Doctor Bobby

Does Green Tea Prevent Alzheimer's? Fact?

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 16:39:00 +0000

One of the hottest topics in the Alzheimer's community this week is about Green Tea and its effectiveness in preventing Alzheimer's.

Recent articles and research reports are extolling the virtue of green tea as a potential Alzheimer's Disease prevention.

Fact or hype?

Read on to learn more about the current hubba bubba around green tea extract.

Interesting medical science and opinion

Previously on the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Alzheimer's Disease Explained To Children

Dementia, Alzheimer, Memory Loss, Health

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 11:04:00 +0000

Related Content

The Plan to End Alzheimer's Disease by 2020 (Podcast)

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:05:00 +0000

At the most recent TEDMED conference Rudy Tanzi spoke about the plan to end Alzheimer's disease by 2020.

Rudy Tanzi is one the world's leading Alzheimer's disease research scientist.

Click above to Listen. Please share this podcast with family, friends, support groups, and the Alzheimer's community.

If you don't see the podcast go here.

Original content Rudy Tanzi the Plan to End Alzheimer's Disease by 2020 (Podcast)

Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Slow Alzheimer's

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:28:00 +0000

"The results of this study should change the way we treat patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors are approved for use in mild to moderate dementia, while memantine has been approved for advanced dementia. But it looks like there is an advantage in prescribing both drugs as initial treatment."--John Growdon, MD

Read the full article here -- The Combination of Aricept and Namenda Helps Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients

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Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Self Assessment Tests)

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:33:00 +0000

The five tests listed below are self assessment tests for Alzheimer's, dementia, and mild cognitive impairment.

If you decide to administer one or more of these tests and the results of the tests seem suspicious you should consult with your personal care physician or a neurologist for a more thorough memory examination and diagnosis.

#1 Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's Dementia in 15 Minutes (SAGE)

This is my number one recommendation for testing memory.

The latest weapon in the war against Alzheimer’s disease is not a fancy new brain scanner or a computer device. Instead, it’s a it a 15 question written exam that could have a dramatic impact on a major problem -- the early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

This handwritten self-assessment test can be taken in less than 15 minutes. SAGE is a reliable tool for evaluating memory and cognitive ability. Findings confirming the validity of the tool were reported in the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders.

Go here to learn more about the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE) including instructions, the test, and scoring system.

Also see:

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#2 Alzheimer's Clock Draw Test

Drawing a clock by hand is one of several useful screening tools that can help to detect mild cognitive impairment, dementia, or Alzheimer's. This test can help you, or your doctor, differentiate between normal aging and possible dementia.

If you administer the test on your own and find the results either disconcerting or suspicious, schedule an appointment with your personal care physician. Take the copy of the clock test with you to the doctor appointment, and show the test to the doctor.

Go here for more on the clock draw test including scoring.
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#3Test Your Memory (TYM) for Alzheimer's or Dementia in Five Minutes

This test is designed for people that live in England. Results were published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

The TYM is a series of 10 tasks including ability to copy a sentence, semantic knowledge, calculation, verbal fluency and recall ability. The ability to do the test is also scored. Each task carries a score with a maximum score of 50 points available. The test is designed to use minimal operator time and to be suitable for non-specialist use.

Go here for the information and follow the links for the test, scoring and scientific study.
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#4 The Mini-Cog Test for Alzheimer's and Dementia

The Mini-Cog is a simple three minute test that is useful in detecting mild cognitive impairment, dementia, or an early stage of Alzheimer's. The research study, included below, showed that the test has a high degree of accuracy (83 percent).

Go here for more information.
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#5 Dr Oz Alzheimer's Memory Quiz (Test)

This memory quiz is based of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VAMC) St. Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) examination and is an assessment tool for informational and entertainment purposes only.

Go here to take the test.

More About the Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:59:00 +0000

"The results of this study should change the way we treat patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors are approved for use in mild to moderate dementia, while memantine has been approved for advanced dementia. But it looks like there is an advantage in prescribing both drugs as initial treatment."--John Growdon, MD

My name is Bob DeMarco, I am an Alzheimer's caregiver. My mother Dorothy, now 93 years old, suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

By Bob DeMarco

To continue reading go here -- Alzheimer's Reading Room: The Combination of Aricept and Namenda Helps Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients

H1N1 Flu Virus Everything You Need to Know

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:23:00 +0000

clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

H1N1 Flu virus activity is now widespread in 46 states. Nationwide, visits to doctors for influenza-like-illness are increasing sharply, and are now higher than what is usually seen at the peak of the flu seasons.......

