family...read the whole post
More more holiday tips for those with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, click here
For activity ideas for the whole family during the holidays, click here
By Fay Abrahamsson, Courier Senior Staff Writer:
During the holidays, there’s one thing that registered nurse Barbara Katz can count on, and she’s not talking tree lighting or eggnog. She knows she will receive numerous phone calls from adults anxious over their elderly parents. especially if they have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia.
“Adult children come to visit their aging parent who they haven’t seen in a while and notice a striking difference,” said Katz, who is also director of clinical program development at VNA Community Healthcare in Guilford. “A year can make a big difference in a senior’s ability to cope.”
This time of year when families visit families, adult children, especially in the 50- to 60-year age group, call the VNA Community Healthcare in a panic about changes they see in their mother or father.
“You may find that the situation is an emergency that requires residential placement but in most cases, you will find that you can, with competent help, keep your parent independent at home much longer,” Katz adds.
For the holidays, and other times of the year when children visit their parents such as Mother’s Day or a family...read the whole post
More more holiday tips for those with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, click here
For activity ideas for the whole family during the holidays, click here
Monday, December 22, 2008
Two cardiovascular proteins pose a double whammy in Alzheimer's
e! Science News
health and Medicine
Researchers have found that two proteins which work in tandem in the brain's blood vessels present a double whammy in Alzheimer's disease. Not only do the proteins lessen blood flow in the brain, but they also reduce the rate at which the brain is able to remove amyloid beta, the protein that builds up in toxic quantities in the brains of patients with the disease. The work, described in a paper published online Dec. 21 in the journal Nature Cell Biology, provides hard evidence directly linking two processes thought to be at play in Alzheimer's disease: reduction in blood flow and the buildup of toxic amyloid beta. The research makes the interaction between the two proteins a seductive target for researchers seeking to address both issues.
Scientists were surprised at the finding, which puts two proteins known for their role in the cardiovascular system front and center in the development of Alzheimer's disease.
"This is quite unexpected," said Berislav Zlokovic, M.D., Ph.D., a neuroscientist and a senior author of the study. "On the other hand, both.... read the whole story
For moe thoughts on dementia, click here
For dementia activities, click here
health and Medicine
Researchers have found that two proteins which work in tandem in the brain's blood vessels present a double whammy in Alzheimer's disease. Not only do the proteins lessen blood flow in the brain, but they also reduce the rate at which the brain is able to remove amyloid beta, the protein that builds up in toxic quantities in the brains of patients with the disease. The work, described in a paper published online Dec. 21 in the journal Nature Cell Biology, provides hard evidence directly linking two processes thought to be at play in Alzheimer's disease: reduction in blood flow and the buildup of toxic amyloid beta. The research makes the interaction between the two proteins a seductive target for researchers seeking to address both issues.
Scientists were surprised at the finding, which puts two proteins known for their role in the cardiovascular system front and center in the development of Alzheimer's disease.
"This is quite unexpected," said Berislav Zlokovic, M.D., Ph.D., a neuroscientist and a senior author of the study. "On the other hand, both.... read the whole story
For moe thoughts on dementia, click here
For dementia activities, click here
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Alzheimer's test is a matter of memory, some argue
ChicagoTribune.com
December 21, 2008
There's no mammogram or PSA test for Alzheimer's disease. Yet an Alzheimer's group this month began a push for simple memory screenings in a bid to catch possible warning signs of dementia sooner.
Memory screening
Five-minute mini-tests, doable at a health fair, are hugely controversial. But the provocative new report from the Alzheimer's Foundation of America contends they're a valuable but overlooked tool. The government has begun reviewing whether there's enough science to back broader use of them.
A sample test
Tell someone....read the whole article
Read an important comment
For dementia information, click here
Do you want to read about dementia activities, click here
December 21, 2008
There's no mammogram or PSA test for Alzheimer's disease. Yet an Alzheimer's group this month began a push for simple memory screenings in a bid to catch possible warning signs of dementia sooner.
Memory screening
Five-minute mini-tests, doable at a health fair, are hugely controversial. But the provocative new report from the Alzheimer's Foundation of America contends they're a valuable but overlooked tool. The government has begun reviewing whether there's enough science to back broader use of them.
A sample test
Tell someone....read the whole article
Read an important comment
For dementia information, click here
Do you want to read about dementia activities, click here
Friday, December 19, 2008
For elderly, blood pressure spikes mar thinking
If you or a loved one have high blood pressutr and are at all concerbed avout developing dementia, then you must read this
Reuters
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For elderly people with elevated blood pressure, further spikes in blood pressure levels can affect their ability to think clearly, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
The findings offer another reason for people with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, to get the condition under control -- for the sake of their cognitive functioning as well as many other health reasons, they said.
Researchers led by North Carolina State University psychology professor Jason Allaire tracked 36 people, average age 73, in the Detroit area, having each of them take blood pressure reading and take a series of cognitive tests twice daily for 60 days. The tests assessed things like thinking abilities, pattern recognition and problem solving.
For people whose systolic blood pressure was typically 130 or above, their cognitive scores suffered on......read the whole article
For more information on dementia, visit the award winning blog
For dementia activities, click here
Reuters
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For elderly people with elevated blood pressure, further spikes in blood pressure levels can affect their ability to think clearly, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
The findings offer another reason for people with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, to get the condition under control -- for the sake of their cognitive functioning as well as many other health reasons, they said.
Researchers led by North Carolina State University psychology professor Jason Allaire tracked 36 people, average age 73, in the Detroit area, having each of them take blood pressure reading and take a series of cognitive tests twice daily for 60 days. The tests assessed things like thinking abilities, pattern recognition and problem solving.
For people whose systolic blood pressure was typically 130 or above, their cognitive scores suffered on......read the whole article
For more information on dementia, visit the award winning blog
For dementia activities, click here
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Study Finds Celery May Have Alzheimer’s-Fighting Chemical
Center for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research
Dr. Buttar's Blog
Study Finds Celery May Have Alzheimer’s-Fighting Chemical
A chemical found in celery and green pepper may help ease symptoms including memory loss of people suffering from brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, according to a study published on Monday.
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign looked at the effects of luteolin on the brains of mice, according to the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
They found that the chemical compound....read the whole post
read more information about dementia, click here
Dr. Buttar's Blog
Study Finds Celery May Have Alzheimer’s-Fighting Chemical
A chemical found in celery and green pepper may help ease symptoms including memory loss of people suffering from brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, according to a study published on Monday.
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign looked at the effects of luteolin on the brains of mice, according to the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
They found that the chemical compound....read the whole post
read more information about dementia, click here
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Query for Aging Patients: How Much Do You Drink?
New York Times
by Jane Brody
Pesonal Health
Although excessive alcohol drinking can raise the risk of dementia in older people, "there are emerging data to suggest that moderate alcohol intake — one to three drinks a day — is associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia," Dr. Ferreira and Dr. Weems wrote. In this case, they added, drinking wine confers the primary benefit; drinking beer, on the other hand, appears to raise the risk of dementia.....read the whole article
For more information about dementia, click here
by Jane Brody
Pesonal Health
Although excessive alcohol drinking can raise the risk of dementia in older people, "there are emerging data to suggest that moderate alcohol intake — one to three drinks a day — is associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia," Dr. Ferreira and Dr. Weems wrote. In this case, they added, drinking wine confers the primary benefit; drinking beer, on the other hand, appears to raise the risk of dementia.....read the whole article
For more information about dementia, click here
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sarcasm helps diagnoe dementia
Science Alert
University of New South Wales
People with frontotemporal
dementia have trouble reading
emotions, and may not realise
if their caregivers are angry, sad
or depressed, which can be
upsetting.
Sarcasm might be the lowest form of wit, but something's amiss if you can't detect it, according to University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers.
Patients with a particular type of dementia......read the whole
article
Ror more information about dementia in general click here. You will find some great holiday
tips
For ideas for holiday activities for those with dementia, click here
University of New South Wales
People with frontotemporal
dementia have trouble reading
emotions, and may not realise
if their caregivers are angry, sad
or depressed, which can be
upsetting.
Sarcasm might be the lowest form of wit, but something's amiss if you can't detect it, according to University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers.
Patients with a particular type of dementia......read the whole
article
Ror more information about dementia in general click here. You will find some great holiday
tips
For ideas for holiday activities for those with dementia, click here
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Top Appropriate Holiday Gifts For Those With Dementia
As the holiday season approaches, you do want to get those you know with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia an appropriate gift.
This article will help you out
prlog
Christmas,Chanukah and alike are the perfect chance to give gifts that are not only enjoyable but also are beneficial to persons with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. These presents keep on giving long after the holiday season is gone
Over 5.2 million Americans are living with dementia. Is one of them someone you know or work with? Get him/her or anyone with Alzheimer's disease a gift that will keep on giving long after the holiday is gone.
First on the list of gifts is a book by Susan Berg called Adorable Photographs of Our Baby -- Meaningful, Mind-Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals, This book features baby photographs that seniors with dementia love. This book shares a plethora of ideas and resources for you.
Another gift dementia persons will fancy is a holiday classic musical such as: “White Christmas” or “Holiday Inn”,
For those who are Jewish, we have, Debbie Friedman's "Miracles and Wonders: A Hanukkah Musical" and “A Taste of Chanukah”
Next is a.....read the wholw article
click here for somemore information on dementia and the holidays
go to this to learn about Alzheimer's and dementia activities that will bring smiles to these folks
This article will help you out
prlog
Christmas,Chanukah and alike are the perfect chance to give gifts that are not only enjoyable but also are beneficial to persons with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. These presents keep on giving long after the holiday season is gone
Over 5.2 million Americans are living with dementia. Is one of them someone you know or work with? Get him/her or anyone with Alzheimer's disease a gift that will keep on giving long after the holiday is gone.
First on the list of gifts is a book by Susan Berg called Adorable Photographs of Our Baby -- Meaningful, Mind-Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals, This book features baby photographs that seniors with dementia love. This book shares a plethora of ideas and resources for you.
Another gift dementia persons will fancy is a holiday classic musical such as: “White Christmas” or “Holiday Inn”,
For those who are Jewish, we have, Debbie Friedman's "Miracles and Wonders: A Hanukkah Musical" and “A Taste of Chanukah”
Next is a.....read the wholw article
click here for somemore information on dementia and the holidays
go to this to learn about Alzheimer's and dementia activities that will bring smiles to these folks
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Daily tipple and gardening boost longevity
Newspost Online
by health administraror
Melbourne,(ANI)
Forget treadmills, long walks and calorie-restricted diets, a daily tipple and gardening are the keys to a long and healthy life, reveals an Australian research study.
In the major study, researchers tracked 3000 people for two decades, and gave the best picture yet of how to ward off dementia and death in old age.
And the two best protectors are painless, according to lead researcher Professor Leon Simons of the University of New South Wales.
“We found.....read the whole story
for more information, click here
by health administraror
Melbourne,(ANI)
Forget treadmills, long walks and calorie-restricted diets, a daily tipple and gardening are the keys to a long and healthy life, reveals an Australian research study.
In the major study, researchers tracked 3000 people for two decades, and gave the best picture yet of how to ward off dementia and death in old age.
And the two best protectors are painless, according to lead researcher Professor Leon Simons of the University of New South Wales.
“We found.....read the whole story
for more information, click here
Friday, December 12, 2008
Alzheimer's Disease Screening Breakthrough Will Help Identify Potential Treatment Drugs
ScienceDaily (Dec. 12, 2008) — CSIRO scientists have developed a new system to screen for compounds that can inhibit one of the processes that takes place during the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Certain yeast species could be used to develop this rapid screening process. Folate has been shown to be beneficial in the screening system
Lead author, CSIRO’s Dr Ian Macreadie says folate is already well known to have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease which is believed to be caused by the loss of neurons in the brain due to a process whereby toxic multimers of a small protein called Aβ are formed.
“However, a team of scientists working within CSIRO’s Preventative Health Flagship has discovered a....read the whole article
click here to read more about Alzheimer's disease and relateed dementias
Lead author, CSIRO’s Dr Ian Macreadie says folate is already well known to have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease which is believed to be caused by the loss of neurons in the brain due to a process whereby toxic multimers of a small protein called Aβ are formed.
“However, a team of scientists working within CSIRO’s Preventative Health Flagship has discovered a....read the whole article
click here to read more about Alzheimer's disease and relateed dementias
Thursday, December 11, 2008
How does nutrition affect dementia?
CNN
Asked by Adrienne Jones, Lansing, Michigan
How can poor nutrition and vitamin deficiency affect your health, as far as dementia
Expert Answer:
Hi Adrienne -- This is an important question as nutrition plays an important role in dementia prevention. Here are a few healthy brain nutrition tips.
Omega 3 fatty acids. Making sure that you get plenty of omega 3 fatty acids found in fish is one of the most important things you can do for brain health. Fish consumption is associated with significantly less decline of mental function and lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a type of omega 3 found in fatty fish like salmon, is particularly important. Low levels of DHA in the blood have been associated with worsening mental function. Aim for 2-3 four ounce servings of fish per week, and try make at......read the whole answer
click here for more information on nutrition, diet and supplements in preventing and slowing down the progression of dementia
Asked by Adrienne Jones, Lansing, Michigan
How can poor nutrition and vitamin deficiency affect your health, as far as dementia
Expert Answer:
Hi Adrienne -- This is an important question as nutrition plays an important role in dementia prevention. Here are a few healthy brain nutrition tips.
Omega 3 fatty acids. Making sure that you get plenty of omega 3 fatty acids found in fish is one of the most important things you can do for brain health. Fish consumption is associated with significantly less decline of mental function and lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a type of omega 3 found in fatty fish like salmon, is particularly important. Low levels of DHA in the blood have been associated with worsening mental function. Aim for 2-3 four ounce servings of fish per week, and try make at......read the whole answer
click here for more information on nutrition, diet and supplements in preventing and slowing down the progression of dementia
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Dementia Death Statistics Underestimated?
WebMD
Study: Alzheimer's and Other Types of Dementia May Be Underreported on Death Certificates
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, -- Dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease, often doesn't get noted on death certificates, which may lead to an underestimate of how deadly those conditions are.
That's according to a letter published in the Dec. 10 edition of The Journal of the American Medical Association.
The letter comes from Melissa Wachterman, MD, MPH, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
She writes that the National Center for Health Statistics ranked Alzheimer's disease as the No. 5 cause of death for U.S. residents older than age 65 in 2004, based on data from death certificates. But death certificate data may be flawed by underreporting of Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, Wachterman says.
