Archive for the ‘Alzheimer’s Disease’ Category

Alzheimer’s disease found to be transmissible in preliminary study

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

A new development in Alzheimer’s disease research reveals intriguing results – there is evidence that this form of dementia could potentially be transmissible, according to MSNBC.

Although the findings have yet to be tested in humans, researchers injected Alzheimer’s patients brain tissue into mice, causing them to eventually develop the disease. Mice that were tested with healthy brain tissue reportedly did not exhibit any signs of dementia.

“Our findings open the possibility that some of the sporadic Alzheimer’s cases may arise from an infectious process,” Claudio Soto, a professor of neurology at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston who helped conduct the study, told the news source. She compared the process to mad cow disease, which develops when one is infected with diseased proteins known as prions.

With Alzheimer’s, a “normal” protein can become misshapen, causing other healthy proteins to morph into diseased ones. Eventually, the proteins build up over time and end up killing neurons in the brain.

Further studies are reportedly underway to discover more natural ways that this disease can be spread.

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Diabetics at increased risk for developing dementia

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Those who suffer from diabetes already have plenty of health risks to worry about, and scientists have discovered yet another one – the risk of dementia.

A recent study published in Neurology reveals that diabetic patients, including those with prediabetes, have a higher risk of developing a form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, according to WebMD.

For 11 years, research participants were monitored for diabetic conditions as well as dementia. Out of the 150 individuals with diabetes, more than 27 percent developed dementia. About 21 percent of the 559 people without diabetes developed dementia as well. Two-hundred thirty-two of these patients were reportedly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

While there is now proper evidence of a link between the two conditions, further research must be done to explore just how they are related. According to Zoe Arvanitakis, MD, one possible explanation is that diabetes increases the risk of stroke, which can cause dementia.

Arvanitakis maintains that it is too early to determine whether preventing diabetes would also lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, but taking precautions is certainly not out of the question. For example, eating heart-healthy foods (which help lower the risk of stroke) can also be good for the brain.

“The mechanism linking diabetes and dementia still needs to be sorted out,” Arvanitakis told the news provider. “It is important to stay healthy and prevent vascular risk factors from getting out of hand.”

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September 21, World Alzheimer’s Day

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

With all of the recent groundbreaking research surrounding the progressive condition, it is important to continue to stay aware of one of the most common forms of dementia. Tomorrow, September 21, is World Alzheimer’s Day.

If you or a loved one has been affected by Alzheimer’s disease, Wednesday is the day to spread your knowledge and help educate others about the condition that affects approximately 28 million people around the world. According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, this year’s theme is “Faces of Dementia.”

Check your local listings to find a special event near you. There are many fundraisers being held around the country to raise money for research, care and related programs. You can also show your support by wearing purple, the official color of Alzheimer’s awareness.

Of the top 10 leading causes of death in America, Alzheimer’s is the only condition without “a way to prevent, cure or even slow its progression,” reports ADI.

Symptoms of this disease include short-term memory loss, forgetfulness, difficult solving problems, confusion, poor judgment, mood changes and more. Occasional symptoms may simply be signs of aging, but if these issues are affecting one’s daily personal and/or work life, a visit to the doctor is recommended.

A person’s lifestyle may increase or decrease their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To “improve or maintain cognition,” adults should make sure to keep a low-fat diet and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, exercise the brain with crossword puzzles or other activities that stimulate the mind, maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels and most importantly, stay positive.

As we spread awareness tomorrow on World Alzheimer’s Day, we at Healthetreatment have our members in mind. Leave a comment and share your story with us

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Millions around the world living with undiagnosed dementia

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

An alarming new study performed by a patient advocacy group has revealed that approximately 28 million people around the world suffer from undiagnosed forms of dementia like Alzheimer’s disease, reports Reuters.

This number accounts for about 75 percent of all cases of dementia, as there are an estimated 36 million people with dementia worldwide. Many of these cases are often not discovered until the disease has reached a later stage when the patient is far gone.

“Failure to diagnose Alzheimer’s in a timely manner represents a tragic missed opportunity to improve the quality of life for millions of people,” Dr. Daisy Acosta, chairman of Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), said in a statement.

The findings will hopefully urge doctors to diagnose dementia as early as possible, which could lead to more precise treatments in the long run. Because diseases like Alzheimer’s are often not diagnosed until a later stage, many treatments are focused on patients whose conditions have progressed further than those who have received an early diagnosis, the latter of whom cannot benefit from the drugs in the same way.

