Waterfall of Health

Alzheimer’s disease and the role of microorganisms

May 22nd, 2008 by Richard Brassaw

For a century it has been known that the chronic bacterial infections, namely Treponema pallidum (a form of geral paresis in syphilis), is the most frequent cause of dementia. Alois Alzheimer suggested a century ago that microorganisms may be contributors in the generation of Alzheimer’s disease plaques. A special May issue of the Journal of [...]


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DHEA fails to improve cognitive ability

May 20th, 2008 by Richard Brassaw

DHEA is a supplement believed by many to help prevent chronic diseases. It is a hormone that occurs naturally in the human body and serves as a precursor to male and female sex steroid hormones. The peak level of DHEA occurs between 20-30 and then begins a slow decline as we age. By age 70, [...]


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Alzheimer’s disease vaccine shows promise

May 19th, 2008 by Richard Brassaw

Researchers have been on a quest to find a vaccine for a Alzheimer’s disease and recent studies suggest that they may be close to a solution and possibly just years away from human testing. William Bowers, associate professor of neurology, microbiology, and immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, believes he and his co-workers have demonstrated a [...]


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Is Alzheimer’s disease a question of genes?

May 18th, 2008 by Richard Brassaw

Alzheimer’s disease researchers see the search for the gene responsible for the disease akin to the quest for the Holy Grail. Shirley E. Poduslo, PhD, neuroscientist, Medical College of Georgia Schools of Medicine and Graduate Studies, studied the genetic profile of 2 large Georgia families with high rates of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Poduslo was shocked when [...]


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Alzheimer’s dreaded amyloid fibers dismantled

May 17th, 2008 by Richard Brassaw

Alzheimer’s disease and mad cow disease (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) are similar in that both are thought to be caused by abnormally folded prion proteins in the brain. It is the accumulation of amyloid fibers created by the abnormal prion proteins that is seen as the cause for Alzheimer’s disease. James Shorter, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry [...]


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NSAIDs may not help prevent Alzheimer’s

May 16th, 2008 by Richard Brassaw

Recently there have been reports that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have shown a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Principally, the NSAID drugs naproxen and celecoxib have been cited as improving cognitive function in older adults with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Disease Anti-Inflammatory Prevention Trial (ADAPT) Research Group studied 2,117 individuals, 70 [...]


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Alzheimer’s origins revealed in 3-D

May 13th, 2008 by Richard Brassaw

The origins of Alzheimer’s disease is thought to be the result of A-beta peptide (Alzheimer’s peptide) when it clumps together in the brain and forms long fibrils. Whether it is the protein clumps or the fibrils that kill brain neurons is still being debated. Nikolaus Grigorieff, biophysicist, Brandeis University, along with researchers at Leibniz Institut, [...]


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Alzheimer’s risks differs by sex

May 8th, 2008 by Richard Brassaw

Men and women differ on their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. French researchers studied nearly 7,000 people over 65 years from the general population of 3 French cities. None of the subjects had dementia, but 4 out of 10 had mild cognitive impairment at the onset of the study. At 2 and 4 years the [...]


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Alzheimer’s – diabetes link found

May 7th, 2008 by Richard Brassaw

Why diabetic patients are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease has not been understood. Researchers believe they may have identified the diabetes – Alzheimer’s connection. David R. Schubert, PhD, professor Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, reports that blood vessels in the brain of young diabetic mice are damaged by the interaction of elevated [...]


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Faster Dementia decline linked to incontinence medication

May 6th, 2008 by Richard Brassaw

Among nursing home residents the 2 most common medical conditions are dementia and urinary incontinence; often they coexist. The problem is that the drugs used to treat each condition are pharmacological opposites, which can reduce the effectiveness of one or both drugs. Kaycee M. Sink, MD, MAS, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and colleagues, [...]


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