Nov. 13, 2007 – A study of senior citizens – 8,085
men and women over age 65 – has determined that a diet rich in fish,
omega-3 oils, fruits and vegetables may lower your risk of dementia and
Alzheimer’s disease, whereas consuming omega-6 rich oils could increase
chances of developing memory problems. This is certainly not the first
research to reach this conclusion.
Read
more...
Promising Plaque-Clearing Alzheimer's Drug
Caprospinol Heads to Clinical Trial
Rats treated with SP-233 perform as well or better in behavioral
tests than healthy animals
Prepared by Samaritan Pharmaceuticals
Nov. 13, 2007 - A 2006 study by MetLife found that
adults over age 55 fear Alzheimer’s disease more than cancer, and with
good reason. Alzheimer’s creeps up on patients and their families,
robbing more than half of all Americans over age 85 of their memory and
ability to care for themselves. But what is perhaps most frightening is
that available treatments for the disease are by and large ineffective.
Read more...
Prize-Winning Alzheimer's Researcher on the Trail of
Immunization that Works
A vaccination - getting the immune system to clean up
the plaques - has been considered a promising approach for AD
Nov.
12, 2007 - A new study led by one of the most respected researchers of
Alzheimer's disease has found an immunization that could offer a way to
blunt or even prevent the deadly, memory-robbing disease. Jordan Tang,
Ph.D., who led the study at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation,
has already won the most prestigious research award given by the
Alzheimer’s Association.
Read more...
High Blood Pressure, Irregular Heartbeat Appear to
Speed Progress of Alzheimer’s
Treating hypertension or atrial fibrillation may slow
memory loss
Oct. 30, 2007 – High blood pressure (hypertension),
which is common among senior citizens, or a form of irregular heartbeat,
atrial fibrillation, appear to speed up the progress of Alzheimer’s
disease, according to results of a Johns Hopkins study published in the
Nov. 6, 2007, issue of Neurology.
Read
more...
Almost 14% of Senior Citizens over 70 Have Dementia,
10% have Alzheimer’s
Dementia escalates rapidly for the elderly, passes
37% at age 90
Oct. 30, 2007 - One in seven Americans over the age
of 70 suffers from dementia, About 3.4 million people, or 13.9 percent
of the population age 71 and older, have some form of dementia – that’s
one out of seven – says a new study noting that the prevalence of
dementia increases dramatically with age. Just about 5% of those aged 71
to 79 are afflicted but that jumps to 37.4% after reaching age 90.
Read more...
SORL1 Gene Becomes Second Firmly Linked with
Late-Onset Alzheimer’s
Joins ApoE4 in list of key suspects for devastating
disease
Oct. 30, 2007 – Scientist have been feverishly
testing the 30,000 genes in the human genome searching for any that may
link to the risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. They had confirmed
only one, until a new find was announced by the National Institute of
Health. A study funded the NIH’s National Institute on Aging supports
earlier findings that a variation in the sequence of the SORL1 gene is
the second association with AD.
Read more...
Ten Minutes of Conversation Improves Memory as Much
as Games
A friend may help you stay sharp just as much as a
daily crossword puzzle
Oct. 29, 2007 – Senior citizens concerned about the
loss of their mental abilities – and that is about everyone – are mostly
aware of abundant "use it or lose it" research results advising them
that to avoid dementia and Alzheimer’s they should exercise their
brains. The suggested games, particularly electronic games and puzzles, often appear
too daunting to many older people. There is new hope, however, from a
University of Michigan study that tested people as old as 96 and found it only takes about 10 minutes of
talking to someone else to improve your memory.
Read more...
High Blood Pressure Drugs May Prevent Alzheimer’s
Disease Says Study
'Significantly' effective in preventing
beta-amyloid development
Oct. 26, 2007 - A new study published in the
Journal of Clinical Investigation reports several drugs used to treat
hypertension appear to be capable of preventing Alzheimer’s disease and
cognitive deterioration. The study found these drugs “significantly”
effective in preventing beta-amyloid development in the brain, a key
element in Alzheimer's disease.
