BELLY FAT MAY BE BAD FOR THE BRAIN Accumulating more visceral fat, particularly around the belly during midlife, is associated with brain alterations that are consistent with Alzheimer’s disease, long before any symptoms appear. A recent study, which employed MRI scans, has found that visceral fat—fat that can gather around internal organs even in individuals with healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) levels—is linked to changes in the brain. In sharing the latest updates on Alzheimer’s research with fellow seniors, I’m providing excerpts from an online article dated November 20, 2023, on NBC Health News by Linda Carroll, A type of...
LECANEMAB: THE NEW ALZHEIMER’S DRUG Lecanemab (brand name Leqembi) is the first drug that appears to slow the decline of memory and thinking of Alzheimer’s disease. After promising trial test results, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month granted full approval of the medication. The price of $26,500 per year is steep, but Medicare and Medicaid will probably cover its cost. Mayo Clinic Staff published an online article on June 9, 2023 giving the drug’s possibilities, Lecanemab for Alzheimer’s disease: An option for you? Here are excerpts: The drug lecanemab appears to slow mental decline in people with early...
REDUCING OUR ALZHEIMER’S RISK Every few months I post on Alzheimer’s disease because of its considerable risk to us older adults: One in three seniors die with Alzheimer’s or another dementia; it kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. The recent issue of the Harvard Health Watch nicely summarizes ways to reduce our risk to this killer disease. Here are excerpts from the July 1, 2023 article by Mathew Salon, Executive Editor, Protecting Yourself from Alzheimer’s There is no cure, but there may be ways to reduce your risk Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia:...
GOT CHOLINE? You may never have heard of choline. I hadn’t. But now I see articles on it popping up and found that choline is an essential nutrient—which means it’s a vital ingredient for human health. (Similar to B vitamins.) Choline is made in small amounts in the liver and found in such foods as meats, fish, poultry, nuts, beans, broccoli and eggs. New research, led by scientists at Arizona State University (ASU) suggests that lack of adequate choline is linked with profound changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Here are excerpts from the January 17, 2023 ASU...
ALZHEIMER’S MILESTONE STUDY If you’ve read my posts over the years, you’ve seen that I report regularly on Alzheimer’s disease—both examining how to prevent or delay it, and the latest research on its causes. This week CNN Health, the online site, published news of a milestone study titled 42 previously unknown genes discovered for Alzheimer’s disease in ‘landmark study’ Here are excerpts from the article written by Sandee LaMotte: An additional 42 genes connected to the development of Alzheimer’s disease have been uncovered in the largest study of genetic risk for Alzheimer’s to date. “This is a landmark study in...
NEW HOPE FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: ULTRASOUND STIMULATION If you’ve followed my posts, you know I try to share the latest news on Alzheimer’s disease. To me—and many others—it’s the most threatening thing about aging; at least one third of us will develop it by age 85. This week I read of a recent study where mice exposed to ultrasound stimulation over a period of time had not only reduced amyloid plaque and tau protein levels in their brain but also increased function. This is terrific news! If this is found to be an applicable approach for humans, it could significantly...
MORE ALZHEIMER’S PREVENTION ADVICE: SLEEP DEEPLY Once again I’m posting on Alzheimer’s disease. I think it’s one of the scarier things about aging. In fact, at least one third of us will have it after age 85. While there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s, and we don’t yet know exactly what causes it, researchers continue to get closer to providing some answers. Scientists have known for years that poor sleep promotes an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Yet, researchers haven’t been able to zoom in on exactly what causes this relationship. But now, new research suggests that deep sleep helps defend against...
THE NEW ALZHEIMER’S DRUG—WHO KNOWS IF IT EVEN WORKS? I’m one of millions who would welcome an effective Alzheimer’s disease treatment. My mother died of it and I know others who either have it presently or who’ve also died of Alzheimer’s. Now, last Monday, along comes the pharmaceutical manufacturer Biogen with their drug aducanumab, with the brand name Aduhelm, as the first treatment approved by the F.D.A. that targets the underlying disease process of Alzheimer’s rather the just its symptoms. Biogen’s drug had been vigorously lobbied for approval by patient advocacy groups and some physicians eager to have an effective...
FLOURISH WITH FLAVONOIDS Whenever I hear of new ways to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, I come to full attention. This week I read a short article in Fitness Journal citing new data that older adults who have high intakes of foods and drinks containing flavonoids—such as blueberries, apples, grapes, dark chocolate, green tea and red wine—are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Flavonoids are chemical antioxidants found naturally in many fruits and vegetables and other plant products like chocolate, tea and wine. I searched for a more thorough examination of these and found it in a Harvard Medical School October 2020...
LATEST ALZHEIMER’S PREVENTION ADVICE: EAT MORE FISH Once again I’m sending you a post on Alzheimer’s disease. I think it’s one of the scarier things about aging. In fact, at least one third of us will have it after age 85. Last December I recommended a hybrid of the Mediterranean & DASH diets, Reduce your Alzheimer’s Risk with the MIND Diet. And that still holds. This post is similar except for this recent finding: Fish is the one food you can eat that lowers your risk of both cognitive impairment and cognitive decline. Here’s the complete article by Andrew E....
