Alzheimer’s Drug May Someday Help Head Trauma Victims
A new class of Alzheimer’s disease drugs may prevent long-term damage from traumatic brain injury, suggests a study of mice by Georgetown University Medical Center researchers. The drugs — gamma-secretase inhibitors — are designed to target amyloid plaque that accumulates in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to background information in the study. “No... Read more
Insulin May Protect Against Alzheimer’s
Insulin may slow or prevent the memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease, a new study says. Laboratory research led by a team from Northwestern University found that insulin acts as a shield that deflects the toxic proteins that attack the wiring in the brain responsible for forming memories. “Therapeutics designed to increase insulin sensitivity in the brain could provide new avenues... Read more
Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Protect Against Disabilities
Healthy people 50 and older who drink alcohol moderately are less likely to suffer physical disabilities that cause so many seniors to lose their independence, a new study says. The study authors said their research showed that healthy older adults who were light-to-moderate drinkers had 25 percent lower odds of being unable to carry out daily activities such as walking, dressing, eating, running errands... Read more
Positive Outlook Cuts Chances of Dementia
Sociable people who don’t sweat the small stuff may be more likely to remember the small stuff as they age, suggests new research exploring the link between personality and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. “Older people who are active, outgoing and relaxed may be less likely to develop dementia,” said study author Hui-Xin Wang, with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm,... Read more
Drinking coffee reduces risk of Alzheimer’s: study
Middle-aged people who drink moderate amounts of coffee significantly reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a study by Finnish and Swedish researchers showed Thursday. “Middle-aged people who drank between three and five cups of coffee a day lowered their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by between 60 and 65 percent later in life,” said lead... Read more
Poor blood flow to brain may provoke Alzheimer’s: study
A slow, chronic reduction of blood sugar to the brain could trigger some forms of Alzheimer’s disease, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. The study of human and mice brains suggests a reduction of blood flow deprives energy to the brain, setting off a process that ultimately produces the sticky clumps of protein researchers believe is a cause of the disease, they said. The finding could lead... Read more
2 Cardiovascular Proteins Tied to Severity of Alzheimer’s
U.S. researchers have spotted two proteins that deliver a double hit to the brain function of Alzheimer’s disease patients. The proteins — SRF (serum response factor) and myocardin — lessen blood flow in the brain and reduce the rate at which the brain is able to remove amyloid beta, the protein that accumulates in damaging quantities in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, say... Read more
Not All Dementia Is Called Alzheimer’s
A common form of dementia often mistaken for Alzheimer’s can be prevented with good health habits, a new report says. Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), the second most common cause of dementia, occurs in up to 4 percent of Americans over age 65 and up to 20 percent of those with some form of dementia. Brain damage from multiple small strokes, which can occur from narrowing or blocked arteries... Read more
Study Recruiting From Alzheimer’s-Prone Families
The adult children of people with the rarer, inherited form of Alzheimer’s disease are being sought for a new study to better understand the biology of the brain disorder. Three hundred adults with a biological parent diagnosed with a known genetic mutation causing the rare, early-onset form of Alzheimer’s are needed for the six-year, $16 million study being funded by the U.S. National... Read more
Author Terry Pratchett in UK Alzheimer’s plea
Top-selling author Terry Pratchett will deliver a petition to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Wednesday calling for an urgent increase in funding for dementia research. Pratchett, 60, creator of the “Discworld” series, revealed last December he had been diagnosed with a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. “I am appalled that research into Alzheimer’s and... Read more