Following a series of disappointments in Alzheimer’s drug research, scientists report they may have found a clue to predicting a more aggressive form of the disease.
Alzheimer’s Disease
The Truth About B Vitamins and the Alzheimer’s Brain
Senior moments are normal — scary, but normal. Forgetting a friend’s phone number, a celebrity’s name, or even what you came into a room to retrieve are all part of the typical aging process. It’s only when forgetfulness …
Study: Exercise Can Protect People at High Risk of Alzheimer’s
Staying active is good for the body, and the latest research shows it might benefit the mind as well.
In a study of individuals who carried a high-risk gene for Alzheimer’s disease, researchers found that those who exercised …
Why Do So Many Alzheimer’s Drugs Fail in Clinical Trials?
Semagacestat, tramiprosate, tarenflurbil, latrepirdine: These names may not mean a lot to you, but all four of them were high-profile would-be Alzheimer’s drugs that — in the last two to three years — have failed the last phase of clinical trials. They made it through the safety stages okay. They just didn’t work well enough; they …
What does head size have to do with Alzheimer’s?
According to a new study published in the July 13 issue of the journal Neurology, Alzheimer’s patients with larger heads may experience a slower progression of cognitive decline symptoms, possibly because they have more of what researchers call “brain reserve” — or the ability to adjust to changes within the brain. The theory is based
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Active youth linked to lower risk for cognitive decline
A new study analyzing physical activity at different phases of life for more than 9,000 elderly women finds that routine exercise at any age was associated with a reduced risk for cognitive decline or dementia, but that regular physical activity during teenage years was most strongly linked to a lower risk for mental deterioration later
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Alzheimer’s: new methods for diagnosis, preserving memory?
In the ongoing effort to better understand, diagnose, treat and hopefully one day even prevent the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers are taking a broad range of approaches — and some are even finding clues in unlikely places. As the New York Times reports, a new technique that combines a dye and brain scan
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A link between belly fat and dementia risk
Having excess belly fat in middle-age may increase the risk for dementia later in life, according to results of a new study published this week in the Annals of Neurology. In an analysis of 733 middle-aged men and women, researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine found that not only was higher body mass index (BMI)
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Spouses of dementia patients at higher risk themselves
Compared with other aging married individuals whose husbands or wives do not suffer from dementia, those whose spouses are diagnosed with the condition are six times more likely to develop dementia themselves, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Researchers suggest that the stress
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NIH says science is lacking for Alzheimer’s prevention
A new report fro the National Institutes of Health suggests that, currently, there is not enough rigorous scientific evidence to suggest any surefire ways of preventing Alzheimer’s disease. While small studies have suggested that everything from crossword puzzles to routine exercise can help stave off cognitive decline, the national
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For elderly, antipsychotic drugs increase pneumonia risk
Antipsychotic drugs, which are often prescribed to treat aggression in patients with dementia, may significantly increase risk for potentially fatal pneumonia in the elderly, according to a new study highlighted by the BBC from researchers at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands. The study, published in the Annals of
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Potential Alzheimer’s drug fails clinical trial
A drug that held hope for many Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones failed a late-stage clinical trial, proving negligible benefits over placebo, the New York Times reports. The drug, called Dimebon (latrepirdine), was being developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer together with a small new company, Medivation, but failed to meet
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