Alzheimer's Disease

[phkrause]

Alzheimer’s

Scientists examining the brains of people destined to develop Alzheimer’s dementia say there may be a way to keep symptoms at bay in certain patients. A new study published in the journal Lancet Neurology found that the risk of symptoms developing was cut in half if the participants had been taking an amyloid-lowering drug for about eight years. Beta amyloid plaques are known to collect between neurons in the brain and disrupt cell function. It’s “the first data to suggest that there’s a possibility of a significant delay in the onset of progression to symptoms,” said Dr. Eric McDade, a professor of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis, who led the study.

[phkrause]

Researchers find a hint at how to delay Alzheimer’s symptoms An experimental treatment appears to delay Alzheimer’s symptoms in some people genetically destined to get the disease in their 40s or 50s, according to new findings from ongoing research now caught up in Trump administration funding delays. Read more.

Why this matters: Scientists don’t know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s, a mind-destroying disease that affects nearly 7 million Americans, mostly late in life. What’s clear is that silent changes occur in the brain at least two decades before the first symptoms, and the sticky gunk found in the brain which has become a hallmark of the disease, amyloid, is a major contributor. At some point, amyloid buildup appears to trigger a protein named tau to begin killing neurons, which drives cognitive decline.   Until now, there haven’t been hints that removing amyloid far earlier – many years before the first symptoms appear – just might postpone the disease. The research led by Washington University in St. Louis involves families that pass down rare gene mutations almost guaranteeing they’ll develop symptoms at the same age their affected relatives did. The new findings center on a subset of 22 participants who received amyloid-removing drugs the longest, on average eight years. Long-term amyloid removal cut their risk of symptom onset in half, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Lancet Neurology.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Inside the government study trying to understand the health effects of ultraprocessed foods   FDA warns of misuse of laughing gas sold in colorful, flavored canisters   Struggling with your mental health after surviving a disaster? Here’s how to look after yourself

[phkrause]

Activities You Can Share With Your Loved One With Alzheimer's

SPEAKER

When a loved one has Alzheimer's, they may stop doing the daily activities they once enjoyed. But with a little ingenuity, you can help keep them interested and active for as long as possible. Modification is the key word. When it comes to daily chores, set up a routine for them to do familiar things about the same time each day. Routine helps people with Alzheimer's adjust to their changing abilities.

https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/video/video-alzheimers-activities?

[phkrause]

Brain drain

Need another reason to prioritize your sleep? Not spending enough time in the two deep stages of slumber might speed up the deterioration of parts of the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found.

[phkrause]

Is It Aging or Alzheimer's?

Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on September 29, 2023

Written by Kendall K. Morgan

https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/ss/slideshow-is-it-aging-or-alzheimers?

[phkrause]

FDA OKs first blood test that can help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials on Friday endorsed the first blood test that can help diagnose Alzheimer’s and identify patients who may benefit from drugs that can modestly slow the memory-destroying disease.

https://apnews.com/article/alzheimers-blood-test-fda-leqembi-kisunla-ad3cffe0bd540accf47e8ee105b439a9?

[phkrause]

Is Alzheimer’s Genetic?

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Medically Reviewed by Christopher Melinosky, MD on December 11, 2024

https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/alzheimers-genetic?

[phkrause]

A smart plan that could slow Alzheimer’s

A new study offers hope for early-onset Alzheimer’s patients to slow or even improve the progression of their disease. New findings from a team at the University of California, San Francisco, suggest that participants who made intensive lifestyle changes improved their memory, judgment and problem-solving skills. Participants were challenged to stick to a vegan diet, exercise daily and join online support groups for 40 weeks.    The pillars of the treatment plan sound simple enough — diet, exercise, stress reduction and social support — but the results for some participants were transformative: Tammy Maida, who was diagnosed in her late 50s, is riding her bike and balancing spreadsheets again at age 68.    “I’m coming back,” Maida told researchers. “An older but better version of me.”

[phkrause]

Alzheimer’s breakthrough

For the first time, researchers have studied how a living brain interacts with Alzheimer’s proteins in real time — and how parts of the brain are lost to the disease. CNN’s Isobel Yeung went inside the operating room to explain why one young man agreed to donate part of his brain in hope for Alzheimer’s cure.

[phkrause]

Eating eggs 5 times a week linked to lower Alzheimer's risk in new study

When it comes to health benefits, eggs have had a fluctuating reputation over time. For years, a belief persisted that their high content of dietary cholesterol might negatively affect cholesterol levels in the human body.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/eating-eggs-5-times-a-week-linked-to-lower-alzheimers-risk?

[phkrause]

🧠 Experimental drug shows Alzheimer's promise

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios An experimental drug from Biogen could help slow early Alzheimer's disease by lowering levels of a brain protein called "tau," researchers reported today. Past attempts to develop drugs targeting the protein have failed, AP reports. Two existing Alzheimer's drugs try to clear the buildup of the better-known amyloid protein. 📉 The new findings suggest Biogen's diranersen did more than lower tau levels. The study of about 400 people found signs that it also slowed cognitive decline — in one small subset, enough to be comparable to amyloid therapy. 💊 What's next: Biogen is planning a larger study to try to prove the drug's benefits. Reality check: Dr. Reisa Sperling of Mass General Brigham, who wasn't involved in the study, cautioned that "this is early days." But Sperling tells AP that it could "reinvigorate interest and investment in lots of tau mechanisms, and the field needs that." Go deeper.