dementia views you can use: Alzheimer's Association International Conference

Showing posts with label Alzheimer's Association International Conference. Show all posts

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Less dementia with high blood pressure treatment

n a new study, treating blood pressure more aggressively lowered odds of developing mild cognitive impairment, a gateway to dementia. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook explains.

CHICAGO — The first randomized clinical trial to demonstrate that intensive blood pressure treatment reduces new cases of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and the combined risk of MCI plus all-cause dementia, was the highlight of new research results reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2018 in Chicago.

MCI is often nicknamed "PRE-DEMENTIA". If the risk for MCI is lowered, it implies that the risk for dementia is lowered.

Reducing Risk

The preliminary results of the SPRINT MIND trial, presented at AAIC 2018, provide the strongest evidence to date about reducing risk of MCI and dementia through the treatment of high blood pressure, which is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease worldwide.

“The exciting data from innovative research studies reported at AAIC 2018 give us many reasons to be hopeful,” said Maria C. Carrillo, PhD, Alzheimer's Association Chief Science Officer. “For example, the reduction in new cases of MCI seen in the SPRINT MIND study adds credibility to the vision of future Alzheimer’s therapy that combines drugs and modifiable risk factor interventions — as we do now in cardiovascular disease.”

Better Dementia Prevention Strategies

“We welcome innovative clinical trial designs and therapeutic targets, and new methods of delivering therapies and attacking the disease, as we heard presented at AAIC,” Carrillo said. “A new therapy has not been approved in a long time. We need bold steps — from basic science all the way through clinical trials — to provide better treatments and prevention strategies for the millions of people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and the millions more at risk.”

New SPRINT MIND Trial

At AAIC 2018, researchers reported preliminary results related to risk of dementia and cognitive decline from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). SPRINT is a randomized clinical trial that compares two strategies for managing high blood pressure (hypertension) in older adults: an intensive strategy with a systolic blood pressure goal of less than 120 mm Hg versus a standard care strategy targeting a systolic blood pressure goal of less than 140 mm Hg.

SPRINT Memory and Cognition IN Decreased Hypertension (SPRINT MIND) examined whether treating for the lower blood pressure target reduces the risk of developing dementia and/or MCI. Study participants were 9,361 hypertensive older adults with increased cardiovascular risk but without diagnosed diabetes, dementia or stroke. Participant mean age was 67.9 years (35.6 percent women) and 8,626 completed at least one follow-up cognitive assessment.

Significantly Lower Rate

In SPRINT MIND, the researchers found a statistically significant 19 percent lower rate of new cases of MCI in the intensive blood pressure treatment group. The combined outcome of MCI plus probable all-cause dementia was 15 percent lower in the intensive versus standard treatment group.

“This study shows more conclusively than ever before that there are things you can do — especially regarding cardiovascular disease risk factors — to reduce your risk of MCI and dementia,” said Carrillo.

MORE INFORMATION:

Check out the NIH's Mind Your Risks® health campaign to increase awareness of the link between vascular disease and brain health.
AAIC is the premier annual forum for presentation and discussion of the latest Alzheimer's and dementia research. Bringing the world closer to breakthroughs in dementia science, AAIC 2018 convened more than 5,100 leading experts and researchers from around the world and featured more than 2,500 scientific presentations.

SOURCES:

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Diets to prevent dementia

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Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC)

NUTRITION: In the fight against Alzheimer's, a duo of diets rose to the top of the list in a report from the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.

LONDON — In the fight against Alzheimer's, three diets rose to the top of the list in a report from the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.

The diets are:

The Nordic Prudent Dietary Pattern (NPDP), considered to be a healthy Nordic diet.
The MIND Diet, a new diet growing in popularity that combines the best brain-healthy components of the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet.

The results from four large population-based studies support a connection between good dietary practices and better cognition in old age.