Read more...
Dementia Destroys Memory of Better Educated at
Faster Rate
Rate of cognitive decline accelerate 4% faster for
each year of education
Oct. 23, 2007 - People with more years of education
lose their memory faster than those with less education in the years
prior to a diagnosis of dementia, according to a study published in the
October 23, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the
American Academy of Neurology.
Read more...
Brain Fitness Program Clinical Trial Attracts 500
Senior Citizens
Program is designed to address the root causes of
age-related cognitive decline
Oct. 18, 2007 – More than 500 senior citizens, age
65 and over, have enrolled in a clinical trial of an innovative
computerized training program designed to enhance memory. These older
Americans are seeking to improve their cognitive health and contribute
to scientific research, according to Posit Science Corporation, sponsor
of the trial.
Read
more...
Life Expectancy Cut 25 Years for Patients with
Mental Illnesses Due to Poor Care, Cardiovascular Disease
Medicare patients hospitalized for heart attacks had
19% increase in mortality for patients with any mental disorder, 34%
increase with schizophrenia.
| |
 Up
to 80% of patients with mental illness are smokers and
consume up to 44% of all cigarettes in the U.S. |
|
Oct. 17, 2007 - While death from cardiovascular
disease (CVD) has markedly declined in the U.S. during the past several
decades, a commentary by a researcher at Florida Atlantic University (FAU)
published in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
shows that patients with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia,
bipolar disorder and depression lose an average of 25 years or more of
life expectancy due largely to CVD and disparity in care.
Read
more...
Blood Test Coming Very Close to Predicting
Alzheimer’s Risk
Tests reaching above 90 percent in accuracy
Oct. 15, 2007 - One of the most distressing aspects
of Alzheimer's disease is the difficulty in determining whether mild
memory problems, which seem to plague most senior citizens, are the
beginning of an inevitable mental decline. Researchers at the Stanford
University School of Medicine have developed a blood test that is a step
toward giving people an answer two to six years in advance of the onset
of the disease.
Read more...
Unique Community-Wide Approach Confronting Dementia
in Indianapolis
Discovery Network building efficient, effective,
locally sensitive solutions for dementia care
Oct. 11, 2007 – Dementia, the ailment most senior
citizens fear most, is a growing burden for society as longevity
increases, propelling patients and caregivers to increasingly use the
health-care system. A year ago, local researchers, health-care
professionals, and community advocates came together to form the
Indianapolis Discovery Network for Dementia (IDND) to enhance dementia
care in the nation’s twelfth largest city.
Read more...
Researchers Tie Tooth Loss to Dementia in Very Old
People
Impossible to say if tooth loss has any real role in
bringing about the dementia
Oct. 10, 2007 – Although no one has the
explanation, researchers have found that tooth loss may predict the
development of dementia late in life, according to a report published in
the October issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA).
Read more...
Protein Injection Reverses Alzheimer's Brain Damage
in Lab Mice
Findings could lead to new approach to fight
Alzheimer's Disease
Oct. 8, 2007 – Getting an injection to erase the
brain damages of Alzheimer’s disease is a possibility raised by a new
experiment. Mice with an induced animal version of Alzheimer’s regained
their mental abilities after being injected with a special protein.
Read more...
Most Conscientious People Are Least Likely to Get
Alzheimer's Disease
Also experience slower rate of cognitive decline,
lower risk of mild cognitive impairment
Oct. 1, 2007 - Individuals who are more
conscientious - in other words, those with a tendency to be
self-disciplined, scrupulous and purposeful - appear less likely to
develop Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the October issue
of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Read
more...
Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Older Women Twice as Likely to Die in Five Years
After Having Panic Attack
Panic attack also makes them four times as likely to
suffer heart attack
Oct.
1, 2007 - Older women who experience at least one full-blown panic
attack may have an increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke and
an increased risk of death in the next five years, according to a report
in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the
JAMA/Archives journals.
