In the current issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia, the Alzheimer's Association released their report on 2008 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures. According to the report, approximately 1 in 8, or 10 million, baby boomers in the United States will develop Alzheimer's disease in their lifetime. The report also estimated that as many as 5.2 million people in the United States are currently living with Alzheimer's, including up to a quarter of a million people under the age of 65.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, or cognitive deterioration and memory loss, in the United States. It is the fifth leading cause of death for Americans over the age of 65, and it represents a significant source of disability, as well as healthcare costs of nearly 150 billion dollars each year. Alzheimer's disease can be devastating both to the individual and to his/her caregivers
click here for the whole story
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
If both parents have Alzheimer's, your risk soars
Will Dunham, Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If both your parents have Alzheimer's disease, you probably are more much likely than other people to get it, researchers said on Monday.
Their study focused on 111 families in which both parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia among the elderly, and assessed the risk for developing it among the offspring.
The parents had 297 children who lived into adulthood. Of the 98 men and women who were at least 70 years old, 41 of them -- about 42 percent -- developed Alzheimer's disease, researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle found
click here for the whole story
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If both your parents have Alzheimer's disease, you probably are more much likely than other people to get it, researchers said on Monday.
Their study focused on 111 families in which both parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia among the elderly, and assessed the risk for developing it among the offspring.
The parents had 297 children who lived into adulthood. Of the 98 men and women who were at least 70 years old, 41 of them -- about 42 percent -- developed Alzheimer's disease, researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle found
click here for the whole story
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Alzheimer's will increase, data suggest
By Jim Killackey
Staff Writer
Oklahoma is projected to have about 100,000 people with Alzheimer's disease by 2030, data released Monday show.
That's 30,000 more Oklahomans than now have the memory-robbing disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Click here for more
Staff Writer
Oklahoma is projected to have about 100,000 people with Alzheimer's disease by 2030, data released Monday show.
That's 30,000 more Oklahomans than now have the memory-robbing disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Click here for more
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Does Martek Hold A Key To Treating Alzheimer's Disease?
Everyone knows about the current and future epidemic of Alzheimer's Disease. This disease is largely untreated and most current treatments gear around early diagnosis, slowing the onset, or prolonging the early stages from becoming late-stage Alzheimer's. Martek Biosciences Corp. (NASDAQ: MATK) has made an announcement this morning about its DHA from microalgae being a possible component in combating Alzheimer's. The problem is that this was published in December and this looks very preliminary from a mice study.
Barron's had covered this last year with an article outlining the drug developments from Big Pharma and we ourselves have noted what this may end up doing to the nursing home operations in the U.S. and elsewhere.
In a recent pre-clinical study published in the December 26 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, an omega-3 fatty acid found in algae called docosahexaenoic acid (or DHA), was found to decrease an important risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease
click here for the whole story
Barron's had covered this last year with an article outlining the drug developments from Big Pharma and we ourselves have noted what this may end up doing to the nursing home operations in the U.S. and elsewhere.
In a recent pre-clinical study published in the December 26 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, an omega-3 fatty acid found in algae called docosahexaenoic acid (or DHA), was found to decrease an important risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease
click here for the whole story
Friday, March 21, 2008
10 Million Baby Boomers Face Alzheimer's, Report Predicts
An estimated 10 million American baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's disease in their lifetime, placing enormous strains on the U.S. health-care system and the already overburdened network of caregivers, a new report predicts.
Currently, at least 5.2 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's, including 200,000 to 250,000 people under age 65. By 2010, projections say there will be 500,000 new cases of the mind-wasting disease each year, and nearly one million new cases annually by 2050, the report estimates.
In addition, the report, released Tuesday by the Alzheimer's Association, showed that the disease is now the seventh deadliest in the nation and that women are at greater risk than men.
The overall prediction for 10 million, which translates to 1 out of every 8 boomers, is a number that is "particularly significant because it's people who are now just approaching what we refer to as the age of highest risk," said Stephen McConnell, the association's vice president for advocacy and public policy.
The age of highest risk for Alzheimer's starts at 65, McConnell said. "Some of these people are already developing the disease, and those numbers are just going to increase dramatically over the next several decades," he added.
This is going to have a huge impact on baby boomers' lives, their families, and the nation's health-care system, McConnell said.
Right now, there are 10 million caregivers providing care, many of them family members, at enormous personal cost, McConnell noted. "These caregivers tend to be spouses, but there's evidence that 250,000 of these caregivers are children 8 to 18," he said. "So you get the sense of an expanded circle of people who are affected by this disease. It's not just the person with the disease. It's not just their immediate caregiver -- it's the children and grandchildren."
