10.23.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:59 am by chani
Alzheimer’s disease creeps up on a person slowly. Often, early symptoms are impossible to differentiate from natural aging, strokes, or tumors. Yet something different must be occurring in the body, and therefore, there must be some sign of it in blood, which carries fuel and waste to and from the cells.
That theory drove Stanford University researchers to develop a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease. They analyzed blood samples from Alzheimer’s patients, isolating 18 proteins used in cellular communication that act differently in the patients. The differences were consistent among those with both early stages and advanced cases of Alzheimer’s disease.
The blood test was test-driven on 200 samples of blood of know Alzheimer’s status: some with, some without. The test proved 90% accurate in diagnosis and 91% accurate at predicting the onset of the disease—an impressively high percentage.
Because Alzheimer’s leads to terrible brain damage that can be slowed with proper treatment, diagnosing the disease before it strikes can be critical. This test could enable future-Alzheimer’s patients to get advanced treatment and slow the inevitable onslaught.
It is hoped that the test will get FDA approval and begin distribution in 2009.
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10.16.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:30 am by chani
Antioxidants are the panacea of the 21st century. From dark chocolate to Pom, and ketchup to Purple, foods that contain antioxidants are touted as the key to good health and long life. Based in research from the past century (1998, to be exact), this isn’t untrue. However, it isn’t strictly true either. Going back to the original findings will demystify the magic of antioxidants.
Ameloid beta, a protein produced by the brain, overproduces in those with dementia. The protein produces oxygen free radicals, which damage the brain. A free radical is an atom with an unpaired electron in its outter shell. These atoms tend to link with other atoms which are missing a single electron in their outter shell to form a complete and stable atom. Oxygen, for example, has a single unpaired electron in its outter shell. In the atmosphere, oxygen tends to pair up with other oxygen molecules, share their extra electrons between them, so that their electrons now have a pair. O2 is oxygen that we breath.
O1, non-combined oxygen, is highly reactive, as it searches to find another atom to combine with. In this state it is known as a free radical. When Ameloid beta releases oxygen free radicals in the brain, they link up with brain cells in a process known as oxidation. Other forms of oxidation are rust and fire. Oxidation is no better for the brain than it is for iron or wood. The cells die and the brain decays.
Antioxidants are chemicals that can cross the blood-brain barrier and combine with the free radicals, neutralizing them before they can combine with brain cells. Vitamin E was the first antioxidant found. Lycopene is another, made famous by Heinz ketchup, because it is found in concentrated amounts in tomato products. Pectin, in apples, is another. Blueberries and beans are chock full of antioxidants, making them healthy food for the aging brain.
So should you be running out to buy concentrated antioxidant drinks? It probably isn’t necessary. Antioxidants can be ingested through perfectly natural and healthy foods. So have some blueberries.
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10.15.07
Posted in Alzheimer's News at 11:35 am by chani
As people age, their brain cells die. In those with dementia, the brain atrophies at a much faster rate due to excessive amyloid beta in the brain. But until recently, nobody knew why amyloid beta does that to the brain. After all, it’s a part of normal brain function. But now researchers have found out why.
Ameloid beta is a waste chemical produced by the brain. Ordinarily, the brain also produces another chemical, known as heme, which flushes away the amoloid beta as one of its functions. In people with Alzheimer’s disease, either there is too much ameloid beta, or there is not enough heme, in the brain. Cell processes get backed up and the cell mitochondria, which produces the power for the cell, begins to decay. Additionally, the large amount of ameloid beta-heme combination reacts toxically with many of the chemicals used to transmit signals through the brain. This two pronged attack is more than the brain cells can handle. They die.
The good news? Now that we know what goes wrong in brains with dementia, we can target medications to treat the exact problem.
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10.11.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:14 am by chani
If you can’t find your glasses, misplaced your car keys, and forgot the new neighbor’s name, should you be worried?
If you’re groping for words, stumbling more often, or getting lost on the way to the supermarket, should you be worried?
In the first case, no. Most of those symptoms are simply related to normal aging. As the brain snips dendrites, some memory loss is inevitable. Deterioration in the ability to carry out daily, habitual tasks, however, might be cause for worry.
The early onset of Alzheimer’s Disease is marked by difficulty reasoning, agitation, sadness or loss of energy, getting lost going to familiar places, and an unusual level of short-term memory loss.
There is no way to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease, but it can be slowed by an enriched environment, exercise, and special care.
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10.08.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:20 am by chani
74 is the new 59.
These are the results of a study comparing the IQ tests of a cohort of contemporary 74-year-olds with those of a cohort of 74-year-olds from 16 years ago.
Not only did the contemporary group perform better, but their scores were equivalent to the scores of 59-year-olds from 16 years ago. In other words, todays 74-year-olds have the mental acuity of yesterdays 59-year-olds. Considering that yesterdays 59-year-olds are today’s 74-year-olds, that means recent generations are retaining their mental capacities for longer.
That’s good news and bad news. On the one hand, retirees have the ability to enjoy their declining years to a larger extent then ever before. On the other hand, this sort of study is fodder for Social Security to bid for a raise in the retirement age. 74, 59, or 16, we’re all mentally alert enough to resent that.
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08.20.07
Posted in Alzheimer's News at 1:17 pm by chani
An apple juiced each day might keep dementia away. Or even every-other day. Or even a tomato.