Read more...
Theory That Alzheimer’s Disease is ‘Type 3’ Diabetes
Supported by New Discovery
Toxic protein found Alzheimer’s brains removes
insulin receptors from nerve cells making them insulin resistant.
Sept. 26, 2007 – Is Alzheimer’s Disease actually
“type 3” diabetes? That has been the basis for a growing hypothesis in
recent years as research finds that insulin may be as important for the
mind as it is for the body. Now, scientists at Northwestern University
have discovered why brain insulin signaling - crucial for memory
formation - would stop working in Alzheimer’s disease.
Read more...
Smokers in Study Were 50 Percent More Likely to Get
Alzheimer’s or Dementia
Study of 7,000 people 55 and over for seven years
Sept. 4, 2007 – A study that followed 7,000 people
age 55 and older for seven years has determined that people who smoke
are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or dementia than
nonsmokers or those who smoked in the past.
Read more...
Experimental Drug Ketasyn Improves Memory in
Age-Associated Memory Impairment
Earlier found to improve memory for Alzheimer's
patients
Aug. 29, 2007 – Encouraging news about the ability
of Ketasyn (AC-1202) to prompt a positive and meaningful effect on
memory in older adults was released today by Accera, Inc. The results
are from a Phase II study of the company’s lead product in fighting
age-associated memory impairment (AAMI).
Read more...
Are We Ready for 60 Second Test that Determines if
We Have Alzheimer’s?
Current early diagnosis is based on study of
patient’s behavior
Aug. 22, 2007 – Are we ready for this? Do we really
want to know? Engineers say we could soon be able to diagnose the onset
of many brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s, with a quick analysis of the
tiny magnetic fields produced by neuron activity in the brain.
Read more...
Must-See Documentary on Dementia, Alzheimer’s Comes
to Public TV
There is a Bridge reveals how to
communicate with victims; begins Sept. 1
Aug. 15, 2007 – A “must-see” documentary for those
touched by dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is coming to public
television stations beginning September 1. There is a Bridge
explores different ways of communicating successfully with those who
have dementia and how these emotionally profound relationships can
change our lives.
Read
more...
Aging Adults Have Choices in Confronting Perceived
Mental Decline
Minor glitches in cognitive system can loom larger
than needed
Aug. 8, 2007 - Aging adults may joke about memory
lapses and “early Alzheimer’s.” They may worry when they can’t
understand a drug plan or lose track of the characters in a novel. But they have more control over their “cognitive
vitality” than they may realize, says Elizabeth Stine-Morrow, a
professor of
educational psychology at the University of Illinois, who has spent
20 years studying learning throughout the lifespan.
Read
more...
It's How Amyloid Fiber is Built that May Set Stage
for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's
Study of bacteria’s role in forming fibers leads to
new theory
July 13, 2007 - New insights into how bacteria form
fibers called curli offer intriguing clues to the formation of harmful
protein tangles in diseases such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's and
Parkinson's, University of Michigan researchers report.
Read more...
Exelon Patch is First Approved by FDA to Treat
Alzheimer’s Disease
Patch also approved to treat Parkinson's disease
dementia
July 9, 2007 – Exelon Patch (rivastigmine) has
received the first worldwide approval in the United States by the Food
and Drug Administration of an innovative way to deliver an effective
medicine for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease patients through a
skin patch instead of an oral capsule, according to a news release by
the drug company Novartis. The FDA also approved it to treat Parkinson’s
disease dementia, which strikes two out of five patients with
Parkinson’s. Read
more...
Alzheimer’s Risk Seven Times Greater with Damaged
Temporal Lobe, Brain Blood Vessels
New risk factors to add to worries of senior
citizens about AD
July 6, 2007 – Senior citizens
fear Alzheimer’s
disease more than any other of the afflictions that strike older adults.
Now, they can add a new risk to that worry. Researchers have found the
risk of AD is seven times greater in cognitively normal adults with
damage to blood vessels in the brain and shrinkage or damage (atrophy)
of their temporal lobe.