The 2009 H1N1 (Swine Flu) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in the United States in April 2009. This virus is spreading from person-to-person worldwide, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) signaled that a pandemic of 2009 H1N1 flu was underway.

Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via Email

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Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for news, advice, and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob has written more than 950 articles with more than 8,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

(R)evolution in Alzheimer's Related Caregiving

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:28:00 +0000

Follow the Alzheimer's Reading Room link to continue reading

clipped from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com

One of my greatest fears is the day I might have to place my mother in an Alzheimer's care facility. I say might because I pray that I'll never have to do it.

I receive emails all the time from people that experience the guilt, angst, and remorse of having place their loved one in a Alzheimer's care facility that provides little care, and is a horrid environment for their loved one.

It doesn't have to be that way...........

Perhaps what’s going on here is actually miraculous: nearly every one of them has been liberated from the nightmare of antipsychotic drugs. And virtually all of them will never be readmitted to a hospital behavior unit, a nursing home--or shackled to a restraint and left alone to die.--Laurence Harmon, et al

The Alzheimer's Action Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:45:00 +0000

“Most of us will either get Alzheimer’s or care for a loved one who has"

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

"This book is the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease. Whether you are a health care professional or have Alzheimer's in your family or are simply interested to living to an old age, this book is a must read."
--Deepak Chopra, M.D., New York Times bestselling author of Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide

Insight and Advice about Alzheimer's Disease
Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room

"Memory does matter. Adults across the life cycle are asking questions, many questions! The authors answer these questions for the educated public, family members who encounter memory loss in a loved one, and even adults who believe they are experiencing early memory loss. The answers are comprehensive and understandable, no small accomplishment given the plethora of new information available—information that at times is not only confusing but also conflicting."
--Dan G. Blazer, M.D., Ph.D., former Dean of Medical Education, Duke University School of Medicine; past President of the American Geriatrics Society

"Dr. Doraiswamy has done a masterful job of communicating what the layman should know on the treatment, the care giving and, most important, the prevention of Alzheimer's. It was gratifying to learn about the mountain of evidence that what is good for your heart is also good for your brain."
--Arthur Agatston, M.D., cardiologist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The South Beach Diet

"I love this book! A powerful and vital resource for people who need it the most. Dr. Doraiswamy is that unique blend of medical expertise mixed in with warmth and compassion topped off with humility that makes him rare and wonderful."
--Leeza Gibbons, Emmy award-winning TV host and founder of Leeza's Place and the Memory Foundation

"Lisa Gwyther is a national treasure. She has been a pioneer in providing innovative care and education for Alzheimer’s patients and their families for many years. Lisa’s long experience helping families cope with the challenges of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease makes her uniquely qualified to co-author this book. Families experiencing the new world of memory loss and Alzheimer’s couldn’t ask for a better companion for the journey. Her warmth, compassion, and wisdom shine through, and will help light the way."
--Pat Lynch, Director of Communications, Alzheimer’s Center Program, National Institute on Aging

"Most of us will either get Alzheimer's or care for a loved one who has. This action plan can empower you to make a difference."
--Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, You: The Owner’s Manual

"Five million Americans have Alzheimer disease, and an even larger number with mild to moderate memory loss are at high risk of developing this illness. Murali Doraiswamy, a leading clinical researcher in Alzheimer disease, and Lisa Gwyther, a founder of the Alzheimer Association, have co-authored this timely, state-of-the-art book directed at patients with Alzheimer disease, their informants, and their primary care physicians....I fully predict that this exceptionally well-written, reader-friendly book will become the standard resource for patients with Alzheimer disease and their loved ones. Its up-to-date information, patient-centered approach, and focus on prevention and treatment directed at patients with incipient Alzheimer disease distinguish it from The 36 Hour Day by Nancy Mace and Peter Rabins, which is directed at caregivers of patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer disease."
--JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)

Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Follow the Alzheimer's Reading Room on Twitter

100 Million Adults Touched by Alzheimer's

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:46:00 +0000

HBO Alzheimer's Project / Harris Interactive Census

Read more on this topic.