Wachterman's team checked the....read the whole article
click here for more information about dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Study: Alzheimer's and Other Types of Dementia May Be Underreported on Death Certificates
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, -- Dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease, often doesn't get noted on death certificates, which may lead to an underestimate of how deadly those conditions are.
That's according to a letter published in the Dec. 10 edition of The Journal of the American Medical Association.
The letter comes from Melissa Wachterman, MD, MPH, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
She writes that the National Center for Health Statistics ranked Alzheimer's disease as the No. 5 cause of death for U.S. residents older than age 65 in 2004, based on data from death certificates. But death certificate data may be flawed by underreporting of Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, Wachterman says.
Wachterman's team checked the....read the whole article
click here for more information about dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Dementia cure research gets TEN times less cash than cancer
Mail Online
By Daniel Martin
Only 2 per cent of the medical research budget goes on Alzheimer's and related dementias - a smaller proportion than a decade ago, an analysis found.
This is despite the fact that 700,000 have dementia and the numbers are likely to reach a million by 2025.
Last week, the Daily Mail launched its Christmas appeal to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society. Much of the cash will go towards research.
Britain spends less on research than many other developed countries.
A decade ago, dementia constituted...read the whole article
click here to learn more about dementia
By Daniel Martin
Only 2 per cent of the medical research budget goes on Alzheimer's and related dementias - a smaller proportion than a decade ago, an analysis found.
This is despite the fact that 700,000 have dementia and the numbers are likely to reach a million by 2025.
Last week, the Daily Mail launched its Christmas appeal to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society. Much of the cash will go towards research.
Britain spends less on research than many other developed countries.
A decade ago, dementia constituted...read the whole article
click here to learn more about dementia
Monday, December 8, 2008
Soldiers' Traumatic Brain Injuries Cause Dementia, Aggression, Depression and Relationship Problems
NaturalNews
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
What happens when you survive a nearby explosive blast that rocks your brain? Your brain suffers from thousands of tiny micro-bleeds that inhibit normal cognitive function, causing Alzheimer's-like symptoms that include memory loss and dementia.
Even worse, you may become more aggressive, experience endocrine dysfunction and die an early death.
This is the reality of soldiers who survive nearby blasts, say researchers from the U.S.-based Institute of Medicine. And until now, nobody has really looked into the medical.....read the whole article
click here for dementia info
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
What happens when you survive a nearby explosive blast that rocks your brain? Your brain suffers from thousands of tiny micro-bleeds that inhibit normal cognitive function, causing Alzheimer's-like symptoms that include memory loss and dementia.
Even worse, you may become more aggressive, experience endocrine dysfunction and die an early death.
This is the reality of soldiers who survive nearby blasts, say researchers from the U.S.-based Institute of Medicine. And until now, nobody has really looked into the medical.....read the whole article
click here for dementia info
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Cold sore virus could cause Alzheimer's
Telegraph.com
The virus that causes cold sores may be a major cause of Alzheimer's disease and existing drugs could be used to treat the degenerative condition, researchers have claimed.
By Laura Donnelly, Health Correspondent
British scientists had already identified a link between the cold sore virus - known as herples simplex virus 1 (HSV1) - and Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 400,000 people in Britain.
Previous trials had found the virus was often present in the DNA of patients with Alzheimer's, but different theories have been posed about why this might be so. The new research, published in the Journal of Pathology, adds weight to the theory that HSV1 could be a major cause of Alzheimer's; it found that the virus was most often found within the protein plaques in the brain which are believed to be the disease's main cause
Scientists from the University of Manchester said their early findings suggested the cold sore virus was present in 60 per cent of cases of Alzheimer's.
Although they were not able to prove that the virus had caused the disease, their study concluded that....read the whole story
Could this be true or is it just coincidence
5.2 million people have Alzheimer's or a related dementia in the US
click here for more information about dementia
The virus that causes cold sores may be a major cause of Alzheimer's disease and existing drugs could be used to treat the degenerative condition, researchers have claimed.
By Laura Donnelly, Health Correspondent
British scientists had already identified a link between the cold sore virus - known as herples simplex virus 1 (HSV1) - and Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 400,000 people in Britain.
Previous trials had found the virus was often present in the DNA of patients with Alzheimer's, but different theories have been posed about why this might be so. The new research, published in the Journal of Pathology, adds weight to the theory that HSV1 could be a major cause of Alzheimer's; it found that the virus was most often found within the protein plaques in the brain which are believed to be the disease's main cause
Scientists from the University of Manchester said their early findings suggested the cold sore virus was present in 60 per cent of cases of Alzheimer's.
Although they were not able to prove that the virus had caused the disease, their study concluded that....read the whole story
Could this be true or is it just coincidence
5.2 million people have Alzheimer's or a related dementia in the US
click here for more information about dementia
Friday, December 5, 2008
How to make sense of oxidative stress and dementia
You shouldbe interested in this multipart series about oxidative stress and dementia
dementia.today.com
We were talking about oxidative stress and why it is bad. It is bad because of the damage to cells caused by free radicals which are a result of breathing in oxygen. Free radicals are extremely unstable and can cause damage to various parts of a cell.
Besides taking in oxygen which everyone has to do to live, other pollutants can increase the amount of free radicals in a person’s body.
Things such as pollution, sunlight, smoking and mercury can increase the amount of free radicals in your body.
The important thing is how can your body combat the formation of free radicals.
The answer is……… read all the info
dementia.today.com
We were talking about oxidative stress and why it is bad. It is bad because of the damage to cells caused by free radicals which are a result of breathing in oxygen. Free radicals are extremely unstable and can cause damage to various parts of a cell.
Besides taking in oxygen which everyone has to do to live, other pollutants can increase the amount of free radicals in a person’s body.
Things such as pollution, sunlight, smoking and mercury can increase the amount of free radicals in your body.
The important thing is how can your body combat the formation of free radicals.
The answer is……… read all the info
Thursday, December 4, 2008
New Hope On Horizon To Fight Disease Affecting The Elderly
(NAPSI)-Americans are living longer than ever and as a result have more time to spend with family, to travel and to enjoy life.
People born in 2005 will live nearly 78 years on average, the National Center for Health Statistics predicts. By comparison, in 1955, the average American was expected to live for only 69.6 years.
Not only are seniors living longer, but America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies are now working on over 2,000 new medicines to help them face the health challenges that arise from aging.
According to a new report released by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), medicines, which offer great promise to treat and prevent diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, are currently being tested in....read the whole story
People born in 2005 will live nearly 78 years on average, the National Center for Health Statistics predicts. By comparison, in 1955, the average American was expected to live for only 69.6 years.
Not only are seniors living longer, but America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies are now working on over 2,000 new medicines to help them face the health challenges that arise from aging.
According to a new report released by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), medicines, which offer great promise to treat and prevent diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, are currently being tested in....read the whole story
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
New study identifies link between Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in healthy adults
EurekAlert Amsterdam, The Netherlands -- A study published in the November issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease provides an insight into normal, physiological levels and association between proteins involved in development of Alzheimer's disease. A group of scientists and physicians from the University of Washington and Puget Sound Veterans' Affairs Health Care System in Seattle, in collaboration with groups from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California San Diego, performed a study in cognitively normal and generally healthy adults, from young to old (age range 21-88 years), of both genders, measuring levels of different brain-derived molecules associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Investigators determined that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of apolipoprotein E (apoE), one of the most important proteins involved in transfer of fatty substances between different brain cells, are highly correlated with the levels of proteins known to be involved in development of Alzheimer's disease, amyloid precursor protein (APP) and tau. While many studies have previously shown that apoE gene is very important for Alzheimer's disease development, the connection between apoE protein and other relevant CSF markers in healthy adults was not known. Although this type of study cannot establish causal associations, the results strongly suggest that the CSF levels of apoE may explain a significant proportion of the levels of APP- and tau-related biological markers in the healthy human brain, indicating a strong physiological link between apoE, APP and tau. In other words, the study points to a possibility that modulation of the levels of apoE may affect the levels of APP and tau in the brain.
Furthermore, the study has shown that people who have....read the whole story
Investigators determined that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of apolipoprotein E (apoE), one of the most important proteins involved in transfer of fatty substances between different brain cells, are highly correlated with the levels of proteins known to be involved in development of Alzheimer's disease, amyloid precursor protein (APP) and tau. While many studies have previously shown that apoE gene is very important for Alzheimer's disease development, the connection between apoE protein and other relevant CSF markers in healthy adults was not known. Although this type of study cannot establish causal associations, the results strongly suggest that the CSF levels of apoE may explain a significant proportion of the levels of APP- and tau-related biological markers in the healthy human brain, indicating a strong physiological link between apoE, APP and tau. In other words, the study points to a possibility that modulation of the levels of apoE may affect the levels of APP and tau in the brain.
Furthermore, the study has shown that people who have....read the whole story
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Alzheimer's drug restricted by Nice may help sufferers for longer than previously thought
Telegraph.com.uk
Current guidelines say patients should stop taking Galantamine (Reminyl) when they have deteriorated past a certain point, and are unable to walk without assistance, bathe or dress themselves.
But a new study published in the Lancet Neurology journal shows that severely ill people can still benefit from taking the drug, as it can improve their movement, memory and awareness of the world around them. It also improves the mortality rate of sufferers.
Campaigners say the findings should lead to a revision of the guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which rules on the cost effectiveness of treatments.
They say the study supports their call for......read the whole article
Current guidelines say patients should stop taking Galantamine (Reminyl) when they have deteriorated past a certain point, and are unable to walk without assistance, bathe or dress themselves.
But a new study published in the Lancet Neurology journal shows that severely ill people can still benefit from taking the drug, as it can improve their movement, memory and awareness of the world around them. It also improves the mortality rate of sufferers.
Campaigners say the findings should lead to a revision of the guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which rules on the cost effectiveness of treatments.
They say the study supports their call for......read the whole article
Monday, December 1, 2008
Your Smile May Offer Heart and Head Health Clues
The Tampa Tribune
Published: November 29, 2008
Researchers think the way to a healthy heart and brain might be through your gums and teeth.
Evidence suggests that the healthier they are, the stronger and less disease-prone the heart is. Gum disease might be an early warning, with poor oral health linked to diabetes, kidney disease, preterm labor, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and cancer.
"A lot of research studies are coming out that seem to suggest some possible link or associations" between oral infection and systemic disorders, says Sally Cram, a periodontist and consumer adviser for the American Dental Association.
Several recent studies show a startling correlation between gum health and atherosclerosis, a condition underlying much heart disease: The worse a person's gum disease, the narrower that person's arteries as a result of a buildup of plaque.
A New England Journal of Medicine report....read the whole story and comments
Published: November 29, 2008
Researchers think the way to a healthy heart and brain might be through your gums and teeth.
Evidence suggests that the healthier they are, the stronger and less disease-prone the heart is. Gum disease might be an early warning, with poor oral health linked to diabetes, kidney disease, preterm labor, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and cancer.
"A lot of research studies are coming out that seem to suggest some possible link or associations" between oral infection and systemic disorders, says Sally Cram, a periodontist and consumer adviser for the American Dental Association.
Several recent studies show a startling correlation between gum health and atherosclerosis, a condition underlying much heart disease: The worse a person's gum disease, the narrower that person's arteries as a result of a buildup of plaque.
A New England Journal of Medicine report....read the whole story and comments
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Alternative Solutions in Long Term Care and Susan Berg Team Up
prlog
Susan Berg, Certified Dementia Practitioner and author, announces that her book, is now available at Alternative Solutions in Long Term Care. Learn about this premiere website and Susan Berg
Susan Berg, Certified Dementia Practitioner and author, announces that her book, Adorable Photographs of Our Baby Meaningful Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals is now available at Alternative Solutions in Long Term Care http://www.activitytherapy.com/store/books.html (Go to the bottom of the page)
Susan Berg, is a seasoned dementia healthcare professional. She has much experience engaging those with dementia in meaningful activities. She shares some of these.....read the whole story
Susan Berg, Certified Dementia Practitioner and author, announces that her book, is now available at Alternative Solutions in Long Term Care. Learn about this premiere website and Susan Berg
Susan Berg, Certified Dementia Practitioner and author, announces that her book, Adorable Photographs of Our Baby Meaningful Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones and Involved Professionals is now available at Alternative Solutions in Long Term Care http://www.activitytherapy.com/store/books.html (Go to the bottom of the page)
Susan Berg, is a seasoned dementia healthcare professional. She has much experience engaging those with dementia in meaningful activities. She shares some of these.....read the whole story
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Dementia Information blog is write on
Today.com
I have to compliment Dr. Susan Berg at Dementia Today. She has been running a couple of post series at her site dedicated to dementia. The first was Top ways to enjoy Thanksgiving with those who have dementia (ten parts). The second has been Creativity and dementia which has covered a wide range of creative ideas to share with those close to you who suffer from dementia. This is such an important time for families and in many instances a difficult time to celebrate with those suffering from dementia. I want to bring Dr. Susan' Berg's work into the creative spotlight since her dedication to the topic of dementia should be commended. I hope all enjoy their time with friends and family this Thanksgiving, especially those dedicating a special amount of time to those in need. ........read the full article
I have to compliment Dr. Susan Berg at Dementia Today. She has been running a couple of post series at her site dedicated to dementia. The first was Top ways to enjoy Thanksgiving with those who have dementia (ten parts). The second has been Creativity and dementia which has covered a wide range of creative ideas to share with those close to you who suffer from dementia. This is such an important time for families and in many instances a difficult time to celebrate with those suffering from dementia. I want to bring Dr. Susan' Berg's work into the creative spotlight since her dedication to the topic of dementia should be commended. I hope all enjoy their time with friends and family this Thanksgiving, especially those dedicating a special amount of time to those in need. ........read the full article
Friday, November 28, 2008
New center to tackle obesity epidemic
Chicago Tribune
By Deborah L. Shelton Tribune reporter
Health professionals fear life expectancy may fall for 1st time
a major initiative aimed at addressing a local and national health epidemic, Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine recently opened a center to research the causes of obesity and find new ways to treat it.The Northwestern Comprehensive Center on Obesity will focus on treatment, research, education and advocacy, officials said.More than one-third of U.S. adults and about 17 percent of children and adolescents have a body-mass index that qualifies them as obese, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A high body-mass index indicates a weight greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height.Some health professionals fear that so many adults and children are becoming obese that life expectancy could fall for the first time in the nation's history. Obesity has been tied to a wide range of health problems, including type II diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, breast and colon cancer and possibly Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
"This is the major epi- demic of our time," said Dr. Lewis Landsberg, founder and director of the center. "Obesity and its complications threaten to replace smoking-related diseases as the pre-eminent health problem that we face."Obesity has root causes that are evolutionary, biological, psychological, sociological, economic and political, Landsberg said."We recognize there are metabolic differences between those who are obese and those who are lean," he said. "It's not just gluttony and sloth, despite what people think. What maintains the weight of one person will cause somebody else to gain weight, independent of activity."One mission of the new center, which is in the new Center for Lifestyle Medicine in the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, is to combat stigma by educating medical students, physicians and the public.One program targets obesity and weight gain during pregnancy, a critical time for excessive weight gain and developing complications as a result, said Dr. Robert Kushner, director of clinical care for the new center and co-director of its obesity and pregnancy program.The idea that pregnant women can eat anything and as much as they want is faulty, he said."Currently, there has been very little focus on restricting weight gain in women who are pregnant or on counseling women who are overweight and about to become pregnant," Kushner said.Women who pack on too many pounds during pregnancy increase their risk of developing high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. They also are more likely to have a Cesarean delivery.In 2007, almost half of the women who.......read the whole article
Read all 11 comments »
By Deborah L. Shelton Tribune reporter
Health professionals fear life expectancy may fall for 1st time
a major initiative aimed at addressing a local and national health epidemic, Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine recently opened a center to research the causes of obesity and find new ways to treat it.The Northwestern Comprehensive Center on Obesity will focus on treatment, research, education and advocacy, officials said.More than one-third of U.S. adults and about 17 percent of children and adolescents have a body-mass index that qualifies them as obese, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A high body-mass index indicates a weight greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height.Some health professionals fear that so many adults and children are becoming obese that life expectancy could fall for the first time in the nation's history. Obesity has been tied to a wide range of health problems, including type II diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, breast and colon cancer and possibly Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
"This is the major epi- demic of our time," said Dr. Lewis Landsberg, founder and director of the center. "Obesity and its complications threaten to replace smoking-related diseases as the pre-eminent health problem that we face."Obesity has root causes that are evolutionary, biological, psychological, sociological, economic and political, Landsberg said."We recognize there are metabolic differences between those who are obese and those who are lean," he said. "It's not just gluttony and sloth, despite what people think. What maintains the weight of one person will cause somebody else to gain weight, independent of activity."One mission of the new center, which is in the new Center for Lifestyle Medicine in the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, is to combat stigma by educating medical students, physicians and the public.One program targets obesity and weight gain during pregnancy, a critical time for excessive weight gain and developing complications as a result, said Dr. Robert Kushner, director of clinical care for the new center and co-director of its obesity and pregnancy program.The idea that pregnant women can eat anything and as much as they want is faulty, he said."Currently, there has been very little focus on restricting weight gain in women who are pregnant or on counseling women who are overweight and about to become pregnant," Kushner said.Women who pack on too many pounds during pregnancy increase their risk of developing high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. They also are more likely to have a Cesarean delivery.In 2007, almost half of the women who.......read the whole article
Read all 11 comments »
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Submitting to the Science of Prevention
Wall Street Journal
By LAURA LANDRO
I've had clothes custom-tailored by a seamstress. I've had vacations custom-planned by travel agents. And now, I've received a custom-designed personal health plan from medical experts.