Read more...
Large Study Proves Antidepressants Lower Suicide
Risk for All Adults
National Institute of Mental Health funds study of
226,866 patients
July 6, 2007 - Another red flag turns green.
Antidepressants do not increase the risk of suicide in adults with
depression, as many had warned. An extremely large study of over 200,000
patients has found antidepressants actually lower the risk of suicide
attempts, even in the youngest adults age 18 to 25.
Read more...
Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
New Treatment in Battle Against Parkinson’s May Come
from Discovery
New protein appears to protect and rescue damaged
dopamine neurons
July 5, 2007 - A new drug to effectively treat the
debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease may emerge from the
discovery of a new protein that appears to protect and even repair
damaged dopamine neurons in an experimental model. Parkinson's disease
is a degenerative brain disease striking primarily older people and
characterized by the loss of dopamine neurons in the midbrain-area
called Substantia Nigra.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Senior Citizens with Problems Identifying Smells may
begin Cognitive Decline to Alzheimer’s
Other researchers developing medical device to sniff
out olfactory disorders
July 3, 2007 – In an update on earlier research, a
study has found that older people who have difficulty identifying common
odors may have a greater risk of developing problems with thinking,
learning and memory, or mild cognitive impairment. Previous research had
found a smell test could help identify which people with MCI are most
likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Read
more...
Team that Inspired 'Use it or lose it' Confirms
Mental Activity Protects Against Alzheimer's
Frequent brain stimulation by senior citizens reduces
risk of Alzheimer's disease
June 27, 2007 – It is unclear when the old adage
"use it or lose it" first became associated with the idea that by
keeping your mind active you could ward off dementia and Alzheimer's,
but it probably began with research by Robert S. Wilson, who has just
released new scientific evidence that it is true. The latest research in
Neurology Journal says it does not have to be activity as complicated as
computer games. Simply reading the daily paper can help keep the mind
stimulated and lower the risk of Alzheimer's, and even mild cognitive
impairment.
Read more...
Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Parkinson’s Disease Risks Lower with High Levels of
Urate in Blood
Large Harvard study finds potent antioxidant works
against oxidative stress
June 22, 2007 - A large study at Harvard School of
Public Health has that found high levels of urate in the blood appear to
reduce the risk of getting Parkinson’s disease. Urate (or uric acid) is a normal component of blood, and although
high levels can lead to gout, urate might also have beneficial effects
because it is a potent antioxidant.
Read
more...
Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Parkinson’s Disease Treatment with Gene Therapy
Shows Promise
First such clinical trial may lead to effective
management of disease that hits mostly senior citizens
June 22, 2007 – It was just a phase 1 clinical
trial and it included only a few patients but the medical researchers
think they may have made a significant breakthrough using gene therapy
in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease – one of the most feared of the
diseases that primarily attack senior citizens. This may also work in
the treatment of other neurological diseases, the report says.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Best Computer ‘Brain Games’ for Senior Citizens to
Delay Alzheimer’s Disease
Professor says these will maximize your cognitive
function
June 21, 2007 - Responding to a study estimating a
quadrupling of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease by 2050,
George Mason University professor Andrew Carle has released a list of
what he considers the best “Brain Games” available to consumers seeking
to maximize cognitive function.
Read more...
Dementia Less Likely with Improved Efforts to
Prevent Vascular Disease
Study finds mix of disease in dementia
brains, often Alzheimer’s and stroke
June 14, 2007 - Few older people die with brains
untouched by a pathological process, however, an individual’s likelihood
of having clinical signs of dementia increases with the number of
different disease processes present in the brain, according to a new
study. Alzheimer’s disease and stroke are the most common mix.
Read more...
Memory Problems More Likely for People Most Easily
Distressed
Earlier study found it may also lead to Alzheimer’s
disease
June 14, 2007 - People who are easily distressed
and have more negative emotions are more likely to develop memory
problems than more easygoing people, according to a study by researchers
at Rush University Medical Center published in the June 12 issue of
Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Read more...
