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Some Types of Skin Cancer Linked to Lower Chances of Alzheimer's

Posted 2 days 20 hours ago by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, May 15 – There's some good news for people who have had certain kinds of skin cancer: A new study suggests that their odds of developing Alzheimer's disease may be significantly lower than it is for others. People who had non-melanoma skin cancer were nearly 80 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than people who did not. The association was not found with other types of dementia. To understand the possible association between skin cancer and Alzheimer's, it is important to know that people have a combination of cells that are multiplying and others that are dying, explained study author Dr. Richard Lipton, a professor of neurology, epidemiology and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. The research was published online May 15 in the journal Neurology. "When cell division gets out of control, we call that cancer. And ... Read more

Related support groups: Alzheimer's Disease, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Skin Cancer, Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Experimental Drug Seems to Aid Memory in Mice With Alzheimer's

Posted 4 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 14 – An experimental drug improved the memory and brain function in older mice with advanced symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. Researchers from the Salk Institute in San Diego found that the drug, known as J147, increased levels of proteins that form the connections responsible for learning and memory, and reduced levels of a protein linked to cell death in the mice. This explains how treating the mice with J147 led to an increase in factors that are necessary for correct memory function, according to the authors of the study, which was published online May 13 in the journal Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. The effectiveness of J147 is the result of a new drug-discovery approach developed at the Salk Institute, said David Schubert, who heads the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory. "Our approach to screening drugs is very different from that currently ... Read more

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High Blood Sugar May Add to Alzheimer's Risk: Study

Posted 10 days ago by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, May 8 – Elevated blood sugar levels may increase a person's risk for Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. Previous research has suggested that diabetes may be a risk factor for Alzheimer's, but University of Arizona researchers wanted to examine if high blood sugar levels in people without diabetes may also increase the chances of developing Alzheimer's. The study included 124 people, aged 47 to 68, who were diabetes-free and had normal brain function, but did have a family history of Alzheimer's. The participants underwent scans that revealed metabolic activity in the brain. People with Alzheimer's disease show reduced brain metabolism in certain brain regions. A similar pattern of lower metabolism in these same brain regions was seen in study participants with high blood sugar levels. Study author Christine Burns, a pre-doctoral student in psychology, said she ... Read more

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Living Long May Protect Against Early Alzheimer's, Study Finds

Posted 12 days ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, May 6 – Families with exceptional longevity also appear to have later onset of dementia, a new study suggests. Ultimately, the same percentage of people in families surviving to 90 and beyond are prey to Alzheimer's disease as others, but the progressive brain disorder tends to develop later in life, the researchers say. "The goal of the study was to determine whether or not members of exceptionally long-lived families are protected against cognitive [mental] impairment consistent with Alzheimer's disease," said lead researcher Stephanie Cosentino, an assistant professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. The answer: Yes, except for the oldest of the old. Although the reason for the delayed onset of dementia in the very old isn't clear, Cosentino said "there may be specific genetic pathways related to preserved cognition in these ... Read more

Related support groups: Alzheimer's Disease

Gene Studies Could Point to New Alzheimer's Treatments

Posted 25 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, April 25 – Insight into genes that play a key role in disrupting immune system pathways in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease could offer a potential target for new drugs against the disease, two new studies show. "Defining the precise steps of the inflammatory response crucial to causing Alzheimer's disease has been elusive. We are pleased to discover these novel insights into that process," Bin Zhang, lead author of one of the studies and an associate professor of genetics and genomic sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, said in a school news release. In the study, Zhang's team analyzed brain tissue samples from deceased Alzheimer's patients, as well as healthy people who had died. By measuring the activity level of thousands of genes in these tissue samples, the team identified which gene networks are disrupted in diseased ... Read more

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Alzheimer's Patients May Face Looming Shortage of Neurologists

Posted 18 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, April 18 – For patients with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) and other brain disorders, finding a specialist to treat their condition may be increasingly difficult, according to a new study. Experts in the field of medicine that focuses on the brain and nervous system revealed that there is a shortage of neurologists in the United States as medical students and residents are choosing other more lucrative specialties. The study authors noted that patients with brain disorders who do find a neurologist would have to wait even longer to be treated. "With the rapidly rising rates of brain diseases such as dementia and stroke at the same time as the number of U.S. medical residents choosing neurology over other specialties is clearly declining, the U.S. could face a crisis," explained study author Dr. Thomas Vidic, with Elkhart Clinic in Elkhart, ... Read more

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Brain Changes Seen in Relatives of People With Alzheimer's

Posted 18 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 17 – If Alzheimer's disease runs in your family, you may be more likely to have brain changes associated with the disorder even before symptoms such as memory and thinking problems occur, according to new research. An estimated 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, a number expected to increase dramatically as the baby boomer generation ages. The Alzheimer's Association predicts that the number of people aged 65 and older with the condition will reach 7.1 million by 2025. To get a better handle on risk for Alzheimer's disease, researchers at Duke University looked at brain scans of more than 250 adults aged 55 to 89. Some had no signs of memory or thinking problems, while others did. The researchers also analyzed genes and other markers in spinal fluid that are known to help predict Alzheimer's risk. A variation in the APOE gene was seen among those ... Read more

Related support groups: Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment

Mental Exercise May Help Keep Seniors Sharp

Posted 15 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 15 – Mental exercise can help prevent thinking and memory decline in seniors, but evidence for the benefits of supplements and exercise is weak, according to a new study. The findings were published in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). The researchers reviewed 32 studies, including three that examined the effects of mental exercise involving computerized training programs or intensive one-on-one personal training in memory, reasoning or processing speed. One of the studies found significant improvements in participants' memory over five years of follow-up. Another found an improvement in auditory memory and attention, according to a journal news release. Supplements such as gingko, vitamins, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and other substances, however, appeared to provide no benefit. The same was true for physical exercise. Estrogen was associated with an ... Read more