Most people with Alzheimer's are eligible for Medicare, so a burgeoning number of Alzheimer's patients will put a major strain on the federal health insurance program, McConnell pointed out.
Medicare currently spends more than three times as much money on people with Alzheimer's and other dementias than it does for the average Medicare recipient. In 2005, Medicare spent $91 billion on people with Alzheimer's and other dementias. By 2010, that number is expected to climb to $160 billion, and by 2015, to $189 billion annually, according to the report.
These high Medicare costs occur because Alzheimer's tends to complicate the treatment of other medical conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, McConnell said. Also, while people with Alzheimer's live an average of eight years, they can live more than 20 years, placing an additional strain on the health-care system.
The projected rise in Alzheimer's cases will also burden the long-term care system, McConnell said. "Right now, it's mostly families providing care at home, but most people with Alzheimer's disease end up in a nursing home or an assisted living facility," he said. "In fact, three-quarters of people with Alzheimer's will die in such a facility."
Complicating matters, long-term care isn't covered by most regular health insurance, and most people don't have long-term care insurance, McConnell said. "That's going to have a devastating impact on society," he said.
click here for the whole story
Currently, at least 5.2 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's, including 200,000 to 250,000 people under age 65. By 2010, projections say there will be 500,000 new cases of the mind-wasting disease each year, and nearly one million new cases annually by 2050, the report estimates.
In addition, the report, released Tuesday by the Alzheimer's Association, showed that the disease is now the seventh deadliest in the nation and that women are at greater risk than men.
The overall prediction for 10 million, which translates to 1 out of every 8 boomers, is a number that is "particularly significant because it's people who are now just approaching what we refer to as the age of highest risk," said Stephen McConnell, the association's vice president for advocacy and public policy.
The age of highest risk for Alzheimer's starts at 65, McConnell said. "Some of these people are already developing the disease, and those numbers are just going to increase dramatically over the next several decades," he added.
This is going to have a huge impact on baby boomers' lives, their families, and the nation's health-care system, McConnell said.
Right now, there are 10 million caregivers providing care, many of them family members, at enormous personal cost, McConnell noted. "These caregivers tend to be spouses, but there's evidence that 250,000 of these caregivers are children 8 to 18," he said. "So you get the sense of an expanded circle of people who are affected by this disease. It's not just the person with the disease. It's not just their immediate caregiver -- it's the children and grandchildren."
Most people with Alzheimer's are eligible for Medicare, so a burgeoning number of Alzheimer's patients will put a major strain on the federal health insurance program, McConnell pointed out.
Medicare currently spends more than three times as much money on people with Alzheimer's and other dementias than it does for the average Medicare recipient. In 2005, Medicare spent $91 billion on people with Alzheimer's and other dementias. By 2010, that number is expected to climb to $160 billion, and by 2015, to $189 billion annually, according to the report.
These high Medicare costs occur because Alzheimer's tends to complicate the treatment of other medical conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, McConnell said. Also, while people with Alzheimer's live an average of eight years, they can live more than 20 years, placing an additional strain on the health-care system.
The projected rise in Alzheimer's cases will also burden the long-term care system, McConnell said. "Right now, it's mostly families providing care at home, but most people with Alzheimer's disease end up in a nursing home or an assisted living facility," he said. "In fact, three-quarters of people with Alzheimer's will die in such a facility."
Complicating matters, long-term care isn't covered by most regular health insurance, and most people don't have long-term care insurance, McConnell said. "That's going to have a devastating impact on society," he said.
click here for the whole story
Monday, March 17, 2008
Best ever Easter gifts for those with dementia
Choosing the right present for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia is certain to give him/her joyful times independently or with a loved one. Here are some tips on how to pick a perfect gift.
Over 5.1 million Americans are living with dementia. Is one of them someone you know or a client of yours? Get him/her or anyone with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, an Easter gift that will keep on giving long after the holiday is gone.
Of course, person appropriate offerings are the best. This means matching a gift to a person’s interests and abilities, However, there are some presents that will make them smile no matter what.
One such gift 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.
There is an activity related to hats that is most appropriate around Easter time.
Click here for the whole story
Over 5.1 million Americans are living with dementia. Is one of them someone you know or a client of yours? Get him/her or anyone with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, an Easter gift that will keep on giving long after the holiday is gone.
Of course, person appropriate offerings are the best. This means matching a gift to a person’s interests and abilities, However, there are some presents that will make them smile no matter what.
One such gift 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.
There is an activity related to hats that is most appropriate around Easter time.
Click here for the whole story
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Drug Slows Alzheimer's Symptoms
A drug used to treat symptoms of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease appears to be effective for one year, according to the results of a new multicenter study that provides additional support for the continuing effectiveness of the treatment, called Namenda®, for patients in the later stages of the disease (Archives of Neurology, January 2006).
