All Alzheimer's Articles

Improving blood flow to the brain appears key to delaying or preventing some forms of Alzheimer's, says Chicago's Feinberg School of Medicine. Depriving the brain of sugar glucose carried in the blood appears to trigger a biochemical process that can cause Alzheimer's disease, Feinberg announced Wednesday. The brain begins to starve as people age, said Robert Vassar, the study's lead Read more...

India's very own haldi is now giving scientists hope of an Alzheimer's cure. Researchers at the University of Southampton are investigating whether curcumin found in turmeric -- that gives curries the yellow color -- could benefit people with Alzheimer's. Researchers believe curcumin could greatly minimize the effects of Alzheimer's and will examine whether curcumin-containing drugs could Read more...

WASHINGTON -- There is no test for Alzheimer's disease. Yet an Alzheimer's group this week begins a push for simple memory screenings in a bid to catch possible warning signs of dementia sooner. Memory screenings -- 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 are a Read more...

Greater education may help buffer against amyloid plaques and other brain pathology linked to Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers said. Scientists at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found some study participants whose brain scans revealed brain plaques -- deposits of protein that have been linked to Alzheimer's disease -- Read more...

An over-the-counter vitamin in high doses prevented memory loss in mice with Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers said. Researchers at the University of California at Irvine are conducting a clinical trial to determine the effects of the vitamin, Nicotinamide, on humans. Nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3, lowered levels of a protein -- phosphorylated tau -- that leads to the Read more...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- A popular epilepsy drug may also be beneficial in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a new study published in the Oct. 27 issue of U.S. Journal of Experimental Medicine. The anti-seizure drug valproic acid improved memory and reduced brain lesions in mice with an AD-like disease, said researchers from University of British Columbia in Canada. Read more...

A key vitamin found in meat, fish and milk may help protect the brain as it ages, researchers have discovered. Vitamin B12 could help stop the brain shrinking - possibly preventing memory loss in older people and dementia. A study of 107 people aged 61 to 87 found that those with lower vitamin B12 levels in their blood were six times more likely to experience brain shrinkage compared to Read more...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Recognizing its early symptoms is crucial and allows doctors to begin treatment before the symptoms become worse. Alzheimer's warning signs 1. Memory Loss Forgetting things sometimes is normal; memory loss is NOT normal when it repeatedly interferes with daily life. What to watch for: Read more...

Sep. 17, 2008 -- The Mediterranean diet is famous for staving off heart disease, but recent studies show that the eating pattern -- heavy on vegetables, fruits, olive oil and fish -- also provides substantial protection from cancer and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Italian researchers compiled evidence from a dozen large-scale studies that tracked more than 1.5 million people in Read more...

The number of people affected by Alzheimer's is growing at an alarming rate, and the increasing financial and personal costs will have a devastating effect on the world's economies, health-care systems and families. We must make the fight against Alzheimer's a global priority. It's up to every one of us to learn more about the disease and join the fight. There are 26 million people in the Read more...

As Robert C. Borwell Professor of Neurological Sciences and director of the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, David A. Bennett, M.D. is a nationally recognized authority on Alzheimer's disease and other neurologic conditions. Dr. Bennett is principal investigator of several studies funded by the National Institute on Aging, including the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Core Center, the Religious Orders Read more...

Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- A team of U.S. scientists report on Monday that people who develop Alzheimer's disease may show signs of the neurodegenerative illness many decades earlier in life, including compromised educational achievement. Scientists from University of South Florida and University of Kentucky published their study results on-line in the journal Alzheimer's Disease and Associated Read more...

The notion that dementia must be understood from a lifespan perspective rather than as an end-of-life condition is beginning to gain traction. There is mounting evidence that lead exposure in childhood, and even before birth, may have developmental programming effects that contribute to increased risk for brain aging later in life. A 2005 study led by Riyaz Basha and colleagues demonstrated an Read more...

See also: causes, dementia, early childhood, lead, lead poisoning, research, study

CHICAGO -- Middle-aged married people who worry a lot have at least one thing to look forward to: Their risk of eventually developing Alzheimer's disease may be significantly less than carefree people of the same age who remain single. That's the take-home message from two studies presented jointly in Chicago at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease. One study followed Read more...

by Amy Scholten, MPH Cognitive Aging Changes in cognitive function, such as slow speed of information processing, are common in normal aging. However, there is considerable variation among individuals, and cognitive decline is not inevitable. In fact, many older adults appear to avoid cognitive decline into their ninth decade of life, and some even beyond. The best news of all is that some Read more...

Adapted from the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging by Karen Schroeder, MS, RD If you are caring for a loved one with dementia, you try to keep him as comfortable and pain-free as possible. This can be difficult if your loved one's dementia impairs his ability to communicate with you. In addition, many older people—whether they have dementia or not—think that pain is a natural part of Read more...

by Michelle Badash, MSMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Alzheimer's Disease | Resource GuideThe purpose of screening is early diagnosis and treatment. Screening tests are usually administered to people without any current symptoms, but who may be at high risk for certain diseases or Read more...

by Michelle Badash, MSMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Alzheimer's Disease | Resource GuideAlzheimer’s disease progresses slowly, and changes take place gradually over time. People can live with Alzheimer’s disease for 3-25 years, although the average duration of the disease is about 8-10 Read more...

by Michelle Badash, MSMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Alzheimer's Disease | Resource GuideYou have a unique medical history. Therefore, it is essential to talk with your doctor or healthcare provider about your personal risk factors and/or experience with Alzheimer’s disease. By talking openly Read more...

by Michelle Badash, MSMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Alzheimer's Disease | Resource GuideThe treatment and management of Alzheimer’s disease involves lifestyle changes, medications, and alternative and complementary therapies. The goal of treatment is to delay the progression of brain cell Read more...