Alzheimer’s Disease News, Articles & Information

Arm and leg length may predict an individuals risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias according to a study published on May 6 in the journal Neurology. The study found that longer arms and greater knee height reduced Alzheimer’s disease risk by a small, but significant amount.

American researchers analyzed 2,798 individuals with a mean age of 72 years. During the study 480 (17.2%) of the participants developed dementia over an average follow up period of 5.4 years. The researchers found that for women, a 1 inch increase in arm span led to a 7% decrease in dementia and a 10% decrease in Alzheimer’s disease risk.

People who regularly take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) for more than five years are significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease according to a study published this month in the journal Neurology.

The study found that certain NSAID’s, in particular ibuprofen, cut the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by almost 50% however other NSAID’s including aspirin and COX-2 inhibitors such as celecoxib did not have an effect on Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent study has found that just fifteen minutes of exercise, three days a week may be enough to reduce an individuals risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias by more than 30%.

The study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine in January 2006, analyzed 1,740 people over the age of 65 who were initially free of dementia. The participants were followed for an average of 6.3 years during which 107 people (6.1%) developed Alzheimer’s disease

Dietary fat intake, particularly in the form of saturated and trans fat leads to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia according to recent evidence.

In February 2003, a study was published in the journal Archives of Neurology that linked the consumption of both saturated and trans fats with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The study involved 815 individuals aged 65 and older who were followed for an average of four years.

In August 2002, a study published in the journal Archives of Neurology suggested that those who consume high calorie diets might be up to 50% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who consume low calorie diets.

The study involved 980 individuals aged 65 or older from the northern Manhattan area in New York. The participants were followed for an average of four years and during that period, 242 of the individuals developed Alzheimer’s disease.

Both heavy smoking and heavy drinking lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease at an earlier age according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Neurology held in Chicago between the 12th and 19th of April.

The study involved 938 people aged 60 or older who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers looked at three potential risk factors: heavy cigarette use, heavy alcohol consumption and the presence of a particular allele of the ApoE gene which is known to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent study, presented at the 60th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology has found that high total cholesterol levels in middle age can raise an individuals risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 50%.

The researchers analyzed almost 10,000 men and women from Northern California who were initially between the ages of 40 and 45. The participants underwent health evaluations between 1964 and 1973 which included measurements of blood cholesterol and blood pressure.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology has found that regular wine consumption may reduce the risk of women developing dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The Swedish study involved 1,458 women initially aged between 38 and 60. The participants were subjected to a physical examination and completed questionnaires on social and lifestyle factors including alcohol use, cigarette use, and education levels. The study began in 1968-1969 and follow up studies were conducted in 1975, 1980-1981, 1992-1993, and at the end of the study in 2002.

A new study, presented at the annual Academy of Neurology meting in Chicago this month suggests that Vitamin E, particularly when combined with a cholinesterase inhibitor, extends the lifetimes of Alzheimer’s sufferers by a significant amount.

The researchers spent 15 years analyzing the survival rates of 847 people who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Around two-thirds of the people were women and the average age of participants was 74 years.

An impaired insulin response and a poor glucose tolerance, which are both characteristics of diabetes, may lead to an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in later life according to a recent study published in the journal Neurology.

The Swedish used data from the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men which followed 2,269 men aged 50 years in 1970 for an average period of 32 years. At the beginning of the study, the men were tested for both insulin response and glucose tolerance.

A history of depression, particularly at an early age, is associated with an almost four-fold increase in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease according to a recent study published in the April 08 edition of the journal Neurology.

The researchers, based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, analyzed 486 people between the ages of 60 or 90 who were free of dementia at the beginning of the study.

Scientists at the University of North Dakota have found that as little as one cup of coffee a day may be enough to protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease by strengthening the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

In the study, published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, researchers used New Zealand white rabbits, to examine the effects of a high cholesterol diet and/or high caffeine consumption on the blood-brain barrier.

Abdominal fat is already known to be a strong risk factor for both heart disease and diabetes however a new study, published this month in the journal Neurology, has suggested that those with excess fat around the abdomen may be at almost a three times greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias later in life.

6,583 middle-aged adults from the Kaiser Permanente organization in Northern California took part in a study during the 1960s and 70s which involved the measurement of individuals Sagittal Abdominal Diameter (SAD).

A new study, out of the University of Washington, has suggested that there is a strong genetic component to Alzheimer’s disease by finding that an individuals chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease are almost three times greater if both parents have been diagnosed with the disease.

The study, which was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the U.S. department of Veterans Affairs, followed 111 families in which both parents had been diagnosed with the disease.

Several studies have suggested a link between high formal education levels and a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, those in highly skilled occupations are also thought to be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent study presented in “Neurology”, which is the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, analyzed data taken from the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia study (CAIDE) to determine the extent of the relationship between education and the development of dementia.

Several studies have suggested that estrogen loss in women may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

One such study involved over 8,800 female residents of a retirement community situated in Laguna Hills, southern California. The residents were surveyed on various health related questions in 1981. Over the 11 year study period, 138 of the participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias likely to be Alzheimer’s disease.

Amyloid plaques, found in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers, can form in as little as a few hours according to a recent American study published in the science journal “Nature”.

Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease analyzed the brains of mice bred to develop amyloid plaques using an advanced microscopic imaging technique known as “multiphoton laser confocal microscopy” in order to view the formation of the plaques and the subsequent damage as it occurred in the brains of the mice.

A new study has found that some of the most popular fruits, including bananas, apples and, oranges all contain antioxidants that reduce the risk of dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers at Cornell Univeristy in Ithaca, New York tested phenolic phytochemicals derived from bananas, oranges, and apples on neuron cells. The researchers found that all three of the fruits protected the neuron cells from oxidative stress and prevented neurotoxicity. Apples were found to have the highest levels of beneficial antioxidants.

While many have heard that Marijuana can help reduce the symptoms of brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, and can ease some of the side effects of cancer, several studies have also shown that the drug may have potential benefits for Alzheimer’s sufferers.

In two separate studies conducted on rats, one at the Cajal Institute in Madrid, Spain and the other at the Scripps Research Institute in California, the active ingredient in marijuana, known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC was found to be

While there are some Alzheimer’s risk factors, such as age and a family history of Alzheimer’s disease that cannot be changed, there are many things you can do to reduce your chances of getting the disease. Here are seven easy ways to slow down or prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

#1 Eat fish at least twice a week or take a fish or flax oil supplement

Omega-3, found in oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel and in flax oil and spinach has been found to prevent and slow the build up of plaques in the brain. In a study of mice, those fed diets high in DHA (a type of omega-3) had a 40% lower incidence of brain plaques and up to 70% less amyloid protein in their brains (a precursor to plaques).