Recently, I joined a group of volunteers at Emory University submitting to an exhaustive -- and exhausting -- "predictive health assessment" that researchers used to determine the specific health risks I face and to prescribe changes to my behavior and lifestyle with the aim of reducing those risks.
On two separate visits, researchers measured everything from the thickness of my arteries to the density of my bones. I answered countless questions about my social functioning, my emotional health, my eating habits and the quality of my sleep. I gave up samples of blood and other bodily fluids for standard tests, like cholesterol and hemoglobin levels, and more experimental tests, such as the levels of inflammation in my body and my ability to regenerate stem cells. After developing a personal health plan based on some of the results, I agreed to be nudged on a regular basis by a health coach to make sure I was adhering to my regimen.
Emory's Center for Health Discovery and Well Being, a partnership between Emory's Predictive Health Institute and the Georgia Institute of Technology, is part of an effort to answer one of the most pressing questions for health care in the U.S.: how to reverse the growing burden of chronic disease.
Many experts believe the answer is...........read the full article
By LAURA LANDRO
I've had clothes custom-tailored by a seamstress. I've had vacations custom-planned by travel agents. And now, I've received a custom-designed personal health plan from medical experts.
Recently, I joined a group of volunteers at Emory University submitting to an exhaustive -- and exhausting -- "predictive health assessment" that researchers used to determine the specific health risks I face and to prescribe changes to my behavior and lifestyle with the aim of reducing those risks.
On two separate visits, researchers measured everything from the thickness of my arteries to the density of my bones. I answered countless questions about my social functioning, my emotional health, my eating habits and the quality of my sleep. I gave up samples of blood and other bodily fluids for standard tests, like cholesterol and hemoglobin levels, and more experimental tests, such as the levels of inflammation in my body and my ability to regenerate stem cells. After developing a personal health plan based on some of the results, I agreed to be nudged on a regular basis by a health coach to make sure I was adhering to my regimen.
Emory's Center for Health Discovery and Well Being, a partnership between Emory's Predictive Health Institute and the Georgia Institute of Technology, is part of an effort to answer one of the most pressing questions for health care in the U.S.: how to reverse the growing burden of chronic disease.
Many experts believe the answer is...........read the full article
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
In case you missed this comment, http://www.blogger.com/profile/11110241396415155655 said...
I'm sorry but all 'ways to keep Alzheimer's away' simply aren't plausible. Alzheimer's is a physical brain disease. You can do all the brain exercises you want but it will still happen if you are so genetically disposed. If brain exercises work then why did intelligent authors like Terry Pratchett get it and Iris Murdoch who continued writing with it too? And countless others who kept their brain active?More research needs to be done. Alzheimer's is a disease just like cancer and heart disease. You can do an amount in terms of diet in the hope you won't get ill but what is needed is real recognition that this disease is endemic and needs the best drugs available to help fight it. These drugs must not be spurned because of expense. More practical help is needed for sufferers and carers and this costs money. Governments need to recognise Alzheimer's is as prevalent (if not more so) than cancer and deserves the corresponding attention.
Sally is right Alzheimer's disease is a disease like cancer. Just like with cancer, heart disease, and other seious illnesses, if you take good care of yourself physically and mentally, you will get the disease later than you would if you did not take care of yourself.
True some highly intelligent people came down with Alzheimer's disease. However what about their lifestye. Was it healthy?
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are complex. Like cancer, it is going to take a lot of research and clinical trials to finally find a cure. It will be expensive. It will take time.
Healthy lifestyle habits are something you can do right now. Although it may not prevent Alzheimer's disease if you are genetically predisposed to getting it, it will delay the onset and slow the progression.
Comment please
I'm sorry but all 'ways to keep Alzheimer's away' simply aren't plausible. Alzheimer's is a physical brain disease. You can do all the brain exercises you want but it will still happen if you are so genetically disposed. If brain exercises work then why did intelligent authors like Terry Pratchett get it and Iris Murdoch who continued writing with it too? And countless others who kept their brain active?More research needs to be done. Alzheimer's is a disease just like cancer and heart disease. You can do an amount in terms of diet in the hope you won't get ill but what is needed is real recognition that this disease is endemic and needs the best drugs available to help fight it. These drugs must not be spurned because of expense. More practical help is needed for sufferers and carers and this costs money. Governments need to recognise Alzheimer's is as prevalent (if not more so) than cancer and deserves the corresponding attention.
Sally is right Alzheimer's disease is a disease like cancer. Just like with cancer, heart disease, and other seious illnesses, if you take good care of yourself physically and mentally, you will get the disease later than you would if you did not take care of yourself.
True some highly intelligent people came down with Alzheimer's disease. However what about their lifestye. Was it healthy?
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are complex. Like cancer, it is going to take a lot of research and clinical trials to finally find a cure. It will be expensive. It will take time.
Healthy lifestyle habits are something you can do right now. Although it may not prevent Alzheimer's disease if you are genetically predisposed to getting it, it will delay the onset and slow the progression.
Comment please
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
10 Steps to Avoid Alzheimer's
By SixWise.com
Every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association's 2008 Facts and Figures. While over 5 million people in the United States are already living with the disease, it's estimated that 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's during their lifetime -- and this number is expected to triple by 2050.
.............................The Most Common Form of Dementia
Dementia is a loss or decline in memory and other cognitive abilities that is severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60 percent to 80 percent of cases............................read the whole article
Every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association's 2008 Facts and Figures. While over 5 million people in the United States are already living with the disease, it's estimated that 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's during their lifetime -- and this number is expected to triple by 2050.
.............................The Most Common Form of Dementia
Dementia is a loss or decline in memory and other cognitive abilities that is severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60 percent to 80 percent of cases............................read the whole article
Monday, November 24, 2008
How Red Wine Compounds Fight Alzheimer's Disease
ScienceDaily — Scientists call it the "French paradox" — a society that, despite consuming food high in cholesterol and saturated fats, has long had low death rates from heart disease. Research has suggested it is the red wine consumed with all that fatty food that may be beneficial — and not only for cardiovascular health but in warding off certain tumors and even Alzheimer's disease.
Now, Alzheimer's researchers at UCLA, in collaboration with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, have discovered how red wine may reduce the incidence of the disease. Reporting in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, David Teplow, a UCLA professor of neurology, and colleagues show how naturally occurring compounds in red wine called....read the whole article
Now, Alzheimer's researchers at UCLA, in collaboration with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, have discovered how red wine may reduce the incidence of the disease. Reporting in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, David Teplow, a UCLA professor of neurology, and colleagues show how naturally occurring compounds in red wine called....read the whole article
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Cannabis 'could stop dementia in its tracks'
Mail Online
Fione Macrae
Cannabis may help keep Alzheimer's disease and other dementias at bay.In experiments, a marijuana-based medicine triggered the formation of new brain cells and cut inflammation linked to dementia.The researchers say that using the information to create a pill suitable for people could help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's.
For some sufferers, drugs can delay the progress of devastating symptoms such as memory loss and the erosion of ability to do everyday things such as.......read it all
Fione Macrae
Cannabis may help keep Alzheimer's disease and other dementias at bay.In experiments, a marijuana-based medicine triggered the formation of new brain cells and cut inflammation linked to dementia.The researchers say that using the information to create a pill suitable for people could help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's.
For some sufferers, drugs can delay the progress of devastating symptoms such as memory loss and the erosion of ability to do everyday things such as.......read it all
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Five ways to keep Alzheimer's and other dementias away
CNN.com/health
CNN) -- Blanche Danick may be 86 years old, but she's pretty hip. She keeps up with all the latest health news, and a while back, she called her daughter wanting to know whether she should start taking the herb ginkgo biloba. She'd heard it might stave off Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
"I told her not to bother, that it wouldn't make much of a difference," says her daughter, Edythe London, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles. "On the basis of what I've read, I don't think it staves off dementia."
London's advice makes a lot of sense, according to a study out this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Ginkgo is a top-selling herb and has been hailed by some as a memory-booster, but the new University of Pittsburgh study found it didn't help prevent Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia in more than 3,000 elderly study subjects.
Ginkgo manufacturers say this isn't the first -- or the last -- word on the herb. "There is a significant body of scientific and clinical evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of ginkgo extract for both cognitive function and improved circulation," said Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council.
London's still skeptical. "But I do tell my mother there are other things she can do," says London, who's studied the brain and aging. "I tell her to go out and do things and see people every day and be active." Studies have shown that physical exercise, the kind that keeps the........read the whole article
CNN) -- Blanche Danick may be 86 years old, but she's pretty hip. She keeps up with all the latest health news, and a while back, she called her daughter wanting to know whether she should start taking the herb ginkgo biloba. She'd heard it might stave off Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
"I told her not to bother, that it wouldn't make much of a difference," says her daughter, Edythe London, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles. "On the basis of what I've read, I don't think it staves off dementia."
London's advice makes a lot of sense, according to a study out this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Ginkgo is a top-selling herb and has been hailed by some as a memory-booster, but the new University of Pittsburgh study found it didn't help prevent Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia in more than 3,000 elderly study subjects.
Ginkgo manufacturers say this isn't the first -- or the last -- word on the herb. "There is a significant body of scientific and clinical evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of ginkgo extract for both cognitive function and improved circulation," said Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council.
London's still skeptical. "But I do tell my mother there are other things she can do," says London, who's studied the brain and aging. "I tell her to go out and do things and see people every day and be active." Studies have shown that physical exercise, the kind that keeps the........read the whole article
Friday, November 21, 2008
Growth Hormone Boost May Not Slow Alzheimer's
'US News&World Report
Friday, November 21, 2008
HealthDay
promising approach in mice disappoints in human trial
By Alan MozesHealthDay Reporter
A compound that boosts growth hormone levels in Alzheimer's patients may not slow the disease, new research suggests
The study, funded by drug giant Merck, was spurred by promising animal research that had suggested that the compound, called MK-677, might help curb Alzheimer's effect on the brain.
However, "the study suggests that targeting this hormone system may not be an effective approach at slowing the rate of Alzheimer's disease progression," said study author Dr. J.J. Sevigny, associate director of clinical neuroscience at Merck Research Laboratories in North Wales, Pa. His team reported its finding in the Nov. 18 issue of Neurology.
"In a similar vein, the study challenges a commonly held theory that hormones may attack beta-amyloid plaque in the brain," Sevigny added. "That was the premise of this research: that by giving this medication we'd be able to influence .......read the whole thing
Friday, November 21, 2008
HealthDay
promising approach in mice disappoints in human trial
By Alan MozesHealthDay Reporter
A compound that boosts growth hormone levels in Alzheimer's patients may not slow the disease, new research suggests
The study, funded by drug giant Merck, was spurred by promising animal research that had suggested that the compound, called MK-677, might help curb Alzheimer's effect on the brain.
However, "the study suggests that targeting this hormone system may not be an effective approach at slowing the rate of Alzheimer's disease progression," said study author Dr. J.J. Sevigny, associate director of clinical neuroscience at Merck Research Laboratories in North Wales, Pa. His team reported its finding in the Nov. 18 issue of Neurology.
"In a similar vein, the study challenges a commonly held theory that hormones may attack beta-amyloid plaque in the brain," Sevigny added. "That was the premise of this research: that by giving this medication we'd be able to influence .......read the whole thing
Thursday, November 20, 2008
New Approach To Screen Individuals For Early Alzheimer's Disease
ScienceDaily
Science News
— With millions of baby boomers entering late adulthood, the number of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is expected to drastically rise over the next several decades.
