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.

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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

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An impaired insulin response and poor glucose tolerance, two characteristics of diabetes, may lead to an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in later life according to a recent study published online in the journal Neurology on April 9.

The study, conducted by Swedish researchers, involved 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.

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A new study, out of the University of Washington, has suggested that there is a strong genetic component to Alzheimer’s disease. the study found 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.

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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.

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