Among the many difficult features of Alzheimer’s is that doctors can never really say with certainty which patients who show signs of memory loss will go on to develop the neurodegenerative disorder.
Alzheimer’s Disease
New Alzheimer’s Guidelines: Will They Help Doctors Spot the Disease Earlier?
For the first time in nearly three decades, experts have created a set of guidelines to better diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in the clinic. The advice also helps doctors identify the earliest signs of the degenerative condition, …
New Alzheimer’s Genes: Why They Matter, Even If They Don’t Change Patient Care
Genes are a gateway to understanding disease, and Alzheimer’s is certainly no exception. In recent years, researchers have grown the list of known genes associated with the most common form of the condition, which affects …
Study: Scientists Revive Old, Fading Memories
What would it be like if you never forgot — if your brain were able to access your haziest long-term memories as though they had just been freshly made? For the first time, working in rats, researchers have enhanced weak, old …
Alzheimer’s on Mom’s Side May Be Riskier than Dad’s
Family history is a key risk factor for Alzheimer’s, and now a new study adds to the evidence that the risk of the disease is greater if you have it on your mother’s side than on your father’s.
Why Speaking More than One Language May Delay Alzheimer’s
There are many ways in which speaking another language may contribute to a well-lived life. You can talk to a whole lot more of Earth’s inhabitants, for one thing. You can also enjoy books, music and films in their original …
Study: A Blood Test May Predict Alzheimer’s
Being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, with its symptoms of memory loss and gradual slowing of brain functions, is challenging enough already. But for those who are affected, one of the condition’s most frustrating …
Have Trouble Paying Bills? Could Be a Sign of Alzheimer’s
When it comes to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, an inability to pay bills and understand contracts are often among the first red flags—so much so that the Alzheimer’s Association officially listed confusion over …
Study: Heavy Smoking in Midlife Hikes the Risk of Alzheimer’s
As if anyone needed another reason for quitting: a new study found that heavy cigarette use in middle age more than doubles the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia down the road.
Alzheimer’s: Largely a Woman’s Issue
Recently the Alzheimer’s Association teamed up with California’s First Lady Maria Shriver and issued The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s, based on a survey of 3,118 American adults about the experience and …
At Last, Some Hope for Preventing the Slow Mental Decline of Alzheimer’s
I’ve been waiting to write this week’s TIME Magazine cover story on Alzheimer’s disease for a long time. It’s been a while since there has been any significant progress in treating this stubborn degenerative brain disease.
Study: Walking Is a Brain Exercise Too
I am often teased for my stubborn habit of traveling by foot. I often walk the 3 mi. home from work rather than take the subway. When I visit less pedestrian-friendly cities, kindhearted motorists regularly pull over and offer me …
The Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease by the (Very Scary) Numbers
Suffering is always hard to quantify — especially when the pain is caused by as cruel a disease as Alzheimer’s. Most illnesses attack the body; Alzheimer’s destroys the mind — and in the process, annihilates the very self. …