A team of national researchers, led by Emory University, has developed a rapid screening test to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) -- often the earliest stage of AD. The findings are published in the online edition of Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
The study shows that the combination of a very brief three-minute cognitive screening test, called the Mini-Cog (MC), with a Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) -- administered to a family member or friend -- could accurately identify individuals with....read the whole article
Science News
— With millions of baby boomers entering late adulthood, the number of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is expected to drastically rise over the next several decades.
A team of national researchers, led by Emory University, has developed a rapid screening test to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) -- often the earliest stage of AD. The findings are published in the online edition of Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
The study shows that the combination of a very brief three-minute cognitive screening test, called the Mini-Cog (MC), with a Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) -- administered to a family member or friend -- could accurately identify individuals with....read the whole article
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Can you recognize Alzheimer's and related dementias?
By KAREN GARLOCK - McClatchy Newspapers
If you've ever forgotten the name of a business associate or lost your keys, you might have wondered, even just fleetingly, if you have the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease.
Everyone has heard heart-rending stories about this progressive brain disease. But as much as we think we know about Alzheimer's disease, a recent survey of more than 1,000 seniors found a lack of knowledge of the symptoms and how to respond.
Forty-seven percent of respondents said they have a close friend or family member diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and 83 percent thought they could recognize the disease in themselves or a loved one. But 99 percent were unable to tell the difference between symptoms of early disease, late disease, and non-Alzheimer's dementia. ...read the whole article
If you've ever forgotten the name of a business associate or lost your keys, you might have wondered, even just fleetingly, if you have the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease.
Everyone has heard heart-rending stories about this progressive brain disease. But as much as we think we know about Alzheimer's disease, a recent survey of more than 1,000 seniors found a lack of knowledge of the symptoms and how to respond.
Forty-seven percent of respondents said they have a close friend or family member diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and 83 percent thought they could recognize the disease in themselves or a loved one. But 99 percent were unable to tell the difference between symptoms of early disease, late disease, and non-Alzheimer's dementia. ...read the whole article
Monday, November 17, 2008
Key Contributor To Alzheimer's Disease Process Identified
Science Daily
Science News
Walter J. Lukiw, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Ophthalmology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, is the lead author of a paper identifying, for the first time, a specific function of a fragment of ribonucleic acid (RNA), once thought to be no more than a byproduct, in regulating inflammation and the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Lukiw's lab at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence has shown that this tiny piece of RNA, or microRNA, called miRNA-146a is found in increased amounts in stressed human brain cells and in Alzheimer's disease, and that it plays a crucial role in the....read the whole article
Science News
Walter J. Lukiw, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Ophthalmology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, is the lead author of a paper identifying, for the first time, a specific function of a fragment of ribonucleic acid (RNA), once thought to be no more than a byproduct, in regulating inflammation and the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Lukiw's lab at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence has shown that this tiny piece of RNA, or microRNA, called miRNA-146a is found in increased amounts in stressed human brain cells and in Alzheimer's disease, and that it plays a crucial role in the....read the whole article
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Brain bank appealing for donors
Press Association
One of Britain's largest human brain banks is suffering from a shortage of organs and is appealing for more donors to help them find a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
The South West Brain Bank has 800 brains in store which have been donated by people who had suffered with Alzheimer's.
But doctors say they need "normal" brains to develop drugs which could lead to a cure for dementia, which affects 700,000 people in the UK, a figure that is expected to double in the next decade.
Professor Seth Love and his team, the Bristol Dementia Research Group, have been awarded £340,000 from the Alzheimer's Research Trust.
Along with money from local charity BRACE the team will buy a new state-of-the-art microscope with which to look at healthy and diseased brain tissue.
The brain is taken within 72 hours of death, cut in half and preserved for further........read the whole story
One of Britain's largest human brain banks is suffering from a shortage of organs and is appealing for more donors to help them find a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
The South West Brain Bank has 800 brains in store which have been donated by people who had suffered with Alzheimer's.
But doctors say they need "normal" brains to develop drugs which could lead to a cure for dementia, which affects 700,000 people in the UK, a figure that is expected to double in the next decade.
Professor Seth Love and his team, the Bristol Dementia Research Group, have been awarded £340,000 from the Alzheimer's Research Trust.
Along with money from local charity BRACE the team will buy a new state-of-the-art microscope with which to look at healthy and diseased brain tissue.
The brain is taken within 72 hours of death, cut in half and preserved for further........read the whole story
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Berries 'may help Alzheimer's' and other dementias
Press Association
Compounds in black currants could reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, food researchers have said.
Scientists are working on a project to find a cost-effective way of developing the compounds as.....read the whole story
Compounds in black currants could reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, food researchers have said.
Scientists are working on a project to find a cost-effective way of developing the compounds as.....read the whole story
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Allan Appel: View people as living with, not dying from, Alzheimer's disease
TC Palm
By Allan Appel
The most significant concern of those with the early stage of Alzheimer's is the effect on daily life. The key here is one's independence.
Friends and relatives of people with the early stage of Alzheimer's disease face a major adjustment in their lives. But the patients must deal with their own distinct issues.
The Alzheimer's Association recently released a report entitled "Voices of Alzheimer's Disease: Summary Report on the Nationwide Town Hall Meetings for People with Early Stage Dementia."
The report focuses on the opportunity of those with the early stage of Alzheimer's to actively participate in their own course of treatment. Memory loss and functional decline are well-known aspects of Alzheimer's, but this report focuses on the patients' remaining abilities and especially how they wish to be treated and viewed by medical professionals and by the public.
One of the biggest issues is the stigma of the disease and its impact on relationships. A contrast is drawn between focusing on patients living with the disease, rather than dying from it.
Dealing with the diagnostic process and follow-up care are also major concerns for those with the early stage of Alzheimer's. There seems to be a general lack of direction for those newly diagnosed. There is no "road map," if you will, to guide patients through the maze of medical care.
A diagnosis of Alzheimer's can be really scary. So much is unknown and lack of knowledge results in fear, and that fear extends......read the whole article
By Allan Appel
The most significant concern of those with the early stage of Alzheimer's is the effect on daily life. The key here is one's independence.
Friends and relatives of people with the early stage of Alzheimer's disease face a major adjustment in their lives. But the patients must deal with their own distinct issues.
The Alzheimer's Association recently released a report entitled "Voices of Alzheimer's Disease: Summary Report on the Nationwide Town Hall Meetings for People with Early Stage Dementia."
The report focuses on the opportunity of those with the early stage of Alzheimer's to actively participate in their own course of treatment. Memory loss and functional decline are well-known aspects of Alzheimer's, but this report focuses on the patients' remaining abilities and especially how they wish to be treated and viewed by medical professionals and by the public.
One of the biggest issues is the stigma of the disease and its impact on relationships. A contrast is drawn between focusing on patients living with the disease, rather than dying from it.
Dealing with the diagnostic process and follow-up care are also major concerns for those with the early stage of Alzheimer's. There seems to be a general lack of direction for those newly diagnosed. There is no "road map," if you will, to guide patients through the maze of medical care.
A diagnosis of Alzheimer's can be really scary. So much is unknown and lack of knowledge results in fear, and that fear extends......read the whole article
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Movies about Alzheimer's and related dementias to go
Daily Herald
Arlington, Illinois
Your health
By Anna Madrzyk Daily Herald Staff
Movies to go
You've heard of pocket books. Now, a series of portable "pocket films" about Alzheimer's disease is available for download on your iPod, cell phone, PDA or PC.
"A Quick Look At Alzheimer's" and related dementiasis narrated by David Hyde Pierce, Emmy Award-winning actor and advocate for Alzheimer's research. The films are animated, just two to three minutes long and explain the disease in layman's terms.
"These pocket films will increase awareness and understanding of Alzheimer's, its impact and the importance of research," said Sibyl Jacobson, president of MetLife Foundation, which provided the grant.
You can download the films from.....read the whole story
Arlington, Illinois
Your health
By Anna Madrzyk Daily Herald Staff
Movies to go
You've heard of pocket books. Now, a series of portable "pocket films" about Alzheimer's disease is available for download on your iPod, cell phone, PDA or PC.
"A Quick Look At Alzheimer's" and related dementiasis narrated by David Hyde Pierce, Emmy Award-winning actor and advocate for Alzheimer's research. The films are animated, just two to three minutes long and explain the disease in layman's terms.
"These pocket films will increase awareness and understanding of Alzheimer's, its impact and the importance of research," said Sibyl Jacobson, president of MetLife Foundation, which provided the grant.
You can download the films from.....read the whole story
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
This May Be the Most Useful Alzheimer's Advice
Caring.com
Posted by Paula Spencer, Caring.com senior editor
Here's the first step to solving countless behavior problems presented by someone with Alzheimer's: Ask, "Why is this happening?"
I'm not referring to the rhetorical question, "Oh why is this happening to me?" although it's sure understandable if that one crosses your mind. But when you're faced with upset, a refusal to cooperate, or even a catastrophic reaction, don't write it off to the craziness of the disease. You can usually solve the matter by stepping back to consider, "Why is this behavior happening? What might be triggering it"
........ You can't rehabilitate someone with Alzheimer's, but you can habilitate them -- step into their world and adjust things accordingly in order to help them be as capable as possible............Why is this happening?'"
Some examples of this idea in action:
* A man stops using the toilet and has an increase in accidents."
Why is this happening? Depth perception fades for someone with Alzheimer's. A white commode fades into a beige wall and is easily overlooked -- therefore not used.
Solution: .....read the whole post
Posted by Paula Spencer, Caring.com senior editor
Here's the first step to solving countless behavior problems presented by someone with Alzheimer's: Ask, "Why is this happening?"
I'm not referring to the rhetorical question, "Oh why is this happening to me?" although it's sure understandable if that one crosses your mind. But when you're faced with upset, a refusal to cooperate, or even a catastrophic reaction, don't write it off to the craziness of the disease. You can usually solve the matter by stepping back to consider, "Why is this behavior happening? What might be triggering it"
........ You can't rehabilitate someone with Alzheimer's, but you can habilitate them -- step into their world and adjust things accordingly in order to help them be as capable as possible............Why is this happening?'"
Some examples of this idea in action:
* A man stops using the toilet and has an increase in accidents."
Why is this happening? Depth perception fades for someone with Alzheimer's. A white commode fades into a beige wall and is easily overlooked -- therefore not used.
Solution: .....read the whole post
Monday, November 10, 2008
Preventing Alzheimer's Disease
nbc Los Angeles
More than 5.2 million people live with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S., and that number is expected to double by 2030. Tommy Lasorda is trying to help cut that number.
There is no cure... But there are ways to protect yourself, Dr. Bruce reported on the Anti-Alzheimer’s prescription.
Tommy Lasorda of the Los Angeles Dodgers has a lot of things to keep track of.
“I make a lot of speeches, when you're 81 yrs old, it's tough for you to get up there and make speeches, recall it,” Lasorda said.
That's why he turns to Dr. Vincent Fortanasce, Clinical Professor of Neurology at USC, for tips on keeping his memory sharp....read the whole story
More than 5.2 million people live with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S., and that number is expected to double by 2030. Tommy Lasorda is trying to help cut that number.
There is no cure... But there are ways to protect yourself, Dr. Bruce reported on the Anti-Alzheimer’s prescription.
Tommy Lasorda of the Los Angeles Dodgers has a lot of things to keep track of.
“I make a lot of speeches, when you're 81 yrs old, it's tough for you to get up there and make speeches, recall it,” Lasorda said.
That's why he turns to Dr. Vincent Fortanasce, Clinical Professor of Neurology at USC, for tips on keeping his memory sharp....read the whole story
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Dementia Care Focus of Nurse Luncheon
News Channel 34
Binghamton, NY
Nursing in the 21st century and the problems facing the profession took center stage at a recent Binghamton Rotary Club meeting.
Joyce Ferrario -- Dean of BU's Decker School of Nursing -- hosted the discussion.
She says the biggest issue is a pending nursing shortage -- a shortage that is expected to double everywhere within the next five to ten years...Read the whole story
Training for those with dementia is not adequete
What can we do about this?
Binghamton, NY
Nursing in the 21st century and the problems facing the profession took center stage at a recent Binghamton Rotary Club meeting.
Joyce Ferrario -- Dean of BU's Decker School of Nursing -- hosted the discussion.
She says the biggest issue is a pending nursing shortage -- a shortage that is expected to double everywhere within the next five to ten years...Read the whole story
Training for those with dementia is not adequete
What can we do about this?
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Doubts cast over common dementia screening tool
Nursing Times
The most widely used primary care dementia screening tool – the Mini Mental State Examination – is less easy to administer and less effective than alternatives, claim Kent University researchers.
They conducted a study that included a review of research evidence, a systematic clinically informed evaluation of the most commonly used screening measures, and a survey of measures employed in primary care in Kent.
They concluded in favour of three less commonly used methods – the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition, the Memory Impairment Screen and the Mini-Cognitive Assessment Instrument.
Study author Dr Alisoun Milne, a researcher in the field of gerontology, said: 'Although the MMSE is widely used in the UK, this project identifies the GPCOG, MIS and Mini-Cog as clinically and psychometrically robust and more appropriate for routine use in primary care.
'The study highlights a need for.....read the whole story
The most widely used primary care dementia screening tool – the Mini Mental State Examination – is less easy to administer and less effective than alternatives, claim Kent University researchers.
They conducted a study that included a review of research evidence, a systematic clinically informed evaluation of the most commonly used screening measures, and a survey of measures employed in primary care in Kent.
They concluded in favour of three less commonly used methods – the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition, the Memory Impairment Screen and the Mini-Cognitive Assessment Instrument.
Study author Dr Alisoun Milne, a researcher in the field of gerontology, said: 'Although the MMSE is widely used in the UK, this project identifies the GPCOG, MIS and Mini-Cog as clinically and psychometrically robust and more appropriate for routine use in primary care.
'The study highlights a need for.....read the whole story
Friday, November 7, 2008
Mitochondria Could Be Target For Therapeutic Strategy For Alzheimer's Disease Patients
ScienceDaily
Science News
(Nov. 5, 2008) — A study in the Sept. 21 on-line edition of Nature Medicine describes the function and interaction of a critical molecule involved in cell death in Alzheimer’s disease patients.
These new findings reveal that blocking this molecule, called Cyclophilin D (CypD), and development of surrounding mitochondrial targets may be viable therapeutic strategies......read the whole story
i
Science News
(Nov. 5, 2008) — A study in the Sept. 21 on-line edition of Nature Medicine describes the function and interaction of a critical molecule involved in cell death in Alzheimer’s disease patients.
These new findings reveal that blocking this molecule, called Cyclophilin D (CypD), and development of surrounding mitochondrial targets may be viable therapeutic strategies......read the whole story
i
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Form of Vitamin B3 May Help Alzheimer's
WebMD
Study Shows Nicotinamide May Fight Memory Loss
By Caroline Wilbert
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDNov. 4, 2008 -- Nicotinamide, a form of the vitamin B3, may help Alzheimer's patients retain their memory, a study shows.
