July 29, 2008

Detecting, preventing and more effectively treating Alzheimers


If the disease is detected ten years in advance it provides a lot of time for treatment and lifestyle change to slow or possibly prevent the occurence of the disease. Plus more and more drugs are being found that can reverse Alzheimer effects.


Testing of the drug is in early phase 2 trials.

Functional MRI has been used to detect reduced connectivity between the hippocampus and posterior cingulated cortex in healthy children of parents with Alzheimers.

People with Alzheimer's disease who exercise have less brain damage in the area responsible for learning.

Researchers are finding that many of the modifiable health behaviors, like exercise, diet and smoking, that have been historically associated with heart disease are now associated with the development of dementia.

Those who use blood pressure drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were 35 percent to 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia than people who didn't take the drugs.

Alzheimer's disease at wikipedia

26.6 million people worldwide were afflicted by Alzheimer disease in 2006, which could quadruple by 2050, although estimates vary greatly.

Perhaps half of those 85 or older will get Alzheimer's without improved prevention and lifestyle changes. This will be more of an issue as people live longer through life extension and better treatment of heart disease and cancer.

More on prevention with better diet and drugs


Tj said...

Rember,or methylthioninium chloride destroys the tau protein tangles. It does seem that these tau tangles are the main cause of alzheimers and not beta amyloid.