Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s Scientists on Brink of New Discoveries

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

paul_greengardThe scientists, funded by our charity beneficiary, The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, under the direction of Nobel laureate Dr. Paul Greengard, are on the brink of exciting new discoveries. Dr. Greengard has authored almost 1,000 scientific publications. And when he gets excited about a new discovery – so does The Fisher Center.

The need for your support now is as urgent as the biological studies being conducted by Dr. Greengard and his internationally renowned team of scientists, according to the Fisher Center. That is why they are now donating 100% of money raised directly to Dr. Greengard’s team’s research to support their efforts.

You can help by making a donation and wearing “I’m Tired of Alzheimer’s” bracelets! Let’s put an end to Alzheimer’s!

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Depression Linked to Increased Risk for Alzheimer’s

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

depressed1People who have had depression may be more prone to Alzheimer’s disease, two studies suggest. Dutch researchers found Alzheimer’s was 2.5 times more likely in people with a history of depression. Similarly, US researchers, examining Catholic clergy, found those with signs of depression were more likely to go on to develop Alzheimer’s. The Dutch study appears in the journal Neurology and the US study in Archives of General Psychiatry.

The Dutch study was small - 486 people over an average of six years, with just 33 people developing Alzheimer’s. But it found that people who showed signs of depression before the age of 60 were four times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Lead researcher Dr Monique Breteler said: “We don’t know yet whether depression contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, or whether another unknown factor causes both depression and dementia.”

The findings were echoed in a second study by Rush University in the US. The researchers followed more than 900 members of the Catholic clergy for up to 13 years during which time 190 developed Alzheimer’s. They found that those with more signs of depression at the start of the study were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Researcher Dr Robert Wilson said: “Depressive symptoms may be associated with distinctive changes in the brain that somehow reduce neural reserve, which is the brain’s ability to tolerate the pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease.” Read more…

Source: BBC News

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New HBO Series, “The Alzheimer’s Project,” Pushes for a Cure

Friday, May 8th, 2009

maria_shriverIt’s been almost 15 years since former U.S. President Ronald Reagan told the world he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, hoping his disclosure would promote awareness of the heart-breaking brain disorder that slowly destroys memory.

Now, with an estimated 26 million people worldwide living with disease and a predicted 11 million by 2050 in the United States alone, a unique series by cable TV network HBO aims to change how people think of Alzheimer’s so they will put time and money into finding a cure.

The unprecedented multi-platform series runs throughout May and features four documentaries, 15 short films, a book, a community outreach program and a website (www.HBO.com/alzheimers) covering every aspect of Alzheimer’s.

“The numbers are growing at a rate that nobody ever fathomed. As babyboomers age, it is coming right at us and we have to do something,” said Maria Shriver, wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and executive producer of “The Alzheimer’s Project.”

“This is an epidemic for this generation. A cure is within our reach if we focus on it, allocate the money and pressure our lawmakers. If we don’t, the impact has devastating consequences,” Shriver told Reuters. Read more…

Posted by Carrie Pollare

Source: Reuters

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Geriatric Neurologist & Author Discusses “Myths of Alzheimer’s”

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

alzheimers_framedDr. Peter Whitehouse, a geriatric neurologist and author of “The Myth of Alzheimer’s: What You Aren’t Being Told Told About Today’s Most Dreaded Diagnosis” says that Alzheimer’s disease is a 100-year-old myth that’s over the hill.

Whitehouse has replaced the term “Alzheimer’s disease” with “severe brain aging.” That distinction, he says, makes all the difference. He says we need to stop throwing money at searching for a cure to what he calls “age-associated cognitive challenges.” Instead of medication, the focus should be on preventing brain aging through simple strategies such as exercise, reading and eating right.

To read the interview with Dr. Whitehouse, click here.