The study was conducted on mice, not people. But clinical trials on humans are under way.
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine dissolved nicotinamide in drinking water and fed it to mice with Alzheimer's. The researchers found that nicotinamide prevented mental deficits in mice with Alzheimer's. It also seemed to improve.....read the whole article
Study Shows Nicotinamide May Fight Memory Loss
By Caroline Wilbert
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDNov. 4, 2008 -- Nicotinamide, a form of the vitamin B3, may help Alzheimer's patients retain their memory, a study shows.
The study was conducted on mice, not people. But clinical trials on humans are under way.
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine dissolved nicotinamide in drinking water and fed it to mice with Alzheimer's. The researchers found that nicotinamide prevented mental deficits in mice with Alzheimer's. It also seemed to improve.....read the whole article
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Is dementia affected by your job?
The News
"University graduates who perform mentally demanding jobs could be helping to ward off the symptoms of Alzheimer's," The Daily Telegraph reported. It said a study of over 300 people with varying levels of memory loss, including those with and without Alzheimer's and other dementias, found that those with stimulating occupations and higher educational level were less likely to suffer from memory problems associated with the condition.
This study used brain imaging to compare functional decline between people with probable Alzheimer’s, mild cognitive impairment and healthy controls. It found that, in people with probable Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment that converted to
Alzheimer’s, there was a significant association...read the whole story
"University graduates who perform mentally demanding jobs could be helping to ward off the symptoms of Alzheimer's," The Daily Telegraph reported. It said a study of over 300 people with varying levels of memory loss, including those with and without Alzheimer's and other dementias, found that those with stimulating occupations and higher educational level were less likely to suffer from memory problems associated with the condition.
This study used brain imaging to compare functional decline between people with probable Alzheimer’s, mild cognitive impairment and healthy controls. It found that, in people with probable Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment that converted to
Alzheimer’s, there was a significant association...read the whole story
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Dementia rate in WA's Indigenous population world’s worst
The West Australian
3rd November 2008, 6:00 WST
Indigenous West Australians have the highest rates of dementia in the world and are five times more likely to suffer from the debilitating mental condition than their non-Indigenous neighbours, new research finds.
WHY???...read why
3rd November 2008, 6:00 WST
Indigenous West Australians have the highest rates of dementia in the world and are five times more likely to suffer from the debilitating mental condition than their non-Indigenous neighbours, new research finds.
WHY???...read why
Monday, November 3, 2008
Are you aware of all the latest information about Alzheimer's?
November is Alzheimer's awareness month
What are you doing to find out all you can about this mind robbing disease and related dementias?
Visit this blog often to find out the latest news.
Here is what the president had to say
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
During National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, we recognize the dignity and courage of the men and women living with Alzheimer's disease. We also honor the devoted family members and caretakers who bring them love and comfort, and we underscore our dedication to finding a cure for this tragic disease
...read the whole proclamation
Become an Alzheimer's advocate
What are you doing to find out all you can about this mind robbing disease and related dementias?
Visit this blog often to find out the latest news.
Here is what the president had to say
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
During National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, we recognize the dignity and courage of the men and women living with Alzheimer's disease. We also honor the devoted family members and caretakers who bring them love and comfort, and we underscore our dedication to finding a cure for this tragic disease
...read the whole proclamation
Become an Alzheimer's advocate
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Alzheimer's blog carnival
Here is another chance for you to comment and post the latest news you have seen about Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
News comes out daily. Knowledge is power. Be informrd. Be informing
Help others prevent Alzheimer's disease with relavent information whether it is personal information or information you have heard about in the news.
No spam please
News comes out daily. Knowledge is power. Be informrd. Be informing
Help others prevent Alzheimer's disease with relavent information whether it is personal information or information you have heard about in the news.
No spam please
Friday, October 31, 2008
Print Email Bookmark: Novel Therapeutic Compounds For Neurodegenerative Conditions
ScienceDaily (Oct. 28, 2008) — Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), disrupt the quality of life for patients, put a tremendous burden on family caregivers, and cost society billions of dollars annually.
The most consistent risk factor for developing neurodegenerative disease is aging. Because of the dramatic increase in life expectancy, the incidence of individuals afflicted with the aging-associated disorders is on the rise representing a major health problem. A commonality shared among this diverse set of disorders is the progressive and relentless loss of certain populations of neurons.
Current medications for......read the whole story
The most consistent risk factor for developing neurodegenerative disease is aging. Because of the dramatic increase in life expectancy, the incidence of individuals afflicted with the aging-associated disorders is on the rise representing a major health problem. A commonality shared among this diverse set of disorders is the progressive and relentless loss of certain populations of neurons.
Current medications for......read the whole story
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Depression among seniors can lead to dementia
Posted by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Janet Gibson
Health-care professionals should never stop trying to achieve a full recovery for seniors suffering from depression, according to a noted psychiatrist.
Dr. Monica Scalco, medical director of the Mood Clinic for Seniors at Whitby Mental Health Centre, told those attending a North Bay conference put on by the North East Mental Health Centre Oct. 23 that depression is common among seniors.
Almost one in five people will experience it in their lifetime, she said, adding, "It's treatable."
Therefore, it makes sense for doctors to screen their elderly patients for depression, which has historically been underdiagnosed and undertreated.
However, detecting it is often tricky, she warned, because seniors often discount their feelings and are hesitant to say they're sad. Instead, they say,
"I have such a wonderful family."
Full recovery should be the goal of treatment because of the......read the whole story
Health-care professionals should never stop trying to achieve a full recovery for seniors suffering from depression, according to a noted psychiatrist.
Dr. Monica Scalco, medical director of the Mood Clinic for Seniors at Whitby Mental Health Centre, told those attending a North Bay conference put on by the North East Mental Health Centre Oct. 23 that depression is common among seniors.
Almost one in five people will experience it in their lifetime, she said, adding, "It's treatable."
Therefore, it makes sense for doctors to screen their elderly patients for depression, which has historically been underdiagnosed and undertreated.
However, detecting it is often tricky, she warned, because seniors often discount their feelings and are hesitant to say they're sad. Instead, they say,
"I have such a wonderful family."
Full recovery should be the goal of treatment because of the......read the whole story
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
New Lifestyle Habits to Delay Alzheimer's Disease
FitcomHealth.com
Proactive Steps you can start doing today for better mental health and preventing Alzheimer's Disease
By Phyllis Staff, Ph.D.
Argh! Where are my glasses? I put them down…to do what? And when?
As the daughter of an Alzheimer's patient, this inability to keep up with everyday items, like my glasses and car keys, drives me absolutely nuts! Absent-mindedness has always plagued me. Now, it keeps me anxious and guessing. Is this an early sign of Alzheimer's disease? Could I end up like my father, crippled with this disease? I decided to stop worrying about it and act!
I searched the latest literature to see what techniques (no prescriptions, thank you!) could prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Here are some of the things I found.......read more
Proactive Steps you can start doing today for better mental health and preventing Alzheimer's Disease
By Phyllis Staff, Ph.D.
Argh! Where are my glasses? I put them down…to do what? And when?
As the daughter of an Alzheimer's patient, this inability to keep up with everyday items, like my glasses and car keys, drives me absolutely nuts! Absent-mindedness has always plagued me. Now, it keeps me anxious and guessing. Is this an early sign of Alzheimer's disease? Could I end up like my father, crippled with this disease? I decided to stop worrying about it and act!
I searched the latest literature to see what techniques (no prescriptions, thank you!) could prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Here are some of the things I found.......read more
Monday, October 27, 2008
Epilepsy drug could help cure Alzheimer's
Calgery Herald
Chad Skelton, Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, October 27, 2008
Researchers at the University of B.C. have discovered that a drug commonly used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder significantly reduces brain plaque in mice with Alzheimer's disease.
The discovery, if replicated in humans, could lead to major new treatments for the debilitating brain-wasting disease. "If this works . . . it's going to benefit every patient with Alzheimer's disease," said UBC psychiatry professor Weihong Song, who led the study.
Song and his colleagues took mice genetically modified to exhibit Alzheimer's-like symptoms and then treated them with valproic acid (VPA), a compound usually used as a mood stabilizer or anti-convulsant
They found the drug.....read the whole story
Chad Skelton, Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, October 27, 2008
Researchers at the University of B.C. have discovered that a drug commonly used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder significantly reduces brain plaque in mice with Alzheimer's disease.
The discovery, if replicated in humans, could lead to major new treatments for the debilitating brain-wasting disease. "If this works . . . it's going to benefit every patient with Alzheimer's disease," said UBC psychiatry professor Weihong Song, who led the study.
Song and his colleagues took mice genetically modified to exhibit Alzheimer's-like symptoms and then treated them with valproic acid (VPA), a compound usually used as a mood stabilizer or anti-convulsant
They found the drug.....read the whole story
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Visual arts: 'Alzheimer's from the inside out'
U. exhibit of a series of self-portraits sheds light on painter's descent into dementia.
By Brian Maffly
The Salt Lake Tribune
With an Alzheimer's diagnosis, the late American painter William Utermohlen, then 62, became his own chief subject. And with bittersweet irony, he created an oeuvre for which he will be best remembered, even as his artistic talent failed him.
Some of Utermohlen's late self-portraits will hang at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts next month, offering patrons a view into his gradual, frustrating decline into dementia, culminating with an inability to organize facial features into a cohesive vision of self.
The 17-painting exhibit is part of a two-month effort to bridge neuroscience and the arts in a way that promotes public understanding of a.....read the whole story
By Brian Maffly
The Salt Lake Tribune
With an Alzheimer's diagnosis, the late American painter William Utermohlen, then 62, became his own chief subject. And with bittersweet irony, he created an oeuvre for which he will be best remembered, even as his artistic talent failed him.
Some of Utermohlen's late self-portraits will hang at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts next month, offering patrons a view into his gradual, frustrating decline into dementia, culminating with an inability to organize facial features into a cohesive vision of self.
The 17-painting exhibit is part of a two-month effort to bridge neuroscience and the arts in a way that promotes public understanding of a.....read the whole story
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Alzheimer's Association Grant Furthers Successful Research at UMass Lowell
MarketWatch
'SmartPill' Uses Vitamin Formulation to Improve Brain Health, Memory
Researchers at UMass Lowell have demonstrated success in improving the memory and brain function of patients with Alzheimer's disease, findings that will be published in the December/January issue of the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Called the "SmartPill," the vitamin-based formulation has been shown to improve memory and recall speed in normal adults and Alzheimer's patients, without side effects. On Monday, Oct. 20, the Alzheimer's Association presented a grant, awarded competitively at the national level, to support additional clinical trials to test whether the formulation can delay the onset of the disease.
James Wessler, president and CEO of the Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, presented a check for $240,000 for three years to UMass Lowell Prof. Thomas Shea, the lead researcher on the "SmartPill." A licensing agreement to bring the pill to the market under the name MemoryXL to be sold without a prescription is in negotiations.
"This formulation is the first, non-prescription, low-cost intervention for Alzheimer's disease," says Shea, a professor in UMass Lowell's Biological Sciences Department. "One can start this at the first indication of memory problems, or even before for general brain health, instead of waiting for the severe deterioration of advancing Alzheimer's."
Shea, representatives of the Alzheimer's Association's Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter and UMass Lowell, including Chancellor Marty Meehan, were among those who attended.....read the whole article
'SmartPill' Uses Vitamin Formulation to Improve Brain Health, Memory
Researchers at UMass Lowell have demonstrated success in improving the memory and brain function of patients with Alzheimer's disease, findings that will be published in the December/January issue of the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Called the "SmartPill," the vitamin-based formulation has been shown to improve memory and recall speed in normal adults and Alzheimer's patients, without side effects. On Monday, Oct. 20, the Alzheimer's Association presented a grant, awarded competitively at the national level, to support additional clinical trials to test whether the formulation can delay the onset of the disease.
James Wessler, president and CEO of the Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, presented a check for $240,000 for three years to UMass Lowell Prof. Thomas Shea, the lead researcher on the "SmartPill." A licensing agreement to bring the pill to the market under the name MemoryXL to be sold without a prescription is in negotiations.
"This formulation is the first, non-prescription, low-cost intervention for Alzheimer's disease," says Shea, a professor in UMass Lowell's Biological Sciences Department. "One can start this at the first indication of memory problems, or even before for general brain health, instead of waiting for the severe deterioration of advancing Alzheimer's."
Shea, representatives of the Alzheimer's Association's Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter and UMass Lowell, including Chancellor Marty Meehan, were among those who attended.....read the whole article
Friday, October 24, 2008
New imaging procedure sure to help in Alzheimer's and other dementia diagnosis
WASHINGTON -- Imaging agents currently in development that could detect the abnormal amyloid plaques in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias could help doctors diagnose these conditions, a Food and Drug Administration panel of medical experts said Thursday.
Such agents, which would be used in combination with positron-emission tomography scans, are designed to essentially "light up" areas of the brain that contain amyloid on imaging scans, but so far none are FDA approved. Beta-amyloid is a protein contained in clumps or plaques seen in the brains of people who have died of Alzheimer's complications.
While it is not entirely clear what role amyloid plays in Alzheimer's disease, most researchers believe it is... read this story
you may also be interested in this
Such agents, which would be used in combination with positron-emission tomography scans, are designed to essentially "light up" areas of the brain that contain amyloid on imaging scans, but so far none are FDA approved. Beta-amyloid is a protein contained in clumps or plaques seen in the brains of people who have died of Alzheimer's complications.
While it is not entirely clear what role amyloid plays in Alzheimer's disease, most researchers believe it is... read this story
you may also be interested in this
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Black church, researchers join up to fend off cognitive decline
By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
Hopeful that there will be more effective treatments for Alzheimer's within his lifetime and that of his community, Brown spoke two years ago with Welsh-Bohmer about taking his church's relationship with the Duke researchers to a higher level. They began holding an annual health fair together, where blood pressure screenings, memory tests and other health data are gathered. Brown also decided to ramp up his health-related ministries, assigning leaders to each program. Most are seniors.
Among them, William McCoy, 58, a retired marine and teacher, and James Wyatt, 58, run the agricultural program — the orchard, garden and aquaculture. Gwendolyn Shorter, 70, a retired schoolteacher whose husband had Alzheimer's, heads up the fitness and walking ministry. Brown's oldest son, Vick, leads the music program.......read the whole article
comments
Hopeful that there will be more effective treatments for Alzheimer's within his lifetime and that of his community, Brown spoke two years ago with Welsh-Bohmer about taking his church's relationship with the Duke researchers to a higher level. They began holding an annual health fair together, where blood pressure screenings, memory tests and other health data are gathered. Brown also decided to ramp up his health-related ministries, assigning leaders to each program. Most are seniors.
