Dementia is the Second Largest Contributor to Death
According to a report released this week by the Alzheimer’s Association, one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia in the United States. The new Alzheimer’s Association 2013 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report shows that while deaths from other major diseases, such as heart disease, HIV/AIDS and stroke, continue to experience significant declines, […]
Read MoreAlzheimer’s Disease Numbers Projected To Triple by 2050
According to a study published in Neurology journal this week, the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. is expected to triple in the next 40 years. Researchers analyzed information from 10,802 African-American and Caucasian people living in Chicago, ages 65 and older, between 1993 and 2011. Study participants were interviewed and evaluated […]
Read MoreFirst Guidelines for Amyloid Imaging in Alzheimer’s Released
Published today, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the Alzheimer’s Association have jointly published the first criteria for the appropriate use of this imaging technology to aid in the diagnosis of people with suspected Alzheimer’s disease. Recently has it become possible to create high-quality images of the brain plaques characteristic of […]
Read MoreNew Recommendations for Cognitive Screening from the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association has published new guidelines to provide primary care physicians with guidance on cognitive assessment during an annual wellness visit. An expert workgroup assembled by the association, offers new comprehensive guidance on how to assess for cognitive impairment in the primary care setting. The Alzheimer’s Association points out that “while physicians are required […]
Read MoreRegular Physical Activity Can Reduce Risk of Dementia in Older People
A new study published in the journal Stroke reports that older, non-disabled individuals who engage in regular physical activity reduced their risk of vascular dementia by 40 percent and risk of any type of cognitive impairment by 60 percent. The prospective European study included 639 people in their 60s and 70s; 55 percent were women […]
Read MoreThe Effects of General Medical Health on Alzheimer’s Progression Revisited
For several years, studies have suggested that there is a link between health status or lifestyle and rate of progression in Alzheimer’s disease. Research on published in International Psychogeriatrics studied 335 individuals diagnosed with dementia for 11 years in a population-based longitudinal study of memory and aging. Baseline descriptors were sex, age, education, dementia duration […]
Read MoreReasons Alzheimer’s Patients are Omitted from Clinical Trials
A study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology assessed the reasons that prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients from being included in clinical trials. It is interesting that no study has evaluated the main medical and non-medical factors that explain the non-inclusion in studies. While reviewing the database of a dementia clinic for involving patients […]
Read MoreCognitive Reserve and Dementia
The idea that cognitive reserve (CR) or brain reserve capacity can be neuroprotective against dementia has been discussed for approximately 2 decades. A new metastudy in PLoS highlights the positive and negative aspects and confirms the CR theory. Cognitive reserve or brain reserve capacity explains why individuals with higher IQ, education, or occupational attainment have […]
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