Alzheimer's Reading Room: 100 Million Adults Touched by Alzheimer's

Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via Email

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for news, advice, and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob has written more than 950 articles with more than 8,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room

The State of America's Health as Obama Takes Office

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:59:00 +0000

clipped from health.usnews.com

Obama has pledged to keep his campaign promise to bring comprehensive reform to our ailing healthcare system. In contrast to the last big push for reform, during the Clinton administration, this time there has been more agreement among insurers, employers, consumers, and lawmakers on the broad outlines for change. Although many specifics have yet to emerge, all parties agree that any plan must place a strong emphasis on encouraging healthful behaviors and preventing disease.

Our expanding girth is America's most visible health problem. Not only are most adults too heavy, but obesity rates for children have more than doubled in the past 30 years. Excess weight is a significant factor in four of the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Obesity has fueled a 45 percent rise in diabetes over the past 20 years; someone born in 2000 has a 1 in 3 chance of developing the disease.

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:02:00 +0000

Happy New Year

Wishing each and everyone of you a wonderful new year.

Doctors Feel Gloomy, Financially Strapped

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:36:00 +0000

Doctors sure seem unhappy these days. Just take a look at the downbeat results from a survey out from the Physicians’ Foundation.

Here are some of the bracing findings from 11,950 primary care docs and specialists who responded to the survey:

94% said the time they’ve devote to non-clinical paperwork in the past three years has increased. 63% said the paperwork has meant they spend less time per patient.

82% said their practices would be “unsustainable” if proposed Medicare pay cuts were made.

78% believe there is a shortage of primary care docs in the U.S.

49% said that over the next three years they plan to reduce the number of patients they see or stop practicing entirely.

60% would not recommend medicine as a career to young people.

42% said professional morale is either “poor” or “very low.”

17% rated the financial position of their practices as “healthy and profitable.”

6% described morale of their colleagues as “positive.”

: When Alzheimer's Hits at a Young Age

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:22:00 +0000

Brian Kammerer, the 45-year-old chief financial officer of a small hedge fund, called his wife one day from a cellphone in the men's room of his Manhattan office building. A colleague had just asked him for something, he whispered, but he had no idea what it was.

'It clicks and it holds papers together,' he said.

'A stapler?' Kathy Kammerer asked.

'I think that's what it's called,' he replied.

Living Alzheimer's From the Front Row

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:10:00 +0000

I often use the term "living Alzheimer's from the front row". This term describes caregivers and others that watch Alzheimer's develop 24/7. Once the disease strikes they get to witness the craziness of it all. On one hand, you have the person suffering from Alzheimer's; on the other hand, you have the person responsible for caring for that person. Unless you are an Alzheimer's caregiver it is almost impossible to either understand or comprehend what it is like living in the front row.

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

Until you sit in the front row you won't be able to comprehend what it is like living in the "front row" . In the early days of caring the caregiver deals with a disease that is not only impossible to understand; they live with a disease that turns their world upside down. Imagine a person you know all or most of your life and their behavior changes--suddenly--and for the worse. This person, your loved one, begins to act out behaviors with you that you have never seen or experienced before. You want to scream at them or worse, but you come to the realization that this only makes matters worse. You cannot reason with a person suffering from Alzheimer's. They believe what they say to be true and nothing can change it.

It is difficult to describe the range of emotions a caregiver might feel or experience in a single day. Imagine being happy and then sad, caring then angry, focused then frustrated, an almost endless stream of feelings and emotions that conflict. The caregiver lives an anxiety filled life day-after- day. The caregiver nevers knows when this craziness might come to an end. They do know this uncertain fate is heart wrenching.

Most people have difficulty dealing with change. The Alzheimer's caregiver deals with change on a daily basis. Never knowing for certain what is coming, but knowing fully it is coming. Informed caregivers try to get ahead of the curve so they can get prepared for these harsh, sometimes hard to comprehend changes. Knowing that your loved one is going to forget simple things like how to brush their teeth, how to take a shower, and even how to eat is not a pleasant thought. The actual experience and feeling of helplessness cannot be described. Knowing that the day is coming when they --won't know you-- is the most horrific feeling of them all.