"This study demonstrates that it is possible to alleviate some of the cognitive and functional losses associated with the later stages of Alzheimer's, providing a basis for greater optimism on the part of caregivers," said Barry Reisberg, MD, professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine, the lead investigator of the study.
"Our study verifies that this medication continues to be beneficial and is safe with remarkably few side effects," said Dr. Reisberg, who is also Clinical Director of the Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center at NYU School of Medicine.
Namenda® was approved in October 2003 by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. The approval was based partly on a rigorous 28-week study of 252 people who were randomly chosen to receive the drug or a placebo. The results, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in the spring of 2003, showed that the drug could slow the downward spiral of the disease. Dr. Reisberg also was the principal investigator of this study.
Click here for the whole story
"This study demonstrates that it is possible to alleviate some of the cognitive and functional losses associated with the later stages of Alzheimer's, providing a basis for greater optimism on the part of caregivers," said Barry Reisberg, MD, professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine, the lead investigator of the study.
"Our study verifies that this medication continues to be beneficial and is safe with remarkably few side effects," said Dr. Reisberg, who is also Clinical Director of the Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center at NYU School of Medicine.
Namenda® was approved in October 2003 by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. The approval was based partly on a rigorous 28-week study of 252 people who were randomly chosen to receive the drug or a placebo. The results, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in the spring of 2003, showed that the drug could slow the downward spiral of the disease. Dr. Reisberg also was the principal investigator of this study.
Click here for the whole story
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Memory Loss in Hyperactive State With Alzheimer's
FRIDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- Memory loss, where the brain deletes inconsequential information, is in a hyperactive state in people with Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.
Researchers at California's Buck Institute for Age Research analyzed human brain tissue and found that people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) showed more signs of cleavage of a molecule called amyloid precursor protein (APP) than people without the disease.
But when they analyzed the brains of younger people without Alzheimer's, the researchers were surprised to find that they had about 10 times as much APP cleavage as Alzheimer's patients. However, younger brains make memories faster than they lose them.
The Buck Institute team believes that the malfunction of a biochemical switch associated with APP cleavage causes the brains of Alzheimer's patients to get stuck in the process of deleting memories. They added that this suggests the disease affects the plasticity or malleability of the brain.
The study was published in the March 7 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
click here for the whole story and more information
courtesy of alzheimersideas
Researchers at California's Buck Institute for Age Research analyzed human brain tissue and found that people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) showed more signs of cleavage of a molecule called amyloid precursor protein (APP) than people without the disease.
But when they analyzed the brains of younger people without Alzheimer's, the researchers were surprised to find that they had about 10 times as much APP cleavage as Alzheimer's patients. However, younger brains make memories faster than they lose them.
The Buck Institute team believes that the malfunction of a biochemical switch associated with APP cleavage causes the brains of Alzheimer's patients to get stuck in the process of deleting memories. They added that this suggests the disease affects the plasticity or malleability of the brain.
The study was published in the March 7 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
click here for the whole story and more information
courtesy of alzheimersideas
Monday, March 3, 2008
Study finds fewer memory problems in those 70 and older
Memory problems, including Alzheimer's disease, appeared less common in people 70 and older in 2002, compared with seniors nearly a decade earlier, researchers reported this past week.
Seniors in 2002 might have gained protection from memory loss because they had more education and were more likely to pay attention to cardiovascular risk factors that can harm the heart and also damage the brain, said study author Kenneth Langa at the University of Michigan.
Langa and his colleagues first studied 7,406 people who at age 70 and older took a standard test of memory and thinking ability in 1993. The team found 12.2 percent of the group had serious memory problems and possibly Alzheimer's.
The team then studied 7,104 people who reached the age of 70 almost a decade later in 2002. They found 8.7 percent of these seniors scored as low on the memory test, the team reported in the Alzheimer's & Dementia Journal.
What accounts for the better brain health in the 2002 group?
Click here to find out
Seniors in 2002 might have gained protection from memory loss because they had more education and were more likely to pay attention to cardiovascular risk factors that can harm the heart and also damage the brain, said study author Kenneth Langa at the University of Michigan.
Langa and his colleagues first studied 7,406 people who at age 70 and older took a standard test of memory and thinking ability in 1993. The team found 12.2 percent of the group had serious memory problems and possibly Alzheimer's.
The team then studied 7,104 people who reached the age of 70 almost a decade later in 2002. They found 8.7 percent of these seniors scored as low on the memory test, the team reported in the Alzheimer's & Dementia Journal.
What accounts for the better brain health in the 2002 group?
Click here to find out
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
