A diet high in saturated fat can quickly rob the brain of a key chemical that helps protect against Alzheimer’s disease. In a small study, researchers found that dietary saturated fat cut the body’s levels of the chemical apolipoprotein E, which helps “chaperone” amyloid beta proteins out of the brain.
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Concussion Damage Looks Much Like Early Alzheimer’s: Study
June 18, 2013
By Dennis ThompsonHealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) — Concussion can lead to damage in the white matter of the brain that resembles abnormalities found in people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine said their findings should prompt a re-evaluation of the [...]
Health, Not Age, Affects Benefits of Implanted Heart Device: Study
June 17, 2013
MONDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) — Elderly people may gain as much benefit from having implantable cardioverter defibrillators as younger people, according to a new study.
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, is a device placed inside the chest to deliver electrical shocks to restore normal heartbeat if it detects a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm.
The findings [...]
Scientists Find New Clues to Early Onset Alzheimer’s
June 12, 2013
By Dennis ThompsonHealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, June 12 (HealthDay News) — People with genetic mutations that lead to inherited, early onset Alzheimer’s disease overproduce a longer, stickier form of amyloid beta, the protein fragment that clumps into plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, a small new study has found.
Researchers found that these people make about 20 [...]
Low Blood Sugar May Raise Dementia Risk in Diabetics: Study
June 10, 2013
By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) — Low blood sugar in older adults with type 2 diabetes may increase their risk of dementia, a new study suggests.
While it’s important for diabetics to control blood sugar levels, that control “shouldn’t be so aggressive that you get hypoglycemia,” said study author Dr. Kristine Yaffe, a [...]
Study: Low Blood Pressure May Weaken Brains of Some Heart Patients
June 10, 2013
By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) — People suffering from cardiovascular disease who have lower-than-normal blood pressure may face a higher risk of brain atrophy — the death of brain cells or connections between brain cells, Dutch researchers report.
Such brain atrophy can lead to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in these patients. In contrast, [...]
For Alzheimer’s Caregivers, a Much-Needed Break
June 7, 2013
By Amy NortonHealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) — Day care centers for people with Alzheimer’s disease can give their spouses and other family caregivers a much needed source of stress relief, a new study suggests.
Such centers offer people with dementia a chance to socialize and take part in activities that stimulate their minds. The [...]
Alzheimer’s Drugs May Benefit Heart, Study Finds
June 5, 2013
WEDNESDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) — Drugs used to treat early-stage Alzheimer’s disease may also reduce patients’ risk of heart attack and death, according to a new study.
Researchers followed more than 7,000 Alzheimer’s disease patients in Sweden for more than three years. Those taking cholinesterase inhibitors had a 38 percent lower risk of heart attack, [...]
Alzheimer’s Patients Tend to Mimic Emotions of Those Around Them
May 28, 2013
People with Alzheimer’s disease or early thinking and memory problems tend to mirror the emotions of those around them, researchers find. This transfer of emotions, known as emotional contagion, appears heightened in people with Alzheimer’s and related mental decline, according to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) team. And it can be important in the management of these patients, they added.
Seniors More Likely to Crash When Driving With Pet: Study
May 25, 2013
SATURDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) — Animals make great companions for senior citizens, but elderly people who always drive with a pet in the car are far more likely to crash than those who never drive with a pet, researchers have found.
The new study included 2,000 licensed drivers aged 70 and older. The nearly 700 [...]
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