“Earlier diagnosis can also transfer the design and execution of clinical trials to test new treatments,” ADI’s executive director, macro Wortmann, said in a statement.

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Legendary coach Pat Summitt reveals Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

Photo source: US News & World Report

 

Pat Summitt is the extraordinarily successful head the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team, with more wins under her belt than any other coach in the college realm. The 59-year-old is considered a legend in the sports world and she plans to stay in her position for a few more years; however, Summitt was recently diagnosed with a condition that may change everything.

After experiencing a number of issues with her memory in the last year that were quite out of character for her, Summitt was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The coach had noticed her forgetfulness progressing, but it wasn’t until she lapsed in the middle of a game that she knew she needed to see a doctor.

“I just felt something was different,” Summitt told the Washington Post. “And at the time I didn’t know what I was dealing with. Until I went to [the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota], I couldn’t know for sure. But I can remember trying to coach and trying to figure out schemes and whatever and it just wasn’t coming to me, like, I would typically say, ‘We’re gonna do this and run that.’ And it probably caused me to second-guess.”

Typically, Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed in patients aged 65 and up. The early-onset form is seen in those under the age of 65, which accounts for 5 percent of those diagnosed with this type of dementia, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is a progressive disease that some researchers believe develops at a faster pace than the late-onset form. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include memory loss, cognitive dysfunction and confusion.

Summitt will be relieved of certain responsibilities, which members of her staff will take care of, but she still plans to continue leading the Tennessee team to victory this season.

“I know what Pat stands for: excellence, strength, honesty and courage,” Joan Cronan, the university’s athletic director, told the news source.

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Maintaining a healthy lifestyle could lower risk for Alzheimer’s

Friday, July 15th, 2011

Aging is the greatest factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, and unfortunately, impossible to avoid. However, The Huffington Post reports that there are smaller factors that people can control to decrease their risk of this condition as well as dementia, such as small lifestyle changes.

Simple maintenance tasks like making sure one’s dentures fit correctly or getting regular vision checks could be helpful, according to the Canadian Study of Health and Aging.

The research was reportedly done to see if heart disease, diabetes and other conditions, which are known as risk factors for Alzheimer’s and dementia, could actually forewarn doctors of the disease. More than 7,000 patient responses were recorded detailing everything from vision quality and bladder-related issues to dental care and denture fit, according to the source. It was determined that problems that affect one’s general health may be associated with a higher risk for the conditions.

“The single risk factors that we looked at tended to be less important than overall general health,” Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, professor of medicine and Alzheimer research for Canada’s Dalhousie University, told the news source. “Leading an active, healthy life when you’re younger is more likely to lead to better brain health when you’re older.”

Despite Rockwood’s findings, other studies have produced insufficient scientific evidence to support his claims – although he still encourages engaging “in a healthy lifestyle now, and that includes all of the specific factors that can add up – particularly exercise.”

“You don’t have to wait 20 years for all of the data to come in,” he said.

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Alzheimer’s research hits major milestone with new guidelines

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

The fight against Alzheimer’s Disease has hit a major milestone this week, as the National Alzheimer’s Association (NAA) announced the first new guidelines for diagnosing the condition in nearly 30 years. The new set of criteria could help reach victims early on, including those that do not yet exhibit signs, according to CNN.

What many people do not know is that the disease can begin many years before symptoms arise, which in the past has made it difficult for doctors to detect in the early stages.

Dr. William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer at the NAA, recently told the news provider that biological changes in the brain affecting thinking patterns could be monitored and used to develop medications for early treatment of Alzheimer’s. He has the hope that future drugs could aid in the prevention of dementia.

While there are currently therapies that slow the progression of the disease, the new guidelines are designed to track symptoms and treat the patient before they have the chance to become demented.

Thies emphasized that this is just the beginning of what could be revolutionary in Alzheimer’s research.

“There’s no doubt that finding people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s Disease are going to depend on finding new biomarkers that are indicators of the first changes in brain biochemistry. The fact is that we know some of those changes already, but we do need to know more about their time course and when they occur in the disease and how long they last and how they change. That knowledge is being acquired as we speak,” he told CNN, also noting that he thinks it will be some time before senior citizens will be able to benefit from routine screenings.

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