Daily Yoga Meditation Shown to Improve Memory, May
Prevent Alzheimer’s
Older participants not only gained better memory but
their brains worked better
June 12, 2007 – Your memory getting faulty?
Cognitive ability not what it used to be? New research with older
people finds stopping other activity for a daily meditation session can
improve your thinking and your memory. The leader of the study thinks
these daily 12-minute Yoga sessions may even prevent Alzheimer’s
disease. Read
more...
Alzheimer’s
Experts Focus on Report of Anti-Amyloid Drug Clinical Trial
Four trials on different approaches offer some
encouragement
June 11, 2007 – Although no one has found a magic
bullet, there was some encouragement about possible Alzheimer’s
therapies from reports on four clinical trials presented today at the
2nd Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Prevention of
Dementia in Washington, D.C. Much of the attention was on the results of
the first Phase III trial of an anti-amyloid treatment using
tramiprosate (Alzhemed, Neurochem).
Read
more...
Treating Heart Disease Risk Factors - Hypertension,
Diabetes - May Slow Alzheimer’s
Late-life weight loss and “motivational reserve”
may also affect AD risk
June 11, 2007 - A new study suggests that treating
risk factors for heart disease and stroke, such as high blood pressure
and diabetes, may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, according
to research reported Sunday at the 2nd Alzheimer’s Association
International Conference on Prevention of Dementia in Washington, D.C.
Two new studies further confirm the close relationship between heart
health and brain health.
Read more...
Delay of Alzheimer’s by One Year Would Reduce Cases
in 2050 by 12 Million
26.6 million had AD in 2006; predicted to pass 100
million by 2050
June 11, 2007 – If Alzheimer’s disease could be
delayed by just one year in those who develop this mind-destroying
ailment, it would reduce the number of Alzheimer's cases in 2050 by 12
million. The latest worldwide estimate of Alzheimer’s disease shows that
26.6 million people were living with the disease in 2006, according to
research reported Sunday at the 2nd Alzheimer’s Association
International Conference on Prevention of Dementia in Washington, D.C.
Read more...
Dementia in Older People Can Be Accurately Predicted
by New Tool
Some surprising risk factors: slim, non-drinkers,
artery bypass, moving slowly, 70 or older, poor cognitive scores
June 11, 2007 - Researchers say they have developed
a test that can predict a person’s risk for developing dementia within
six years. The test, which can be administered by any physician, has
proven to have an accuracy rate of 87 percent, say researchers at San
Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC).
Read more...
Antipsychotic Drugs Increase Risk of Death in Senior
Citizens with Dementia
Widely prescribed to manage behavioral symptoms of
dementia in older people
June 5, 2007 - A new study shows that use of
antipsychotic drugs is associated with an early and sustained increase
in risk of death when used to treat disruptive behavior of older adults
with dementia. This is not, however, the first warning of the dangers of
these drugs – the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory in
April of 2005 on the death risks.
Read more...
Nuclear Medicine Confirms Beta Amyloid Link to
Alzheimer’s, Plus Brain Dysfunction in Senior Citizens
Researchers report Alzheimer’s detection long
before dementia begins
June 4, 2007 – Researchers have found how to use
new technology to clearly link the accumulation of the toxic brain
protein beta-amyloid to Alzheimer's disease. They also say beta amyloids
are associated with brain dysfunction in even normal senior citizens and
the early pathological changes of Alzheimer's disease can be detected
long before the development of dementia.
Read more...
Research Solves Mystery of Stroke Patients’
Vulnerability to Alzheimer’s
It can develop many years after recovery from the
stroke
June 4, 2007 – Scientist have known there is a link
between Alzheimer’s disease and stroke. Now, researchers at the
University of Leeds have discovered that it is an incident of reduced
oxygen to the brain – caused by the stroke – that can leave stroke
patient’s vulnerable to the gradual build-up of toxic chemicals which
can cause Alzheimer’s. And, it can take years or even decades after
recovery from the stroke.
