New study says a seventh of elderly Americans suffer from dementia

A new study suggests that one out of seven Americans over the age of 70 has dementia. Researchers conducted individual assessments of 856 people drawn from an earlier study that included a representative sample of Americans over 50.As they report in the latest issue of Neuroepidemiology, the findings suggest that 3.4 million Americans aged 71 or older suffer from some sort of dementia, including Alzheimer's. This is about 30% higher than earlier estimates.


From the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Discovery suggests new ways to treat Alzheimer's cause, not just symptoms

clipped from www.newsroom.ucla.edu For some time, scientists have blamed Alzheimer's disease on a small molecule called amyloid beta protein (A beta) that leaves large gummy deposits in the brain. Recent studies suggest that these A beta proteins stick together to form floating toxic clumps that kill brain cells. Now, UCLA scientists have identified a tiny loop in A beta as the likely culprit behind the adhesion process. The UCLA team discovered that gene mutations in A beta increase the loop's flexibility, enabling it to join easily with loops from other A beta proteins and form clumps. The loop also appears in the region of the protein that regulates how — and how much — A beta is made. Principal investigator David Teplow, professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, is available for interviews. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published the findings in its Oct. 10 online early edition. For a PDF of the study, see www.eurekalert.org/pio/tipsheetdoc.php/237/zpq7481.pdf.

Blood Test May Predict Alzheimer's Disease

clipped from www.abcnews.go.com Alzheimer's experts are optimistic that a new type of blood test could one day allow doctors to accurately predict one's risk of developing the degenerative disease. While prior research has suggested that imaging techniques and tests on spinal fluid could also be used to predict the risk of Alzheimer's, a study in published in the current issue of the journal Nature Medicine suggests that this goal could be accomplished with a simple blood draw. Such a test, if proven effective, would be less costly than imaging techniques and less invasive than a spinal tap.

Stanford scientists find blood test to ID Alzheimer's

This is an important development for those genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's.

clipped from www.sciencedaily.com NEW YORK, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Researchers Sunday reported progress on development of a blood test that can diagnose Alzheimer's disease, perhaps years before memory loss sets in. The researchers, mainly based at California's Stanford University, said the test was about 90 percent accurate in distinguishing the blood of people with Alzheimer's from the blood of others, The New York Times reported. The scientists said the test was about 80 percent accurate in determining which patients with mild memory loss would go on to develop Alzheimer's disease during the next two to six years. The results were published online in the journal Nature Medicine.

I can tell you from experience, not only couldn't my mother name the drugs she was taking, she was not taking them as prescribed. I investigated this when her behavior first started to change and show signs of dementia. Why is this important? Is my belief that if my mother had been taking her hypertension drugs as prescribed she would be much healthier today and the onset and development of her Alzheimer's might have been delayed.

clipped from www.sciencedaily.com New research from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine has found that nearly 50 percent of patients taking antihypertensive drugs in three community health centers were unable to accurately name a single one of their medications listed in their medical chart. That number climbed to 65 percent for patients with low health literacy. Patients Can't Recall Their Medications To Tell Doctors

Cautious Optimism For New Alzheimer's Medications, Reports The Harvard Mental Health Letter

clipped from www.medicalnewstoday.com Alzheimer's disease takes a long time to develop, which suggests that it may be possible to design drugs that work early in the disease process, to delay the start of symptoms. Over the past decade, researchers have been testing a number of such "disease-modifying" drugs that target the earliest biological changes in Alzheimer's, reports the October 2007 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter.<BR><BR>None of the disease-modifying drugs now in development will cure Alzheimer's. But a number of them are currently in phase III clinical trials, the last stage before the FDA will consider approving the drugs for sale. Media interest has already begun to intensify. In June, for example, the AARP Bulletin trumpeted on its cover: "Finally, new drugs offer real hope for reversing the disease."<BR>

Balance Problems an Early Clue for Alzheimer's?

clipped from alzheimers.about.com Balance problems may be an early sign that someone has a dementia such as Alzheimer's. Research has found physical symptoms, such as problems with walking and balance, a weak hand grip (a later sign) are associated with an increased risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The study tested for physical functioning using a number of tests. It was found that people with good physical performance scores at the beginning of the investigation were three times less likely to develop dementia than those with poor scores. Higher levels of physical function may be associated with a delayed onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Cholesterol Metabolism Links Alzheimer's Disease

clipped from www.sciencedaily.com Science Daily — Although the causes of Alzheimer's disease are not completely understood, amyloid-beta (A-beta) is widely considered a likely culprit -- the "sticky" protein clumps into plaques thought to harm brain cells. But now researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered evidence strengthening the case for another potential cause of Alzheimer's. The finding also represents the first time scientists have found a connection between early- and late-onset Alzheimer's.

Can a dedicated nun hold key to beating Alzheimer's?

clipped from news.scotsman.com NUNS and monks who never miss choir practice and work hard in their religious studies may pave the way to a greater understanding of Alzheimer's disease. A study of almost 1,000 Catholic nuns, priests and monks over 12 years revealed that those who were most conscientious had a lower risk of developing the debilitating brain disease. It is thought that being conscientious might make people better able to cope with plaques that build up in the brain, leading to the disease. The latest study followed a group of nuns, monks and priests from across the United States. They were chosen as a group as they were deemed more likely to be willing to take part in a study that might help others in the future, but not themselves.

Conscientious people may not develop Alzheimer's

clipped from blogs.usatoday.com A new study suggests people who have a "purposeful personality" are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Reuters says those who "lead a good clean life" are less prone to developing dementia in later life, according to the Rush University Medical Center study. "When the researchers took into account a combination of risk factors, including smoking, inactivity and limited social connections, they still found that the dutiful people had a 54 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's compared to people with the lowest scores for conscientiousness," the Associated Press reports. USA TODAY has an interactive graphic with more about the disease.