Alzheimer’s Disease News, Articles & Information

Statins, a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol in people at risk of heart disease, may also be effective in preventing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias according to a new report published in the July 29 edition of the peer-reviewed medical journal Neurology.

The research comes out of the University of Michigan and involved the study of 1,674 elderly Mexican-Americans from Sacramento, California. At the beginning of the 5-year study none of the participants showed signs of dementia or cognitive impairment.

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People who exercise regularly are less likely to experience brain shrinkage during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease according to a new study published in the July 15 issue of the journal Neurology.

The study was conducted by researchers out of the University of Kansas School of Medicine. The researchers compared the brain sizes and fitness levels of 64 individuals who were free of dementia and 57 patients who had recently been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

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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 height at the knee 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.

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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.

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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

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A recent study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in January of this year, 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.

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A new study, presented at the annual Academy of Neurology meeting 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 analyzed the survival rates of 847 people who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.The majority of the patients in the study were women and the average age of participants was 74 years.

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Scientists at the University of North Dakota have found that as little as one cup of coffee a day might 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 levels of caffeine consumption on the blood-brain barrier.

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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 thought to be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent study presented in the journal 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.

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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 Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Researchers at Cornell University 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.

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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

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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 as well as 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).

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A recent United States study has documented a case where an arthritis drug called Etanercept, (also known as Enbrel), caused a rapid improvement in the cognitive function of a patient with Alzheimer’s disease within just minutes of the drug being injected into the patients spine.

According to the authors of the study the patient initially appeared agitated and could not recall the state he lived in but just ten minutes after treatment, he was more relaxed, attentive and could correctly name the state.

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Omega 3 Fatty Acids found in fish oil may slow or prevent Alzheimer’s disease according to a recent study at the University of California (UCLA) at Los Angeles.

The study, which was published in the December 26 edition of the Journal of Neuroscience found that one of the omega-3 fatty acids known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) stimulates the production of a protein called LR11. This protein prevents the build up of the protein beta amyloid, which is toxic to brain cells and is found in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers.

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