Read more...
Elderly Patients Not Responding to Depression
Therapy Improve with Second Drug
84% of depressed elderly have problems in initial
treatment
June 1, 2007 – Up to 84% of the elderly with
depression either fail to respond to the initial treatment or relapse in
the first six to 12 weeks. Chances for these people to recover have been
found to improve with the addition of a second drug to the treatment,
finds a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study.
Read more...
Alzheimer’s Patients Decline Faster after Entering a
Nursing Home
Most educated had most decline; day care experience
lessened decline
June 1, 2007 – Alzheimer’s disease patients
experienced a more rapid decline in their mental abilities after being
placed in a nursing home, except for those that had prior experience in
adult day care. These patients did not experience this faster rate of
cognitive decline according to a new study by the Rush Alzheimer’s
Disease Center.
Read more...
Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Dementia
Engineers Say They Now Know How Brain Pacemakers
Help Parkinson’s Patients
Deep brain stimulation erases diseased messages for
thousands
May 31, 2007 – About 30,000 Americans suffering
from Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders have “pacemakers”
inserted in their heads. The brain pacemakers are working to ease the
symptoms but even clinical trials leading to their acceptance did not
clearly reveal how they achieved these results. New research has found they
seem to be drowning out the electrical signals of the diseased brains.
Read more...
New Finding Indicates Alzheimer’s Caused by Peptide
Imbalance
Yin and Yang effect challenges existing theories on
cause of AD
May 30, 2007 – A challenge to the popular theories
on the causes and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease has emerged from
researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A specific imbalance
between two peptides may be the cause of the fatal neurological disease
that affects more than five million people in the United States They say
their new hypothesis could be a key to preventing this form of dementia.
Read more...
Reports of Lower Alzheimer's Risk from Omega-3 Fish
Oil Spurs Clinical Trial
National Institute of Aging funds clinical trial that
needs volunteers
May 10, 2007 – Recent studies suggesting omega-3
fatty acids, found in the oil of certain fish, may lower the risk of
Alzheimer’s disease, has sparked the interests of the National Institute
on Aging, which will fund a clinical trial to learn more about this
possibility. They just need a few good older Americans to participate.
Read more...
Choose an ACE Inhibitor for Hypertension that also
Fights Alzheimer's
New study says some of these drugs reduce memory loss
in seniors
May 8, 2007 – If you need to take an ACE inhibitor
to fight high blood pressure, a new study says you should get one that
seems to protect senior citizens from declines in memory and other
cognitive function. These special drugs may also provide some protection
from Alzheimer's disease.
Read more...
Estrogen Use Before Age 65 May Cut Alzheimer’s Risk
in Half
Risk nearly doubles for senior women starting
estrogen-plus-progestin hormone therapy
May 3, 2007 - Women who use hormone therapy before
the age of 65 could cut their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or
dementia. The study found women who used any form of estrogen hormone
therapy before the age of 65 were nearly 50 percent less likely to
develop Alzheimer’s disease or dementia than women who did not use
hormone therapy before age 65.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Diabetes, Mad Cow
Similar
at Molecular Level
Protein analysis may offer new diagnoses and
treatment options
April 30, 2007 - Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's
disease, type 2 diabetes, the human version of mad cow disease, and
other degenerative diseases are more closely related at the molecular
level than scientists realized, a team reports this week in an advanced
online publication of the journal Nature.
Read
more...
Long-Term Memory Restored in Mice by Toys or Nerve
Cell Growth Drug
Promising avenues for treatment for humans with
Alzheimer's or other neurodegenerative diseases
April 30, 2007 – A new study indicates that
memories are not really erased in such disorders as Alzheimer's, but
that they are rendered inaccessible but can be recovered. Toys and other
sensory stimuli, or a drug that encourages nerve cell (neuronal) growth,
both helped mice regain long-term memories and the ability to learn,
after their brains had lost a large number of nerve cells due to
neurodegeneration. The most common risk for this loss of nerve cells is
aging. Read
more...