Posted by Carrie Pollare

Source: Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

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Test Can Tell Whether Alzheimer’s Drug is Working

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

alz_microscopeScientists at Washington University have developed a test that can quickly tell how effective a drug is at treating Alzheimer’s disease. Until now, this process has involved assessing the patient’s mental functioning over a long period of time. The new measurement tool is called “stable isotope-lined kinetics (SILK)” and it takes just 36 hours. Scientists say this could help speed up the development of new treatments.

The test was created to find whether an Alzheimer’s drug given to healthy volunteers could reduce production of a substance known as amyloid beta. This is the culprit that forms plaque in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, which scientists believe cause the mental deterioration. Read more…

Posted by Carrie Pollare

Source: Belleville News-Democrat

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President of Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research has Passed Away

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

michael_sternWe are very sad to report that the President of the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, our charity beneficiary for the “I’m Tired of Alzheimer’s” bracelet, passed away yesterday.

Michael Stern’s determination to fight the disease helped to establish the foundation and he was its visionary. Fisher Center has pledged to keep his vision alive. He is survived by his daughter Margaret, son Michael Jr. and granddaughter Margaret Ann.

Posted by Carrie Pollare

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New Drugs to Treat Alzheimer’s Could be Available within the Next Five Years

Friday, March 20th, 2009

clinical_trialEleven drugs that could slow down the progress of Alzheimer’s are in the final stage of clinical trials and initial tests are being carried out on up to 80 more.

Professor Simon Lovestone, from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, said that thousands of patients are currently taking these drugs in trials and that it is the most promising development in two decades of research.

While drugs that are currently available have only a mild effect on Alzheimer’s symptoms and most stop working after six months to a year, the new drugs will work for a longer period of time and in the future may be given to people at risk of developing Alzheimer’s, as well. The drugs may not stop the disease, but they should significantly slow the decline. Read more…

Posted by Carrie Pollare

Source: The Evening Standard

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Blood Test Developed to Identify Early Dementia

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

blood_testA new blood test may help identify frontal lobe dementia (FTD). This type of dementia is second to Alzheimer’s as the form of dementia that occurs most in patients younger than 65. It is also very near and dear to my heart, since this is the type of dementia that took my mother several years ago.

Genetic research has shown that there is a genetic defect in chromosome 17 in a large percentage of patients with FTD. There are two genes in this chromosome that, if defective, can cause an inheritable form of FTD. It has to do with a protein in the brain, called progranulin. People with the defect produce only half the normal amount of this protein. With a simple blood test, someone can now know if they have an increased risk for FTD long before symptoms appear.

Unfortunately, the cure factor has not yet been discovered. Further research is needed to figure out how the shortage of progranulin can be restored to normal levels. But, it’s a great start to moving towards a cure! Read more…

Posted by Carrie Pollare

Source: psychcentral.com

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OBAMA TO REVERSE STEM CELL RESEARCH POLICY

Monday, March 9th, 2009

stem_cellYes, this is a controversial one, no question, but President Obama’s plan to lift restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research could have tremendous impact on many of our disease-related causes. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, embryonic cells can grow into nearly every type of tissue in the body, including heart cells for cardiac patients, pancreas cells for diabetics and replacement brain cells for people with Alzheimer’s.

Of course, conservatives consider such moves to be immoral, contributing to the “destruction of innocent human life.” Read more…

Posted by Carrie Pollare

Source: Los Angeles Times

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DRINKING COFFEE MAY HELP WARD OFF ALZHEIMER’S?

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

coffee3Now here’s an interesting study, courtesy of our “I’m Tired of Alzheimer’s” bracelet charity beneficiary, the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation

Apparently, middle-aged men and women who drink three to five cups of coffee a day are less likely to get Alzheimer’s disease in old age. These results were part of a study by the Finnish Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) Study, which followed 1,409 people in Finland over two decades. The study found that people who were coffee drinkers at midlife had lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease later in life, as opposed to those who weren’t coffee devotees. Moderate coffee drinkers (three to five cups) had the lowest risk, a 65% reduction in Alzheimer’s. Go figure…

To read the entire article, click here.

Posted by Carrie Pollare

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