A recent study by the National Institute on Aging has found that those who drink fruit or vegetable juice three or more times a week have a 76% lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Those who drink juice once a week have a 16% lower risk.
Researchers could find no link between vitamin C or vitamin E, beta carotene, or tea in effecting this statistic. They believe the benefit is associated with antioxidants known as polyphenols. Polyphenols are found in fruits and vegetables, mostly in the peels, but also in the juices, teas, and wines made out of them.
For those who had a genetic marker predisposing them for dementia, the protective benefit of juice seemed strongest.
Of course, researchers have no idea if the results will be consistent in further testing. Nor do they have any idea which juices pack the most punch per glass. But when you consider that most juices are full of a variety of important vitamins and minerals, chugging down a few cups every week certainly can’t hurt.
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Posted in Alzheimer's News at 1:16 pm by chani
Worrying may increase your chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease, suggests a study by Chicago’s Rush University Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
The study followed 1,256 participants with an average age of 77. At the study’s start, none of the participants had any form of dementia or cognitive disability. They received a questionnaire about their emotions that particularly focused on negative emotions. They were then tested, both physically and cognitively, every year for 12 years.
Those prone to negative emotions, such as stress and worry, were 42% more likely to experience cognitive decline than those who were upbeat and optimistic. Researchers believe that the area of the brain that deals with stress is the same area that deals with memory. Chronic stress aggravates the brain, negatively affecting memory retention.
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07.20.07
Posted in Alzheimer's News at 1:16 pm by chani
Acid blockers have long been known to leave the elderly confused.
Acid blockers, a.k.a. H2 blockers, are medications designed to reduce stomach acids. They include Axid, Pepcid, Tagamet, and Zantec.
“H2 blockers have an impact on cognitive capacity and can contribute [to] delirium - particularly in the elderly,” said neurologist Charles J. Duffy, M.D. Ph.D., director of cognitive and behavioral neurology at the University of Rochester.
But a recent study from Indiana University suggests that taking H2 blockers consistently for an extended period of time can increase the risk of mental decline later in life. In fact, the study found that those who took any of these medications for over two years were 2.4 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or some form of dementia.
Why? Nobody knows. H2 blockers block the brain chemical histamine. But so do allergy drugs, and they have not been linked to dementia. Perhaps, theorizes Dr. Duffy, the H2 blockers disrupt the absorption of vitamin B12 in the stomach. B12 is important for mental function, so continuous deprivation could have a deleterious effect on the brain.
Then again, taking H2 blockers could be just part of a wider problem or lifestyle that causes dementia. At this point, it’s difficult to say.
In general, though, no medication should be taken frequently for an extended amount of time without the approval of a doctor.
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06.17.07
Posted in Alzheimer's News at 1:16 pm by chani
If you thought going to the dentist was terrifying – not going could be worse. A recent study found a correlation between dental health and the development of dementia. The study examined a compilation of data from the Women’s Health Study of Sweden. Researchers isolated 638 women, of which 84 had dementia. They found that those with a lower tooth count in their successive dental records had a higher prevalence of dementia. 
Of course, correlation is not causation, and the two symptoms might be linked to a third – most likely, lower socioeconomic status. Indeed, those with dementia were older than their dementia-free counterparts, were less likely to have a high school education, and more likely to have a history of myocardial infarction.
However, researchers caution against dismissing the correlation as accidental. “Someone with poor dental health often has chronic infections in their teeth and gums,” explains lead researcher Dr. Robert Stewart. Inflammatory marks enter the blood circulation pathways.
Since inflammation of the brain is linked to dementia, additional inflammatory marks in the bloodstream may have a deleterious affect on the brain.
So, does this mean visiting your dentist is good for your brain? It’s impossible to be definite, but brushing twice daily has its own benefits: wearing your own teeth into old age.
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06.11.07
Posted in Alzheimer's News at 1:14 pm by chani
Relax actively. That’s the advice of researchers to the retired and the elderly. Not only is it beneficial for your heart, it’s beneficial for your mind.
This news is the conclusion of numerous studies concerning how exercise affects the brain. Exercise causes a chain of reactions that release chemicals into the bloodstream, while regular aerobic workouts build up the presence of these chemicals. The results are startling. Far from the usual shrinking that accompanies aging, the brain begins to grow.
Children have flourishing brains that branch out new neurons with an exuberant frequency. The adult brain begins trimming back unused neurons, and some also die on their own. Until these recent studies, scientists believed that these dead neurons could never regrow. Now they know differently.
In a study by Columbia University’s Scott Small and the Salk Institute’s Fred Gage, subjects asked to exercise regularly seemed to sprout new neurons; the more fit they became the more neurons they grew. The neurons appeared in the section of the brain dedicated to learning and memory, one of the first sections to age. “It’s not just a matter of slowing down the aging process,” explained Arthur Kramer, of the University of Illinois. “It’s a matter of reversing it.”
Exercise does more than just grow a bigger brain. A research group at the University of Washington found that people who exercise three or more times a week have a 30% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Nor did the exercise have to be an intense aerobic workout. Lead researcher Dr. Eric Larson said that a 15-minute walk three times a week was enough to reduce the risk. A similar study found that five to six hours of vigorous physical activity each week led to a 40% decrease in risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease.
Scientists don’t know why this happens, and they haven’t yet zeroed in on the best exercises. But until they figure it out, one thing remains clear: being a couch potato is bad for the brain. So move!
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