Drug to Stop Alzheimer's Disease May Come from
Purdue Research
Prevents first step in chain of events that
leads to amyloid plaque
By Elizabeth K. Gardner, Purdue University
April 17, 2007 - A molecule designed by a Purdue University
researcher could lead to the first drug treatment for Alzheimer's
disease. "There are many people suffering, and no effective
treatment is available to them," said Arun Ghosh, the Purdue
professor who designed the molecule.
Read more...
Senior Citizen Alerts
Parkinson's Treatment Drugs Being Withdrawn, Says
FDA
Permax (pergolide) and two generic versions may
damage heart valves
March 29, 2007 – Pergolide products used to treat
Parkinson's disease is being withdrawn from the market, according to an
announcement today from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA
said that manufacturers of pergolide drug products, which are used to
treat Parkinson’s disease, will voluntarily remove these drugs from the
market because of the risk of serious damage to patients’ heart valves.
Read more...
Lack of Recall of Current Data, Good Recall of Long
Ago May Mean Too Much Memory
New research finds that too much memory may be a
bad thing
March 29, 2007 – You cannot recall today's date,
but you do remember the date you first learned to ride a bicycle back in
the 1940s. Oh no, you think, dementia is setting in. That may not be the
case. New research says people having trouble taking in new information,
while retaining old useless information may have too much memory.
Read more...
Major Parkinson's Trial Begins Testing Energy
Booster's Ability to Slow the Disease
Creatine to be tested in 52 sites with 1,720
participants
March 22, 2007 – A major effort kicked off today to
determine if a supplement used by athletes to boost energy levels and
build muscle – creatine - can slow the progression of Parkinson’s
disease. The NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
(NINDS) is launching one of the largest PD clinical trials to date in 52
medical centers that will enroll 1,720 people with early stage PD.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Alzheimer’s Cases Jump 10 Percent as 4.9 Million
Senior Citizens Now Afflicted
Someone develops Alzheimer’s every 72 seconds, says
Alzheimer’s Association report
March
20, 2007 - The Alzheimer’s Association today reports that there are now
more than 5 million people in the United States living with Alzheimer’s
disease, which includes 4.9 million senior citizens - people over the
age of 65. This 2007 estimated is a 10 percent increase from the
previous prevalence nationwide estimate of 4.5 million.
Read more...
Fitness & Exercise for Senior Citizens
Exercise Makes People Smarter, Slows Alzheimer’s,
Reduces Stress
Newsweek focuses on ‘Health for Life – Exercise and
the Brain’
| |
'No matter your age, it seems, a strong, active
body is crucial for building a strong, active mind.' Newsweek |
|
March 19, 2007 - A recent and rapidly growing
movement in science is showing that exercise can make people smarter,
Newsweek reports in the current issue. Last week, in a landmark paper,
researchers announced that they had coaxed the human brain into growing
new nerve cells, a process that for decades had been thought impossible,
simply by putting subjects on a three-month aerobic-workout regimen.
Read more...
First Proof that Exercise Creates New Cells in Brain
Area Affecting Age-Related Memory Loss
MRI imaging at Columbia provides first observation of
new nerve cells
March
19, 2007 – A researcher that focuses on Alzheimer’s disease and the
aging brain is the lead author of a newly released study that proves
exercise actually creates new nerve cells in the area of the brain that
affects age-related memory decline.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's & Mental Health
African-American, Hispanic Caregivers Too Often
Dismiss Alzheimer's as 'Old Age'
Survey finds misperceptions, late diagnosis among
these minorities
March
14, 2007 - African-American and Hispanic, who care for a “loved one”
with Alzheimer's disease are significantly more likely than caregivers
of other races to consider the disease a normal part of the aging
process and dismiss its symptoms as part of getting older, according to
the Alzheimer's Foundation of America's (AFA) second ICAN: Investigating
Caregivers' Attitudes and Needs survey. “This gap in understanding sheds
light on the reasons for delay in diagnosis and treatment, which is an
unnecessary setback for caregivers and individuals with the disease
alike,” says AFA.