Among them, William McCoy, 58, a retired marine and teacher, and James Wyatt, 58, run the agricultural program — the orchard, garden and aquaculture. Gwendolyn Shorter, 70, a retired schoolteacher whose husband had Alzheimer's, heads up the fitness and walking ministry. Brown's oldest son, Vick, leads the music program.......read the whole article
comments
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Amyloid- vaccination for Alzheimer's dementia
Bioportfolio from
The Lancet
Clive Holmes and colleagues1 report that the amyloid- vaccine AN1792 showed evidence of plaque removal in patients with Alzheimer's dementia, but......what. Click here
The Lancet
Clive Holmes and colleagues1 report that the amyloid- vaccine AN1792 showed evidence of plaque removal in patients with Alzheimer's dementia, but......what. Click here
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Sun's Role In Alzheimer's Disease Prevention And Control
InventorSpot
The sun is a natural and effective source of Vitamin D that we need to protect our bones, protect us from auto-immune diseases, help prevent Alzheimers disease,and protect us from certain kinds of cancers. Deficiencies in vitamin D are highly-linked to these diseases. Now, researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have found that Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to Parkinson's Disease.
Fifty-five percent of the Parkinson's patients studied were found to have a vitamin D insufficiently, a higher percentage even than the other group studied, patients with Alzheimer's,41 percent. Vitamin D insufficiently was found in 36 percent of healthy elderly members of the study.
Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease are tremors, stiffness, and slow muscle movement. Parkinson's affects nerve cells in the brain that use the chemical messenger dopamine to.......read the whole article
The sun is a natural and effective source of Vitamin D that we need to protect our bones, protect us from auto-immune diseases, help prevent Alzheimers disease,and protect us from certain kinds of cancers. Deficiencies in vitamin D are highly-linked to these diseases. Now, researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have found that Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to Parkinson's Disease.
Fifty-five percent of the Parkinson's patients studied were found to have a vitamin D insufficiently, a higher percentage even than the other group studied, patients with Alzheimer's,41 percent. Vitamin D insufficiently was found in 36 percent of healthy elderly members of the study.
Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease are tremors, stiffness, and slow muscle movement. Parkinson's affects nerve cells in the brain that use the chemical messenger dopamine to.......read the whole article
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Are you an Alzheimer's advocate yet?
Alzheimer advocates made great strides in getting cosponsors for the Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act (S. 2102, H.R. 154). The bill lists 103 US House cosponsors and 23 US Senate cosponsors!
This bill would phase out the two-year waiting period for Medicare coverage for persons under age 65 diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease who may have lost a job and employer-based health insurance.
Unfortunately, the bill will not pass this year. We will ramp up our efforts again in early 2009 to ensure the bill is reintroduced and our race for cosponsors will resume.
We need your help
Click here to become an Alzheimer's advocate
Click here to read more
This bill would phase out the two-year waiting period for Medicare coverage for persons under age 65 diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease who may have lost a job and employer-based health insurance.
Unfortunately, the bill will not pass this year. We will ramp up our efforts again in early 2009 to ensure the bill is reintroduced and our race for cosponsors will resume.
We need your help
Click here to become an Alzheimer's advocate
Click here to read more
Friday, October 17, 2008
Web surfing could keep dementia at bay
MSNBC
By Andrea Thompson
Senior Writer
For middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet could be a boost to the brain, a new study suggests.
In recent years, several studies have showed a link between pursuing activities that keep the mind engaged, such as crossword puzzles and memory games, and a lowered risk of cognitive decline later in life.
As the brain ages, a number of structural and functional changes occur, including atrophy, reductions in cell activity, and increases in deposits of amyloid plaques and tau tangles (both associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias ), all of which can affect...read the whole story
By Andrea Thompson
Senior Writer
For middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet could be a boost to the brain, a new study suggests.
In recent years, several studies have showed a link between pursuing activities that keep the mind engaged, such as crossword puzzles and memory games, and a lowered risk of cognitive decline later in life.
As the brain ages, a number of structural and functional changes occur, including atrophy, reductions in cell activity, and increases in deposits of amyloid plaques and tau tangles (both associated with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias ), all of which can affect...read the whole story
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Thank you readers for making Alzheimer’s Disease: Early Detection Matters #1!
Because of the support of readers of this blog and other concerned individuals, the Alzheimer's Association has earned first place in the American Express Members Project.
The Alzheimer's Asociation will get 1.5 million dollars to begin an education campaign highlighting the importance of early detection among physicians and the general public. This is a positive step toward helping those who go undiagnosed for many years, losing valuable time that could be spent planning for the future and starting treatment.
read the whole story
Know the early warning signs of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
Click here for more info
Click here to become an Alzheimer's advocate
The Alzheimer's Asociation will get 1.5 million dollars to begin an education campaign highlighting the importance of early detection among physicians and the general public. This is a positive step toward helping those who go undiagnosed for many years, losing valuable time that could be spent planning for the future and starting treatment.
read the whole story
Know the early warning signs of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
Click here for more info
Click here to become an Alzheimer's advocate
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Moderate drinking could increase dementia risks: study
Smaller brain increases risk of dementia
CTV.ca News Staff
It's possible to drink your way to a smaller brain, according to new study that links alcohol consumption with lower total brain volume.
In a study of nearly 1,900 adults, researchers found that those who consumed more than 14 alcoholic beverages per week had brains that were about 1 per cent smaller compared to brains of never drinkers.....read the whole story
CTV.ca News Staff
It's possible to drink your way to a smaller brain, according to new study that links alcohol consumption with lower total brain volume.
In a study of nearly 1,900 adults, researchers found that those who consumed more than 14 alcoholic beverages per week had brains that were about 1 per cent smaller compared to brains of never drinkers.....read the whole story
Monday, October 13, 2008
Get 2 1/2 hours of exercise per week, U.S. says
Follow these guidelines or risk developing Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia later in life
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Adults should aim to get in 2 1/2 hours of exercise a week and children should run and play for at least an hour a day, according to new exercise guidelines issued by the U.S. government on Tuesday.
The guidelines, meant to be akin to the "Food Pyramid" nutritional advice, are based on studies that show clear health benefits from regular, moderate exercise.
"More than 59 percent of adults don't get enough physical activity and a quarter of adults aren't active.....read the whole article
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Adults should aim to get in 2 1/2 hours of exercise a week and children should run and play for at least an hour a day, according to new exercise guidelines issued by the U.S. government on Tuesday.
The guidelines, meant to be akin to the "Food Pyramid" nutritional advice, are based on studies that show clear health benefits from regular, moderate exercise.
"More than 59 percent of adults don't get enough physical activity and a quarter of adults aren't active.....read the whole article
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Grape Seed Extract Thwarts Alzheimer’s
Srop Aging Now
Healthier Longer Life Through Knowledge and Nutrition
By Gale Maleskey, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian
Grape seed extract is showing potential as a way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related memory loss. A study by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City, found that the extract prevented the build-up of amyloid plaques, large protein molecules that interfere with brain function. Amyloid plaques are considered a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, but the truth is, they’re found in most older brains. People with Alzheimer’s just have more of them.
Grape seed extract is loaded with polyphenols, especially one group called....read the whole article
Healthier Longer Life Through Knowledge and Nutrition
By Gale Maleskey, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian
Grape seed extract is showing potential as a way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related memory loss. A study by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City, found that the extract prevented the build-up of amyloid plaques, large protein molecules that interfere with brain function. Amyloid plaques are considered a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, but the truth is, they’re found in most older brains. People with Alzheimer’s just have more of them.
Grape seed extract is loaded with polyphenols, especially one group called....read the whole article
Friday, October 10, 2008
The DNA diet and dementia
Red Orbit
Posted on: Thursday, 9 October 2008, 03:00 CDT
By Parslow, Virginia
The development of personalised diets tailored to our genes will help us to both maintain health and relieve disease. Current dietary guidelines provide a "one-size fits all" approach that ignores the genetic differences between individuals. However, studies of the interaction of genes and diet are now coming of age as a result of the sequencing of the human, mouse and rat genomes, improved understanding of the mechanisms that underlie chronic inflammation, and new understandings of the ways in which macronutrients and micronutrients interact with our genetic make-up.
Macronutrients and micronutrients influence the metabolic programming of cells and help control homeostasis. But equally important is how any one person's body will use and respond to nutrients, which is driven at least in part by their genetic make- up.
Prof Bruce Ames of the University of California, Berkeley, says that micronutrient deficiencies are widespread and may be a major preventable cause of the diseases of ageing. Ames" theory states diat the degenerative diseases that accompany ageing, such as immune dysfunction, cancer, cognitive decline....read the whole story
Posted on: Thursday, 9 October 2008, 03:00 CDT
By Parslow, Virginia
The development of personalised diets tailored to our genes will help us to both maintain health and relieve disease. Current dietary guidelines provide a "one-size fits all" approach that ignores the genetic differences between individuals. However, studies of the interaction of genes and diet are now coming of age as a result of the sequencing of the human, mouse and rat genomes, improved understanding of the mechanisms that underlie chronic inflammation, and new understandings of the ways in which macronutrients and micronutrients interact with our genetic make-up.
Macronutrients and micronutrients influence the metabolic programming of cells and help control homeostasis. But equally important is how any one person's body will use and respond to nutrients, which is driven at least in part by their genetic make- up.
Prof Bruce Ames of the University of California, Berkeley, says that micronutrient deficiencies are widespread and may be a major preventable cause of the diseases of ageing. Ames" theory states diat the degenerative diseases that accompany ageing, such as immune dysfunction, cancer, cognitive decline....read the whole story
Abdominal obesity raises dementia risk years later
American Medical Network
Having an “apple-shaped,” rather than a “pear-shaped” body at middle-age appears to increase the later-life risk of dementia, California researchers report.
Moreover, the link between abdominal obesity and increased dementia risk appears to be independent of overall body weight and the presence of diabetes or cardiovascular disease, report Dr. Rachel A. Whitmer, from Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, in Oakland, and colleagues.
These findings, published in the medical journal Neurology, add to increasing evidence of the dangers of...read the whole story
Having an “apple-shaped,” rather than a “pear-shaped” body at middle-age appears to increase the later-life risk of dementia, California researchers report.
Moreover, the link between abdominal obesity and increased dementia risk appears to be independent of overall body weight and the presence of diabetes or cardiovascular disease, report Dr. Rachel A. Whitmer, from Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, in Oakland, and colleagues.
These findings, published in the medical journal Neurology, add to increasing evidence of the dangers of...read the whole story
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Could Loss of Brain Volume be Tied to Dementia?
US NEWS and WORLD REPORT
Health
Posted October 6, 2008
(HealthDay News) -- Occasionally forget an appointment or a friend's name? Then you may have a loss of brain volume, a new study suggests.
Researchers scanned the brains of almost 500 people reporting such momentary forgetfulness and found that the size of their hippocampus -- an area of the brain important for memory and one of the first areas damaged by Alzheimer's disease -- was a few fractions of a millimeter smaller than people without such lapses.
The study was expected to be published in the Oct. 7 issue of Neurology.
"These occasional, subjective memory complaints could be the earliest sign of problems with memory and thinking skills, and we were able to discover that these subjective memory complaints were linked to smaller brain volumes," study author Dr. Frank-Erik de Leeuw, a neurologist and clinical epidemiologist with Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, in the Netherlands, said in an American Academy of Neurology news release.
Most of the study participants reported having occasional memory or thinking problems. These subjective memory problems, which don't show up on regular tests of memory and thinking skills, are not considered signs of early dementia.
"To further strengthen the possible connection between the subjective memory complaints, size of.....read the whole story
Health
Posted October 6, 2008
(HealthDay News) -- Occasionally forget an appointment or a friend's name? Then you may have a loss of brain volume, a new study suggests.
Researchers scanned the brains of almost 500 people reporting such momentary forgetfulness and found that the size of their hippocampus -- an area of the brain important for memory and one of the first areas damaged by Alzheimer's disease -- was a few fractions of a millimeter smaller than people without such lapses.
The study was expected to be published in the Oct. 7 issue of Neurology.
"These occasional, subjective memory complaints could be the earliest sign of problems with memory and thinking skills, and we were able to discover that these subjective memory complaints were linked to smaller brain volumes," study author Dr. Frank-Erik de Leeuw, a neurologist and clinical epidemiologist with Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, in the Netherlands, said in an American Academy of Neurology news release.
Most of the study participants reported having occasional memory or thinking problems. These subjective memory problems, which don't show up on regular tests of memory and thinking skills, are not considered signs of early dementia.
"To further strengthen the possible connection between the subjective memory complaints, size of.....read the whole story
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Medical-marijuana aand dementia
Editorial
DelcoTimes.com
And California's right to allow someone to dispense marijuana to patients suffering from AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, and related dementias anorexia, cancer, Crohn's Disease, epilepsy or any other disease proved to have pain and nausea alleviated by the herb, was made clear recently, too.
Charles Lynch was found guilty in a federal court Aug. 5 of five counts of distributing drugs. Lynch, 46, owned and operated a medical-marijuana dispensary
click here to read the whole editorial
DelcoTimes.com
And California's right to allow someone to dispense marijuana to patients suffering from AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, and related dementias anorexia, cancer, Crohn's Disease, epilepsy or any other disease proved to have pain and nausea alleviated by the herb, was made clear recently, too.
Charles Lynch was found guilty in a federal court Aug. 5 of five counts of distributing drugs. Lynch, 46, owned and operated a medical-marijuana dispensary
click here to read the whole editorial
Monday, October 6, 2008
Trusted Information of Acupuncture Ayurveda Yoga Stress, Alzheimer's, Depression Diabetes by Rvita.com
Have you ever thought of alternative therapy for Alzheimer's and related dementias?
Rvita.com provides information on ACUPUNCTURE, AYURVEDA, YOGA and other alternative therapies in the treatment of CHRONIC DISEASES such as STRESS, OBESITY, ALZHEIMER'S, DEMENTIA, DEPRESSION, and DIABETES.
Many people suffering from chronic conditions are concerned about the potential side effects of medications. Rvita.com provides information on alternative and natural treatments which do not carry the risks of pharmaceutical medications. Many people find that many chronic diseases can be effectively treated using alternative therapies without harmful effects. Treatments many include.......Radd the whole article
Rvita.com provides information on ACUPUNCTURE, AYURVEDA, YOGA and other alternative therapies in the treatment of CHRONIC DISEASES such as STRESS, OBESITY, ALZHEIMER'S, DEMENTIA, DEPRESSION, and DIABETES.
