Lovastatin Shown To Slow Progression Of Alzheimer's Disease

This is a classic example of the Alzheimer's CareGiver conundrum. I switched my mother from Lovastatin to Zocor after reading a similar article pointing out the benefits of statins.

I'll put the article up on Zocor soon. Zocor did improve her cholesterol numbers.

clipped from www.medicalnewstoday.com High cholesterol levels are considered to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease including stroke. Therefore, many cholesterol lowering drugs have been developed by pharmaceutical companies in recent years. One class of these drugs, statins, has been found to reduce the incidence of stroke and progression of Alzheimer's disease when prophylactically administered. In a recent paper published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Amalia Dolga and co-workers from the University of Groningen show that the statin lovastatin, in addition to lowering cholesterol, can also prevent nerve cells from dying in conditions that occur in Alzheimer's disease Amalia Dolga found that statins stimulate nerve cells to produce a specific receptor molecule for a protein which plays a central role in the body's immune response: Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

Diabetes in Middle Age Raises Alzheimer's Risk

This a lengthy article. Follow the link for more information.

clipped from www.washingtonpost.com Men who develop diabetes in middle age may be at greater risk of Alzheimer's disease, a Swedish study finds. "Our results have important public health implications given the increasing numbers of people developing diabetes and the need for more powerful interventions," study author Dr. Elina Ronnemaa, of Uppsala University, said in a statement. The study found that the men with low insulin levels at age 50 were nearly one-and-a-half times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than men who didn't have insulin problems. The risk of Alzheimer's increased, regardless of blood pressure, cholesterol, body-mass index and education.

The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture

Anti-psychotics may speed Alzheimer's decline

Anti-psychotic drugs frequently used in nursing homes to treat aggression in Alzheimer's patients don't provide any benefit and seem to lead to a marked decline in verbal ability, a report says

Read the article at USA Today Electronic Edition.

Caring for your Parents on PBS

clipped from www.pbs.org As the population ages, many adult children are grappling with an unprecedented social, cultural, economic, and personal revolution as they transition into the primary caregiver role for their aging parents. Produced, written, and directed by award-winning filmmaker Michael Kirk, Caring for Your Parents is a moving two-hour special that draws much-needed attention to this universal reality. The first 90-minutes of Caring for Your Parents underscores today's struggle to keep parents at home Immediately after the 90-minute broadcast, medical correspondent Dr. Art Ulene leads "A Conversation About Caring." This half-hour panel discussion offers concrete advice and guidance on how to start the conversation‒often the most difficult step in caregiving. Caring for Your Parents is a Kirk Documentary Group, Ltd. Production for WGBH Boston. (check local listings) Producer's Interview

How is Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosed?

clipped from www.nia.nih.gov Today, the only definite way to diagnose AD is to find out whether there are plaques and tangles in brain tissue. At specialized centers, doctors can diagnose AD correctly up to 90 percent of the time. Doctors use several tools to diagnose "probable" AD, including: questions about the person's general health, past medical problems, and ability to carry out daily activities; tests to measure memory, problem solving, attention, counting, and language; medical tests - such as tests of blood, urine, or spinal fluid; and brain scans. Why is early diagnosis important? An early, accurate diagnosis of AD helps patients and their families plan for the future. It gives them time to discuss care options while the patient can still take part in making decisions. Early diagnosis also offers the best chance to treat the symptoms of the disease. The course the disease takes and how fast changes occur vary from person to person.