A group of U.S. scientists found that, among nearly 6,000 older adults in the Health and Retirement Study, those who consistently followed diets long known to contribute to cardiovascular health were also more likely to maintain strong cognitive function in old age. They found that sticking to the specially designed MIND diet and Mediterranean diet was associated with 30 to 35 percent lower risk of cognitive impairment in healthy older adults. In fact, the investigators discovered that those with healthier diets exhibited meaningful preservation of cognitive function.

The Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets were originally developed or codified to help improve cardiovascular health.
A hybrid of these diets, called the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet, is gaining attention for its potential positive effects on preserving cognitive function and reducing dementia risk in older individuals. A 2015 study found that individuals adhering to this diet exhibited less cognitive decline as they aged (Morris et al. Alzheimer’s Dement. 2015; 11:1015-22).

Other diet-related studies reported at AAIC 2017 included:

Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that - in a group of more than 2,200 older adults - people sticking to a healthy Nordic diet (including non-root vegetables, certain fruits, fish and poultry) enjoyed better cognitive status than individuals who ate a less healthy diet.
From more than 7,000 participants in the U.S.-based Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study, researchers found that older women who ate diets traditionally thought of as heart-healthy, in particular the MIND Diet, were less likely to develop dementia.
A team of researchers at Columbia University presented data suggesting that poor diet may promote premature signs of brain aging through inflammatory mechanisms, which were also associated with smaller brain volume.

“Although the idea that a healthy diet can help protect against cognitive decline as we age is not new, the size and length of these four studies demonstrate how powerful good dietary practices may be in maintaining brain health and function,” said Keith Fargo, PhD, Alzheimer’s Association Director of Scientific Programs and Outreach. “That said, we must understand that what we eat is just one part of the puzzle. Adapting our lifestyles as we get older – for example by exercising regularly, watching what we eat and engaging in lifelong learning – is important in order to maximize the potential to reduce risk of cognitive decline and dementia.”

The Alzheimer’s Association offers 10 Ways to Love Your Brain, including broad dietary guidance, based on the latest research.

Heart Healthy is Brain Healthy
Claire McEvoy, Ph.D. at the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues examined the association between adherence to the Mediterranean and MIND diets and cognitive performance in a large, nationally representative population of 5,907 older, community-dwelling adults in the Health and Retirement Study. The researchers found that the more healthfully people ate, the better they functioned cognitively.

After controlling for demographic, lifestyle and health variables, participants who were highly adherent to these diets were 30 to 35 percent less likely to exhibit poor performance on a measure of cognitive function. Study participants who were moderately adherent to either diet were 18 percent less likely to exhibit signs of cognitive impairment.

Benefits of a Healthy Nordic Diet
Weili Xu, M.D., Ph.D., at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, and colleagues sought to identify dietary habits associated with preserved cognitive function in 2,223 community-dwelling, dementia-free adults in Sweden. The investigators found during six years of follow-up that even moderate adherence to a healthy diet known as the Nordic Prudent Dietary Pattern (NPDP) resulted in better cognitive status than individuals who ate a less healthy diet that included fatty foods, sweets and processed foods. In this population, NPDP was found to be a better predictor of preserved cognitive function than the MIND diet, Mediterranean diet, DASH diet and Baltic Sea Diet.

The NPDP included:

More frequent consumption of non-root vegetables, apple/pears/peaches, pasta/rice, poultry, fish, vegetable oils, tea and water, and light to moderate wine intake.
Less frequent intake of root vegetables, refined grains/cereals, butter/margarine, sugar/sweets/pastries, and fruit juice.

Women Who Eat Well Less Likely to Develop Dementia
Research published in 2015 found that the MIND diet was associated with a reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in a sample of 923 older individuals (Morris et al. Alzheimer’s Dement. 2015; 11:1007-1014). Kathleen Hayden, Ph.D., Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and colleagues sought to replicate these findings in 7,057 women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS). Using data from WHIMS, they categorized the participants (mean age 71) into quartiles based on level of adherence to the MIND diet, with the 1st quartile being least adherent and the 4th being the most adherent. There were 615 incident cases of Alzheimer’s during a mean follow-up of 9.7 years.