It isn't pleasant living in the front row. Yet, somehow we do it. Many of us for years. Trust me when I say this, if you are not living in the front row you could never imagine what it is like.

If you know a caregiver get involved. The first thing you can do is listen to them as they vent. The next thing you can do is arrange for them to get away from it all for a period of time. Hug a caregiver, I assure you it will be an experience you won't forget.

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Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,400 articles with more than 9,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

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Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Eat Your Statins

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:08:00 +0000

Two major studies found vitamins E, C, B12, and folic acid all did exactly squat in preventing heart attacks, while Crestor, the last and most powerful statin, cut the rate of heart attacks and strokes by 50% and reduced overall death by 20% in men over 50 and women over 60 who scored high on a blood test that may indicate cardiovascular risk.

“Count the next 100 men you see over 50,” says Evan Stein of the Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center, who has worked on decades of clinical trials with drug companies. “Fifty of them are going to die of heart disease. No matter what, if you are at cardiovascular risk, you should be taking a statin.”

Eat Your Statins

Matthew Herper with Robert Langreth

Want to avoid a heart attack? Stop taking your vitamins and switch to a cholesterol-lowering statin drug instead.

That was the message from last week's annual meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans. Two major studies found vitamins E, C, B12, and folic acid all did exactly squat in preventing heart attacks, while Crestor, the last and most powerful statin, cut the rate of heart attacks and strokes by 50% and reduced overall death by 20% in men over 50 and women over 60 who scored high on a blood test that may indicate cardiovascular risk.

“Count the next 100 men you see over 50,” says Evan Stein of the Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center, who has worked on decades of clinical trials with drug companies. “Fifty of them are going to die of heart disease. No matter what, if you are at cardiovascular risk, you should be taking a statin.”

In Pictures: 10 Ways To Know If You Should Take A Statin

Only 3% of patients on placebo had heart attacks, strokes or heart surgeries in a two-year period, according to the Crestor study, called Jupiter. But low-risk people would need to be treated to make a dent in the one-third of American deaths (that's 800,000) caused by heart attacks and strokes. A recent survey of 13,000 patients found that 47% of heart attacks occurred in people whom scientists estimate had less than a 10% chance of having a heart attack over the course of a decade.

Twenty million people already take statins, but the Crestor study is likely to lead to a surge in use for one of the drug industry's best inventions. That includes branded entrants, like AstraZeneca's Crestor and Pfizer's Lipitor, and cheap generic versions of Zocor and Pravachol.

The drugs have side effects, including muscle weakening, that can be dangerous in some cases. Nobody is advocating putting really healthy patients on statins.

Statins lower cholesterol by short-circuiting the process in the liver that produces cholesterol in the body. The first statin drug was derived from a fungal broth by Akira Endo, a scientist at the Japanese drug firm Sankyo, in the 1970s. Merck's Mevacor, built on Endo's work, hit the market in 1987. Trials in 1994 and 1995 of Merck's more potent follow-up, Zocor, and Pravachol, from Bristol-Myers Squibb, proved statin drugs can prevent heart attacks and deaths. Sales of cholesterol-lowering drugs took off; last year, they totaled $34 billion globally.

The immediate hype surrounding the Jupiter study is about adding the new blood test, for C-reactive protein (CRP). It measures inflammation in the arteries that can cause heart attacks. But far more important will be the way this massive trove of data--18,000 patients' information--solidifies the already rosy view cardiologists have of statin drugs; it will also be invaluable for silencing critics. Jupiter lead author Paul Ridker discloses he has patents on the test. Some researchers quoted here, including Ridker, have financial links to drugmakers.

Until now, there has been no solid proof that statins prevent women from having a first heart attack (though if a woman already had a heart attack, they clearly prevented the second one). The reason is that earlier studies done more than a decade ago, one of them recruiting solely from the Air Force, hadn’t included enough women to get a statistically significant result. Academics wrote in a law journal earlier this year that Pfizer was vulnerable to lawsuits if it had promoted these lifesaving drugs to women. In Jupiter, women over age 60 benefited every bit as much as men over 50.