Read more...
Australians Claim Low-Cost Gene Screening for
Parkinson's Disease
Seeks people for gene-sequencing trial,
Australia-wide gene-mapping study
Feb. 23, 2007 – The horrors of Parkinson's disease
create major fear for many older people, who are aware the disease primarily
strikes people over age 50. Scientist in Australia claim to have
developed a cost-effective diagnostic test for PD, which will also
assist researchers to understand the genetic basis of PD and to
undertake large-scale studies to identify the genes that cause this
debilitating condition.
Read more...
Fitness & Exercise for Senior Citizens
Senior Citizens Less Likely
to Get Alzheimer's with
Regular Exercise
Vigorous training works better to halt aging than
moderate levels
January 29, 2007 – Fitness training – an increased
level of exercise - may improve some mental processes even more than
moderate activity, say the authors of the review of exercise and its
effect on brain functioning in human and animal populations. They also
found that physical exercise may slow aging’s effects and help people
maintain cognitive abilities well into older age.
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Changes to blood vessels had been pushed into
background of Alzheimer's research
January 22, 2007 - The two dominant proteins that
determine how much blood flows through the body's arteries have been
implicated in Alzheimer's disease, in a new study in the Jan. 16 issue
of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers
say it offers new, surprising targets against Alzheimer's disease just as
scientists are getting back in touch with the vascular roots of the
disease that were first recognized early last century by Alois
Alzheimer.
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January 15, 2007 – A massive international study
lasting five years indicates that a newly discovered gene –
SORL1 – is implicated in late-onset Alzheimer's disease. This is the
most common form of the disease, accounting for 90 percent of all cases
of Alzheimer's. It tends to affect senior citizens - those aged 65 and
older. With aging baby boomers now turning 60, the prevalence of
late-onset Alzheimer's is expected to double in the next 25 years.
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January 9, 2007 - Senior citizens and younger
adults who take in higher levels of
the nutrient folate through both diet and supplements may have a reduced
risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a report in the
January issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals.
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April 8, 2008 – Different looks at the same study
group with the same Alzheimer's question has been producing the same
result for years and seems to grab headlines every time. The finding is
that depression is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, not a result
of the disease. Dr. Robert S. Wilson, Ph.D., of Rush University Medical
Center, Chicago, lead author of the study, has come to this conclusion
repeatedly for years.
March 18, 2008 – While many of the diseases that
strike senior citizens are declining, the most feared – Alzheimer’s
Disease – is increasing at an accelerating rate, according to the latest
report on the disease released today by the Alzheimer’s Association.
About five million elderly have the disease now, the organization says,
but it projects 10 million Baby Boomers will join these dreaded ranks in
the U.S. 
March 13, 2008 – Do you remember the seventh song
that played on your radio on the way to work yesterday? Most of people
don’t, even if they are not senior citizens, thanks to a normal
forgetting process that is constantly “cleaning house” – culling
inconsequential information from our brains. Researchers at the Buck
Institute now believe that this normal memory loss is hyper-activated in
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and that this effect is key to the profound
memory loss associated with the incurable neurodegenerative disorder.
Feb.
18, 2008 - Diabetes, common among senior citizens, is known to impair the cognitive health of people.
But now scientists have identified one potential mechanism underlying
these learning and memory problems. Although the current study used
diabetic rodents, the researchers see a potential for new approaches in
preventing and treating cognitive impairment.
Jan.
14, 2008 - We often read or hear stories about older adults being conned
out of their life savings, but are older individuals really more
susceptible to fraud than younger adults? And, if so, how exactly does
aging affect judgment and decision-making abilities?
Jan 8, 2008 - Most children are able to imagine
their future selves as astronauts, politicians or even superheroes;
however, many older adults find it difficult to recollect past events,
let alone generate new ones. A new Harvard University study reveals that
the ability of older adults to form imaginary scenarios is linked to
their ability to recall detailed memories.