Many people suffering from chronic conditions are concerned about the potential side effects of medications. Rvita.com provides information on alternative and natural treatments which do not carry the risks of pharmaceutical medications. Many people find that many chronic diseases can be effectively treated using alternative therapies without harmful effects. Treatments many include.......Radd the whole article
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Fighting for life: Dementia and the elderly
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 10/4/2008 4:05:00 AM
Could a person suffering dementia be put to death? It could happen if a British ethics adviser has her way.
Baroness Helen Mary Warnock, a medical ethics expert and a British government advisor, has been very influential in England. Ken Connor, president of the Center for a Just Society in America, says her beliefs concerning people suffering from dementia have been expressed quite clearly.
"In an interview with the Church of Scotland's Life and Work magazine, [she] advocated in effect that the demented have a duty to die, that they are a waste to their family members and to the resources of the state," Connor explains.
Connor asserts that Warnock believes people ought to have an advance directive permitting someone else to kill them if......read the whole article
Could a person suffering dementia be put to death? It could happen if a British ethics adviser has her way.
Baroness Helen Mary Warnock, a medical ethics expert and a British government advisor, has been very influential in England. Ken Connor, president of the Center for a Just Society in America, says her beliefs concerning people suffering from dementia have been expressed quite clearly.
"In an interview with the Church of Scotland's Life and Work magazine, [she] advocated in effect that the demented have a duty to die, that they are a waste to their family members and to the resources of the state," Connor explains.
Connor asserts that Warnock believes people ought to have an advance directive permitting someone else to kill them if......read the whole article
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Vasectomy may lead to dementia, says study
Spero News
Men who have had vasectomies are significantly more likely to develop dementia caused by brain deterioration; researcher says this may be caused by a breach of the blood/testis barrier that produces immune reaction.
click here to read the whole article and a comment
WebMD
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD
-- Ties to Rare Form of Dementia Seen in Early Research Must Be Confirmed
Having a vasectomy may increase a man’s risk of developing a rare form of dementia, early research suggests, although more study is needed to confirm the finding.
Researchers at Chicago’s Northwestern University found that men with a neurological condition known as primary progressive aphasia, or PPA, were more likely to have had the sterilization surgery than men without the disorder.
PPA is a rare condition characterized by a steady loss of language skills.
read what ws written at WebMD
Men who have had vasectomies are significantly more likely to develop dementia caused by brain deterioration; researcher says this may be caused by a breach of the blood/testis barrier that produces immune reaction.
click here to read the whole article and a comment
WebMD
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD
-- Ties to Rare Form of Dementia Seen in Early Research Must Be Confirmed
Having a vasectomy may increase a man’s risk of developing a rare form of dementia, early research suggests, although more study is needed to confirm the finding.
Researchers at Chicago’s Northwestern University found that men with a neurological condition known as primary progressive aphasia, or PPA, were more likely to have had the sterilization surgery than men without the disorder.
PPA is a rare condition characterized by a steady loss of language skills.
read what ws written at WebMD
Friday, October 3, 2008
New Predictors May Signal Dementia Risk in Early Parkinson's
Medscape Medical News
Allison Gantley
(Salt Lake City, Utah) — Early bulbar and autonomic dysfunction may predict the onset of dementia in early Parkinson's disease, report investigators. Presenting here at the American Neurological Association 133rd Annual Meeting, researchers unveiled 2 possible new predictors and outlined the incidence of dementia in early Parkinson's disease. Their findings are based on the well-known Deprenyl and Tocopherol Antioxidative Therapy for Parkinson's Disease (DATATOP), a long-term study of 800 patients with early untreated Parkinson's.
"There should be increased awareness that....sign up for Medscape.Earn CEUs. Read the whole article
Allison Gantley
(Salt Lake City, Utah) — Early bulbar and autonomic dysfunction may predict the onset of dementia in early Parkinson's disease, report investigators. Presenting here at the American Neurological Association 133rd Annual Meeting, researchers unveiled 2 possible new predictors and outlined the incidence of dementia in early Parkinson's disease. Their findings are based on the well-known Deprenyl and Tocopherol Antioxidative Therapy for Parkinson's Disease (DATATOP), a long-term study of 800 patients with early untreated Parkinson's.
"There should be increased awareness that....sign up for Medscape.Earn CEUs. Read the whole article
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Helping dementia victims overcome fears of bathing
dailybreeze.com
By Helen Dennis
Article Launched: 10/01/2008 09:28:11 PM PDT
Several tips recommended by the Alzheimer's Association and the Alzheimer's Society of Canada may remove some of the fears and barriers to bathing:
Bathing should be a regular routine, done at the same time of day and using the same steps.
Prepare the bath ahead of time, laying out the soap, washcloth, shampoo and towels, and have the water in the tub.
Make the bath warm and inviting; provide adequate lighting.
Respect the need for modesty. Allow the person to bathe in underwear, a swimsuit or wrapped in a towel.
Use large beach towels or bath blankets that completely wrap around the person to ensure privacy and warmth.
Try using a hand-held showerhead and make sure the spray is not too strong.
Lay a towel or colored tape on the tub to distinguish the edge.
Consider sponge-bathing if the individual resists a bath or shower.
Stay calm and move step by step in the......
click here for a comment and the story
By Helen Dennis
Article Launched: 10/01/2008 09:28:11 PM PDT
Several tips recommended by the Alzheimer's Association and the Alzheimer's Society of Canada may remove some of the fears and barriers to bathing:
Bathing should be a regular routine, done at the same time of day and using the same steps.
Prepare the bath ahead of time, laying out the soap, washcloth, shampoo and towels, and have the water in the tub.
Make the bath warm and inviting; provide adequate lighting.
Respect the need for modesty. Allow the person to bathe in underwear, a swimsuit or wrapped in a towel.
Use large beach towels or bath blankets that completely wrap around the person to ensure privacy and warmth.
Try using a hand-held showerhead and make sure the spray is not too strong.
Lay a towel or colored tape on the tub to distinguish the edge.
Consider sponge-bathing if the individual resists a bath or shower.
Stay calm and move step by step in the......
click here for a comment and the story
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Ahead of the Bell: Pfizer New Alzheimer's Drug?
Forbes
NEW YORK - Drug maker Pfizer Inc. is reportedly planning to stop developing drugs for heart disease, obesity and bone health to focus on more profitable fields such as treatments for cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
New York-based Pfizer (nyse: PFE - news - people )'s products include the cholesterol drug Lipitor, the world's top-selling pharmaceutical product with quarterly sales of $3 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported that Pfizer will complete development of late stage drug candidates for those diseases.....read the whole story
NEW YORK - Drug maker Pfizer Inc. is reportedly planning to stop developing drugs for heart disease, obesity and bone health to focus on more profitable fields such as treatments for cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
New York-based Pfizer (nyse: PFE - news - people )'s products include the cholesterol drug Lipitor, the world's top-selling pharmaceutical product with quarterly sales of $3 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported that Pfizer will complete development of late stage drug candidates for those diseases.....read the whole story
Sunday, September 28, 2008
'Absent Impressions' sheds light on relentless slide into dementia
Artist's impression of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
mlive.com
by Grayce Scholt | Contributing writer
Grand Blanc artist James Shurter explores his perception of his mother's loss of memory as she experiences the ravages of dementia in an exhibit titled "Absent Impressions" at Mott Community College's Fine Arts Gallery.
Upon entering the gallery, viewers are confronted with "Fragments," two large transparent panels hanging from above that are covered with jumbles of letters, numbers and parts of words.
They lead to "Ephemeral," a powerful video installation that dominates the exhibit.
It shows the diffused face of a woman as she moves almost imperceptibly, but certainly, through five transformations. It's as if the woman is trying to decipher the jumbled letters and numbers in front of her that never come together, that never make sense.
Shurter said this is his visual representation of a person who is experiencing Alzheimer's or another dementia's unalterable confusion.....read the whole story
mlive.com
by Grayce Scholt | Contributing writer
Grand Blanc artist James Shurter explores his perception of his mother's loss of memory as she experiences the ravages of dementia in an exhibit titled "Absent Impressions" at Mott Community College's Fine Arts Gallery.
Upon entering the gallery, viewers are confronted with "Fragments," two large transparent panels hanging from above that are covered with jumbles of letters, numbers and parts of words.
They lead to "Ephemeral," a powerful video installation that dominates the exhibit.
It shows the diffused face of a woman as she moves almost imperceptibly, but certainly, through five transformations. It's as if the woman is trying to decipher the jumbled letters and numbers in front of her that never come together, that never make sense.
Shurter said this is his visual representation of a person who is experiencing Alzheimer's or another dementia's unalterable confusion.....read the whole story
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Barack Obama campaign is running false promise of Alzheimer's cure
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The radio ad the Barack Obama campaign is running that falsely accuses John McCain of opposing stem cell research and misleads listeners on the best hope for diabetes patients has another problem. The ad promises cures for Alzheimer’s even though leading scientists say the disease likely won't benefit.
"Stem cell research could unlock cures for diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s, too. But John McCain has stood in the way ... he's opposed stem cell research," the ad claims.
However, leading scientists say that embryonic stem cell research will likely never yield a cure for Alzheimer's.
"Alzheimer's is a more global disease, with an effect on numerous kinds of cells," Steve Stice, a stem cell researcher at the University of Georgia, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper previously. "That makes it much more difficult for a cell therapy to be effective."
In a patient afflicted with Alzheimer's, clumps of protein called amyloid build up within the brain and begin attacking various types of cells and the connections between cells.
Other researchers agree that potential cures, if they come about, won't happen soon.
"I think the chance of doing repairs to Alzheimer's brains by putting in.....read the whole article
LifeNews.com Editor
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The radio ad the Barack Obama campaign is running that falsely accuses John McCain of opposing stem cell research and misleads listeners on the best hope for diabetes patients has another problem. The ad promises cures for Alzheimer’s even though leading scientists say the disease likely won't benefit.
"Stem cell research could unlock cures for diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s, too. But John McCain has stood in the way ... he's opposed stem cell research," the ad claims.
However, leading scientists say that embryonic stem cell research will likely never yield a cure for Alzheimer's.
"Alzheimer's is a more global disease, with an effect on numerous kinds of cells," Steve Stice, a stem cell researcher at the University of Georgia, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper previously. "That makes it much more difficult for a cell therapy to be effective."
In a patient afflicted with Alzheimer's, clumps of protein called amyloid build up within the brain and begin attacking various types of cells and the connections between cells.
Other researchers agree that potential cures, if they come about, won't happen soon.
"I think the chance of doing repairs to Alzheimer's brains by putting in.....read the whole article
Friday, September 26, 2008
Carnosine fights brain disease including Alzheimers
Foodconsumer.org
By Ben Wasserman
Diet Health : Nutrition
Chinese scientists reviewed studies and said carnosine or beta-alanyl-L-histidine found in animal tissue such as brain and skeletal muscle tissue can help fight many disease of central nervous system including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and cerebral ischemic diseases.
The authors said carnosine....read the whole story
Consumer-friendly Health Site
By Ben Wasserman
Diet Health : Nutrition
Chinese scientists reviewed studies and said carnosine or beta-alanyl-L-histidine found in animal tissue such as brain and skeletal muscle tissue can help fight many disease of central nervous system including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and cerebral ischemic diseases.
The authors said carnosine....read the whole story
Consumer-friendly Health Site
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Scientist uses reprogrammed cells to study Alzheimer’s
JS ONLINE: NEWS: WISCONSIN:
By MARK JOHNSON
Madison - Ten months after scientists in Madison and Japan reprogrammed human skin cells back to an embryonic state, Lawrence Goldstein of the University of California-San Diego is collecting skin samples from patients with Alzheimer's disease and hoping the new technique will offer a unique window into the disease.
Previously, scientists often had to rely on animal models to research a disease such as Alzheimer’s.
“We have worn out what we can do with animal models,” Goldstein told the World Stem Cell Summit on Monday.
Goldstein’s work is part of a surge of stem cell research in the past year. But the new work has been accompanied by mounting expectations almost 10 years after James Thomson isolated the first human embryonic stem cells.
Now scientists can...read the whole article
By MARK JOHNSON
Madison - Ten months after scientists in Madison and Japan reprogrammed human skin cells back to an embryonic state, Lawrence Goldstein of the University of California-San Diego is collecting skin samples from patients with Alzheimer's disease and hoping the new technique will offer a unique window into the disease.
Previously, scientists often had to rely on animal models to research a disease such as Alzheimer’s.
“We have worn out what we can do with animal models,” Goldstein told the World Stem Cell Summit on Monday.
Goldstein’s work is part of a surge of stem cell research in the past year. But the new work has been accompanied by mounting expectations almost 10 years after James Thomson isolated the first human embryonic stem cells.
Now scientists can...read the whole article
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
British ethicist: Alzheimer's and Other Dementia patients should consider ending lives
USA Today
From Britain comes word that a leading medical ethicist is advocating that dementia sufferers think about ending their lives to ease the burden on their families and the national health service.
"If you're demented, you're wasting people's lives — your family's lives — and you're wasting the resources of the National Health Service," Baroness Warnock, 84, said in an interview with Life and Work, the magazine of the Church of Scotland.
"I'm absolutely, fully in agreement with the argument that if pain is insufferable, then someone should be given help to die, but I feel there's a wider argument that if somebody absolutely, desperately wants to die because they're a burden to their family, or the state, then I think they too should be allowed to die."
Warnock, a longtime supporter of euthanasia, said.....read the whole story
I do not agree with this. What do you think?
From Britain comes word that a leading medical ethicist is advocating that dementia sufferers think about ending their lives to ease the burden on their families and the national health service.
"If you're demented, you're wasting people's lives — your family's lives — and you're wasting the resources of the National Health Service," Baroness Warnock, 84, said in an interview with Life and Work, the magazine of the Church of Scotland.
"I'm absolutely, fully in agreement with the argument that if pain is insufferable, then someone should be given help to die, but I feel there's a wider argument that if somebody absolutely, desperately wants to die because they're a burden to their family, or the state, then I think they too should be allowed to die."
Warnock, a longtime supporter of euthanasia, said.....read the whole story
I do not agree with this. What do you think?
Monday, September 22, 2008
Simple Blood Test Could Spot Alzheimer's Risk
Forbes
HealthDay News) -- A simple blood test to identify people at risk for Alzheimer's disease may be close at hand, according to researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.