Compared with women in the first (lowest) quartile of MIND adherence, WHIMS participants in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles had 24 percent, 21 percent, and 34 percent reductions in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. It is noteworthy that the largest share of the risk reduction occurred from the poorest dietary habits to the modestly adherent diet. These results corroborate results from previous research in smaller populations, and suggest that it may not require wholesale diet changes to help preserve the aging brain.

Poor Diet Linked to Inflammation
Building on solid evidence that eating well is brain healthy, researchers are beginning to explore mechanisms through which dietary mechanisms may influence cognitive status and dementia risk. Yian Gu, Ph.D., at Columbia University, New York, and colleagues examined whether an inflammation-related nutrient pattern (INP) was associated with cognitive function and structural MRI findings in the brain.

Using data on 330 community-dwelling, non-demented elderly individuals (mean age 79.7), the investigators found that an INP characterized by high intake of cholesterol, beta-carotene and lutein, and low intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, calcium, folate and vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, D, E), was positively associated with levels of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6). In addition, closer adherence to this INP was associated with smaller total brain gray matter volume and worse performance in executive function. Additional research in larger populations is needed to confirm the role of inflammation-related dietary components in brain and cognitive health, and help elucidate inflammatory or other mechanisms through which eating habits may alter brain function and structure.

REFERENCES:

Claire McEvoy, Ph.D., et al. Neuroprotective Dietary Patterns Are Associated with Better Cognitive Performance in Older US Adults: The Health and Retirement Study. (Funder(s): The Wellcome Trust)
Weili Xu, MD, Ph.D., et al. Which Dietary Index May Predict Preserved Cognitive Function in Nordic Older Adults? (Funder(s): CoSTREAM project; EU's Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation Programme)
Kathleen Hayden, Ph.D., et al. The Mind Diet and Incident Dementia, Findings from the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. (Funder(s): National Institutes on Aging)
Yian Gu, Ph.D., et al. An Inflammatory Nutrient Pattern Is Associated Both Structural and Cognitive Measures of Brain Aging in the Elderly. (Funder(s): U.S. National Institute on Aging)

SOURCE:

Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC)
The Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) is the world's largest gathering of researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer's and other dementias. As a part of the Alzheimer's Association's research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community.
AAIC 2017 home page: www.alz.org/aaic/
About the Alzheimer's Association®
The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's. Visit alz.org or call +1 800.272.3900.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Understanding the role of inheritance in Alzheimer's disease

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Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Alzheimer's Association

new collaboration called the International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project (IGAP) has been launched to discover and map all the genes that contribute to Alzheimer's disease. The innovative effort, spanning universities from both Europe and the United States, will combine the knowledge, staff and resources of four groups that currently conduct research on Alzheimer genetics:
The European Alzheimer's Disease Initiative at the Institute Pasteur de Lille and Lille University (France)

The Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (United States)

The Genetic and Environmental Risk in Alzheimer's Disease at Cardiff University (United Kingdom).

The neurology subgroup of the Cohorts for Heart and Aging in Genomic Epidemiology at Boston University (United States)

The skyrocketing prevalence and cost of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias will soon undermine the delivery of healthcare worldwide. That gives innovative collaborations like this new international genomics project added incentive to act quickly and boldly to make new discoveries.
Identification of genes that contribute to Alzheimer risk and that influence the progression of disease will help lead us to the causes of the disease, identify new targets for drug development and provide methods for determining which people are at greatest risk for Alzheimer's. By working together, the four groups can amass a large enough group of participants to accelerate gene discovery. Formation of IGAP creates a shared resource database that includes genetic data for the more than 40,000 individuals.

ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION INVOLVEMENT
The formation of IGAP is funded by the Alzheimer's Association and the Fondation Plan Alzheimer.
"We're pleased to fund this project that will bring together well-established and highly regarded research groups throughout the world to enable an unprecedented sharing and analysis of Alzheimer genetic data," said William Thies, Ph.D., Alzheimer's Association chief medical and scientific officer.
IGAP expects to present its first findings at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (AAICAD) in Paris, July 16-21, 2011.