Related support groups: Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment

Exercise May Help People With Alzheimer's Avoid Nursing Homes

Posted 15 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 15 – Regular exercise slows disability and prevents falls in patients with Alzheimer's disease without increasing overall costs, a new study from Finland says. The findings suggest that exercise, particularly when tailored to an individual's needs and performed at home, may help Alzheimer's patients maintain their independence and delay the move to a nursing home. "This is an important study," said Dr. Kostos Lyketsos, director of the Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center, in Baltimore. "If we could ever deliver exercise for people with dementia in their homes, I think we could accomplish very substantial benefits for patients and reduce costs, which is a very big deal ... in health care these days." Lyketsos was not involved in the new research. Mental changes are the first wrenching signs of Alzheimer's disease, and they often are the symptoms that get ... Read more

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Newly Created Rats Designed to Speed Alzheimer's Research

Posted 10 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 10 – Everyone wants to build a better mousetrap, but researchers working to uncover the secrets of Alzheimer's disease have taken that a step further: They've built a better rat. By creating genetically engineered lab animals that more closely mirror key elements of Alzheimer's in the human brain, scientists report they have created a more effective, faster approach for early testing of potential drugs to treat the disease. These "transgenic" rats are better lab animals than are other rodents for a variety of reasons, according to study author Terrence Town, a professor in the physiology and biophysics department at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. "You get so much more usable data from these rats." "First, the typical rat, which is 5 million years closer to the human than the mouse is, is a better model for pathology than the ... Read more

Related support groups: Alzheimer's Disease

Gene May Double Risk of Alzheimer's in Blacks

Posted 9 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 9 – A particular variant of a cholesterol-related gene may double the risk of Alzheimer's disease in older blacks, a new study suggests. The gene – known as ABCA7 – is also linked to Alzheimer's among whites, but it appears much more important in blacks' risk of the memory-robbing disease, the researchers said. Still, although a doubling in risk may sound large, the researchers stressed that it's actually a modest increase. Older adults' risk of Alzheimer's is thought to depend on many factors – not only an array of different genes, but also environmental influences. "How much does this increase your risk? It's modest," said Dr. Robert Nussbaum, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study. But the findings are important because they add to the understanding of the complex underpinnings of Alzheimer's, said ... Read more

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U.S. Spends More on Dementia Care Than Heart Disease or Cancer: Study

Posted 3 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 3 – The cost of caring for Americans with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia may now be as high as $215 billion a year – more than the cost of caring for heart disease or cancer, a new study finds. And that number is expected to escalate as the elderly population grows. In 2010, the United States spent somewhere between $157 billion and $215 billion on dementia care, researchers reported in the April 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. That includes direct medical expenses and the costs of caring for people with dementia – both professional care and the "informal" care that families provide. Dementia is a progressive deterioration in memory, thinking ability, judgment and other vital brain functions. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and a recent study estimated that with the aging baby boom generation, the number of Americans ... Read more

Related support groups: Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease

Heart Risks May Also Point to Dementia Risk

Posted 1 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 1 – Assessing a person's future risk of heart disease and stroke may be a better predictor of mental decline than a dementia risk test, new research suggests. The study included about 7,800 men and women with an average age of 55. Each participant's risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia was calculated at the start of the study. The heart disease assessment included the risk factors of age, blood pressure, high blood pressure treatment, smoking, diabetes and levels of total cholesterol and "good" HDL cholesterol. The stroke assessment included similar risk factors plus history of heart disease and irregular heart beat. The dementia risk score included age, education, blood pressure, body-mass index (a measure of body fat based on height and weight), total cholesterol, exercise levels and whether a person had a specific type of the gene associated with dementia. Ten ... Read more

Related support groups: Heart Disease, Ischemic Stroke, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease

Mental, Physical Challenges May Help Seniors Stay Sharp, Study Says

Posted 1 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 1 – A little exercise and some mental stimulation may go a long way toward helping seniors stay sharp, a new, small study suggests. Researchers found the memory and thinking skills of 126 inactive older adults improved after they were assigned daily activities designed to engage their brains and their bodies. "The good news is that one plus one equals three," said Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer's division at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study. The take-home point is that making small changes in physical and mental activity has led to positive changes in memory and thinking skills, Isaacson said. Learning a few extra words in a foreign language and walking several times a week, for example, will pay off in a few months, he noted. "You don't have to run a marathon to be fit, and you don't have to become ... Read more

Related support groups: Alzheimer's Disease

Researchers Test Implanted Brain Stimulator for Alzheimer's

Posted 28 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 28 – Researchers are testing whether applying electrical stimulation directly to the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease might improve thinking, focus and alertness. The process, called direct brain stimulation, or deep brain stimulation (DBS), has been used to treat Parkinson's disease and is being tested as a treatment for other conditions, including traumatic brain injuries and obesity, according to the researchers. Two women have had the electronic brain stimulators implanted, and eight more patients will participate in this initial research. "There are a lot of studies out there that say physical or mental stimulation may reduce the risk or impact of Alzheimer's disease, so we wondered if increasing stimulation to certain parts of the brain may be protective," explained study co-author Dr. Douglas Scharre, director of the division of cognitive neurology at ... Read more

Related support groups: Alzheimer's Disease

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