They found that blood plasma levels of a peptide called Amyloid Beta (AB42) appear to increase before the onset of Alzheimer's and decrease shortly after a person develops the disease, which may be because AB42 becomes trapped in the brain.
"To date, AB42 levels have measured most reliably in the cerebrospinal fluid, which is more difficult to collect than blood. Blood draws can be done with relative ease and greater frequency than spinal taps, which is typically the way cerebrospinal fluid is collected," study lead author Nicole Schupf, associate professor of clinical epidemiology, said in a Columbia news release.
The study was published online Sept. 8 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The finding is similar to that seen in heart attack patients, who...read the whole article
HealthDay News) -- A simple blood test to identify people at risk for Alzheimer's disease may be close at hand, according to researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.
They found that blood plasma levels of a peptide called Amyloid Beta (AB42) appear to increase before the onset of Alzheimer's and decrease shortly after a person develops the disease, which may be because AB42 becomes trapped in the brain.
"To date, AB42 levels have measured most reliably in the cerebrospinal fluid, which is more difficult to collect than blood. Blood draws can be done with relative ease and greater frequency than spinal taps, which is typically the way cerebrospinal fluid is collected," study lead author Nicole Schupf, associate professor of clinical epidemiology, said in a Columbia news release.
The study was published online Sept. 8 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The finding is similar to that seen in heart attack patients, who...read the whole article
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Could ECT Treatment Work for Those with Alzheimer's and Other Dementia-Related Pathological Yelling?
J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 20:379-380, August 2008
doi: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.20.3.379
© 2008 American Neuropsychiatric Association
ECT Treatment for Two Cases of Dementia-Related Pathological Yelling
To the Editor: Current guidelines support the use of ECT in individuals with mood disorders unresponsive to pharmacologic treatments.1 Recently, ECT has been identified as an effective intervention for medication refractory verbal and physical agitation in patients with dementia, developmental disability, and traumatic brain injury.2,3 Behavioral dyscontrol presenting as verbal agitation (inappropriate vocalizations or chronic hollering unexplained by other causes) is a common and troublesome dementia-related condition and is difficult to manage in a long-term care setting.4 Among patients demonstrating extensive episodes of verbal agitation secondary to dementia or other underlying illnesses (namely major depression or bipolar mania), the primary intervention after the failure of nonpharmacological measures is the judicious use of evidence-based medications.5 ECT use is generally reserved for refractory circumstances or when medications are poorly tolerated.6 We report two cases of successful use of ECT for patients with dementia who demonstrated severe verbal agitation and presented no known previous history of major depressive or mood disorders.
Case 1
Ms. A is an 88-year-old woman with no previous psychiatric admissions and a 6-year history of probable Alzheimer’s disease dementia and Parkinson’s disease. She was transferred to the medical psychiatry unit from a nursing home...read the whole letter
doi: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.20.3.379
© 2008 American Neuropsychiatric Association
ECT Treatment for Two Cases of Dementia-Related Pathological Yelling
To the Editor: Current guidelines support the use of ECT in individuals with mood disorders unresponsive to pharmacologic treatments.1 Recently, ECT has been identified as an effective intervention for medication refractory verbal and physical agitation in patients with dementia, developmental disability, and traumatic brain injury.2,3 Behavioral dyscontrol presenting as verbal agitation (inappropriate vocalizations or chronic hollering unexplained by other causes) is a common and troublesome dementia-related condition and is difficult to manage in a long-term care setting.4 Among patients demonstrating extensive episodes of verbal agitation secondary to dementia or other underlying illnesses (namely major depression or bipolar mania), the primary intervention after the failure of nonpharmacological measures is the judicious use of evidence-based medications.5 ECT use is generally reserved for refractory circumstances or when medications are poorly tolerated.6 We report two cases of successful use of ECT for patients with dementia who demonstrated severe verbal agitation and presented no known previous history of major depressive or mood disorders.
Case 1
Ms. A is an 88-year-old woman with no previous psychiatric admissions and a 6-year history of probable Alzheimer’s disease dementia and Parkinson’s disease. She was transferred to the medical psychiatry unit from a nursing home...read the whole letter
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Exercise vs Alzheimer's
—McClatchy Tribune newspapers
September 19, 2008
After putting 160 elderly volunteers through a battery of exercises, researchers at the University of Kansas School of Medicine say exercising and staying physically fit may slow the relentless, mind-robbing progress of Alzheimer's disease. "This offers hope for all of us," said KU neurologist Jeffrey Burns. "Exercise is cheap. Everybody can do it. If it does impact Alzheimer's disease, we should be treating people with exercise."
Implications
About 5.2 million Americans now live with Alzheimer's. By 2050, that number could swell to 11 million to 16 million. If ways can be found to postpone Alzheimer's by as little as two years, nearly 2 million cases of the disease could be avoided.
Brain shrinkage
Burns and his colleagues have found that brain shrinkage, an inevitable consequence of Alzheimer's, was less pronounced in people who had the disease and were physically fit. By doing scans that.....read the whole article
read a comment
September 19, 2008
After putting 160 elderly volunteers through a battery of exercises, researchers at the University of Kansas School of Medicine say exercising and staying physically fit may slow the relentless, mind-robbing progress of Alzheimer's disease. "This offers hope for all of us," said KU neurologist Jeffrey Burns. "Exercise is cheap. Everybody can do it. If it does impact Alzheimer's disease, we should be treating people with exercise."
Implications
About 5.2 million Americans now live with Alzheimer's. By 2050, that number could swell to 11 million to 16 million. If ways can be found to postpone Alzheimer's by as little as two years, nearly 2 million cases of the disease could be avoided.
Brain shrinkage
Burns and his colleagues have found that brain shrinkage, an inevitable consequence of Alzheimer's, was less pronounced in people who had the disease and were physically fit. By doing scans that.....read the whole article
read a comment
Friday, September 19, 2008
Once again I ask,"Are you an Alzheimer's advocate yet?"
Alzheimer Advocacy Team
Alzheimer research funding will remain stalled at approximately $644 million for the next few months. There are only days left until Congress adjourns and Congressional leaders have decided that work on the annual appropriations bills for fiscal year 2009 (which begins Oct. 1, 2008) will be postponed until after the election.
Congress will pass a “continuing resolution” (CR) to temporarily fund all federal government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at 2008 levels. The CR will also fund programs that support Alzheimer caregivers (see chart below).
The Congressional schedule beyond September is unclear at this point. Congress may convene after November 4 to deal with unfinished business including passing another “continuing resolution” to keep the government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at 2008 levels. The CR will also fund programs that support Alzheimer caregivers (see chart below).
The Congressional schedule beyond September is unclear at this point. Congress may convene after November 4 to deal with unfinished business including passing another “continuing resolution” to keep the government operating through early 2009. It is also possible that lawmakers could use a “lame duck session” to finish work on funding approved by the Appropriations Committees in July 2008
You can help by joining the Members Projest
click
here to learn about it anf make a difference
You can become an Alzheimers Advocate by clicking here
Alzheimer research funding will remain stalled at approximately $644 million for the next few months. There are only days left until Congress adjourns and Congressional leaders have decided that work on the annual appropriations bills for fiscal year 2009 (which begins Oct. 1, 2008) will be postponed until after the election.
Congress will pass a “continuing resolution” (CR) to temporarily fund all federal government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at 2008 levels. The CR will also fund programs that support Alzheimer caregivers (see chart below).
The Congressional schedule beyond September is unclear at this point. Congress may convene after November 4 to deal with unfinished business including passing another “continuing resolution” to keep the government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at 2008 levels. The CR will also fund programs that support Alzheimer caregivers (see chart below).
The Congressional schedule beyond September is unclear at this point. Congress may convene after November 4 to deal with unfinished business including passing another “continuing resolution” to keep the government operating through early 2009. It is also possible that lawmakers could use a “lame duck session” to finish work on funding approved by the Appropriations Committees in July 2008
You can help by joining the Members Projest
click
here to learn about it anf make a difference
You can become an Alzheimers Advocate by clicking here
Thursday, September 18, 2008
ScienceDaily (Sep. 2008) — Investigators at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) announced a link between the brain protein KIBRA and Alzheimer's disease, a discovery that could lead to promising new treatments for this memory-robbing disorder.
The new discovery builds on a previous TGen-led study published in the journal Science, which showed a genetic link between KIBRA and memory in healthy adults.
In the new study, TGen researchers found that carriers of a memory-enhancing flavor of the KIBRA gene had a 25 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
The findings were reported ....read the whole article
The new discovery builds on a previous TGen-led study published in the journal Science, which showed a genetic link between KIBRA and memory in healthy adults.
In the new study, TGen researchers found that carriers of a memory-enhancing flavor of the KIBRA gene had a 25 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
The findings were reported ....read the whole article
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Why You Should Embrace World Alzheimer's Day on, Sunday, September 21
PRlog
Sep 16, 2008
What do you know about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias?
How can you decrease your chances of getting thesread the whole articlee disease?
How can you help someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia?
This year’s theme is "No time to lose" with a focus this year on caregivers by emphasising and celebrating the contribution they make to society and giving them the recognition they deserve!
Yes, there is an urgency for all to learn about these diseases and do what they can to prevent them in themselves. Also legislators need to be...read the whole article
Sep 16, 2008
What do you know about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias?
How can you decrease your chances of getting thesread the whole articlee disease?
How can you help someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia?
This year’s theme is "No time to lose" with a focus this year on caregivers by emphasising and celebrating the contribution they make to society and giving them the recognition they deserve!
Yes, there is an urgency for all to learn about these diseases and do what they can to prevent them in themselves. Also legislators need to be...read the whole article
Monday, September 15, 2008
Expression of CD74 is increased in neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease
7thSpaceInteractive
Alzheimer disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by progressive memory loss. Pathological markers of AD include neurofibrillary tangles, accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques, neuronal loss, and inflammation.
The exact events that lead to the neuronal dysfunction and loss are not completely understood. However, pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, are increased in AD, along with gene expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF).
MHC class II molecules are found in microglia of the brain, while MIF is found in both microglia and neurons of the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and cortex. MIF is not only a lymphocyte mediator but also a pituitary factor with endocrine properties and can mediate phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 MAP kinases pathway.
In this study, we looked at CD74, an integral membrane protein that acts....read the whole article
I realize it is a little technical. Perhaps it will give you some idea of what we are dealing with
Alzheimer disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by progressive memory loss. Pathological markers of AD include neurofibrillary tangles, accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques, neuronal loss, and inflammation.
The exact events that lead to the neuronal dysfunction and loss are not completely understood. However, pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, are increased in AD, along with gene expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF).
MHC class II molecules are found in microglia of the brain, while MIF is found in both microglia and neurons of the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and cortex. MIF is not only a lymphocyte mediator but also a pituitary factor with endocrine properties and can mediate phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 MAP kinases pathway.
In this study, we looked at CD74, an integral membrane protein that acts....read the whole article
I realize it is a little technical. Perhaps it will give you some idea of what we are dealing with
Sunday, September 14, 2008
New project uses nanoparticles to tackle Alzheimer's disease
CordisNews
A new EU-funded project is exploring the use of nanoparticles in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The five-year NAD ('Nanoparticles for the therapy and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease') initiative has a budget of €14.6 million and is financed by the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). It brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines working in 19 organisations in 13 countries.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia: of Europe's five million dementia sufferers, over half have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. These figures are likely to rise dramatically as the population ages. The condition is caused by the accumulation in the brain of plaques made up of beta-amyloid peptide molecules. These plaques cause the nerve cells to degenerate.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's include confusion, memory loss and mood swings. As yet, there is no cure for the condition, although some drugs exist that are able to slow the progression of the disease in some patients.
'Somewhere in the world there is a new case of dementia diagnosed every seven seconds. The majority of these people are suffering from Alzheimer's disease,' said Professor David Allsop of Lancaster University in the UK, one of the project partners. 'But despite great progress in the scientific field, which has made interpretation of the molecular bases of the disease possible, so far there has been little progress in improved diagnosis and therapy.'
The NAD project will design a range of nanoparticles that are...Read the whole article
A new EU-funded project is exploring the use of nanoparticles in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The five-year NAD ('Nanoparticles for the therapy and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease') initiative has a budget of €14.6 million and is financed by the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). It brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines working in 19 organisations in 13 countries.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia: of Europe's five million dementia sufferers, over half have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. These figures are likely to rise dramatically as the population ages. The condition is caused by the accumulation in the brain of plaques made up of beta-amyloid peptide molecules. These plaques cause the nerve cells to degenerate.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's include confusion, memory loss and mood swings. As yet, there is no cure for the condition, although some drugs exist that are able to slow the progression of the disease in some patients.
'Somewhere in the world there is a new case of dementia diagnosed every seven seconds. The majority of these people are suffering from Alzheimer's disease,' said Professor David Allsop of Lancaster University in the UK, one of the project partners. 'But despite great progress in the scientific field, which has made interpretation of the molecular bases of the disease possible, so far there has been little progress in improved diagnosis and therapy.'
The NAD project will design a range of nanoparticles that are...Read the whole article
Saturday, September 13, 2008
High praise for the for Mediterranean Diet
By Kelley Colihan
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Sept. 11, 2008 -- More accolades are being heaped on the Mediterranean diet. This time, researchers say the diet may actually help prevent certain chronic diseases. such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias as well as others.
A review of studies, led by the University of Florence's Francesco Sofi, looks at what role a Mediterranean diet played in the primary prevention of diseases
Researchers cobbled together 12 studies representing more than 1.5 million people who were followed from three to 18 years.
They gave people a score of 0 points for a low adherence to the Mediterranean diet and 7 to 9 points maximum for those who followed it religiously.
Mediterranean Diet and Disease
The researchers found that people who followed a strict Mediterranean diet were:
9% less likely to die from heart disease or other cardiovascular problems
6% less likely to develop cancer or die from it
13% less likely to have Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease
The Mediterranean diet was....read the whole article
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Sept. 11, 2008 -- More accolades are being heaped on the Mediterranean diet. This time, researchers say the diet may actually help prevent certain chronic diseases. such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias as well as others.
A review of studies, led by the University of Florence's Francesco Sofi, looks at what role a Mediterranean diet played in the primary prevention of diseases
Researchers cobbled together 12 studies representing more than 1.5 million people who were followed from three to 18 years.
They gave people a score of 0 points for a low adherence to the Mediterranean diet and 7 to 9 points maximum for those who followed it religiously.
Mediterranean Diet and Disease
The researchers found that people who followed a strict Mediterranean diet were:
9% less likely to die from heart disease or other cardiovascular problems
6% less likely to develop cancer or die from it
13% less likely to have Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease
The Mediterranean diet was....read the whole article
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