"It's spectacular," says John J.P. Kastelein of Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, a co-author of the Crestor study. "We finally have strong data" that a statin prevents a first heart attack. Christie Ballantyne of Baylor College of Medicine predicts the results will "invigorate doctors and patients" to use statins more often.

Consider this: Testing people for high CRP, as Ridker has advocated, could make 7 million people eligible for statin drugs. The numbers are only bigger if we extrapolate the findings to people younger than 50. But if current guidelines were followed to the letter, the number of people taking these drugs could jump more than 50%--from 20 million to more than 30 million.

Eric Topol of the Scripps Research Institute notes that the patients in the study were "not people on the health train." Fifty-five percent had high blood pressure and 75% were obese or overweight. It may be the CRP test partly picks up people some docs already treat. Roger Blumenthal at Johns Hopkins gives a statin talk to any man over 50 with even one cardiovascular risk factor.

Generics could make widespread statin therapy downright cheap. Zocor and Pravachol are both off-patent. Lipitor goes generic in 2011. Sidney Wolfe of the watchdog group Public Citizen says "the message that has come off Jupiter is that people who are otherwise very healthy can benefit from statins." But Wolfe, a critic of Crestor, says that Lipitor and Pravachol are safer options. "We still think, based on recent data, that Crestor has no unique benefits but it has unique risk."

One statin critic not backing down is John Abramson, author of Overdosed America. He points out that patients on Crestor had the same rate of serious illnesses requiring hospitalization as those on placebo. "You haven't improved their net health," says Abramson. Instead, he argues, you're trading heart attacks and strokes for other serious illnesses. And he contends that not offering weight-loss counseling to an overweight population created an "artificial situation" that exaggerated the benefits of the drug. He's not alone. Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's fake news show The Colbert Report joked the study was "a great breakthrough in the battle to find things to prescribe to people who don’t need them."

But modern humans live in a world for which we are biologically unsuited, says James O’Keefe of the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo. Hunter-gatherers, who fed on fish, lean meat and fibrous veggies, had levels of low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol, between 50 and 75 milligrams per deciliter, half the level for the average American. Breastfed babies have LDLs of 40mg/dL until they start eating processed foods, he says. “We all have high cholesterol,” says O’Keefe. Even treatment guidelines for patients on statins never recommend getting lower than 70 mg/dL, but maybe 50 is really "normal."

There is disagreement over whether statins work just by lowering LDL or also by preventing inflammation in the arteries, which also may have a role in heart attacks. That could explain why Jupiter outperformed previous statin trials, Ridker argues, and could lead some doctors to prescribe Crestor over generics. Use of Zetia, the non-statin cholesterol drug from Merck and Schering-Plough that is also part of the combo pill Vytorin, could continue to drop, because it may not have the same anti-inflammatory effects, and there's no evidence it stops heart attacks. Pfizer could catch a tailwind as health plans fearing Crestor's long patent life encourage docs to prescribe the similar Lipitor instead.

That leaves plenty for scientists, investors and marketers to fight over. But statins have proved their worth in 18 clinical trials stretched out over two decades. If these drugs aren't worth using widely, pharmaceutical chemists better get out of the prevention business entirely. Statins may be as good as drugs get.

Ten Million Baby Boomers likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s during their lifetime

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:54:00 +0000

I am a baby boomer. My mother suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. Five years ago, I left my job as the CEO of a small software company to take care of my mother. I am living the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s from the front row.

It is rare to meet baby boomers that are concerned about their own uncertain fate when it comes to Alzheimer's disease. This includes most of my close friends. Fifteen thousand baby boomers are turning 60 each day.

• Every 71 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s disease.

• Alzheimer’s disease is now the sixth leading cause of death (recently surpassing diabetes).

• One in every eight adults over the age of 65 suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

• One out of every two adults over the age of 85 suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

• Ten million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease in their lifetime.

Alzheimer’s disease is certain brain death. Imagine living in a world where you can recount experiences from 1936, but can’t remember your birthday party five minutes after it ended. Meet my mother. My mother never suffered a major illness. She never had an operation. Five years after her diagnosis she is in very good health. But, her brain is dying. She doesn’t know it.

I started the Alzheimer’s Reading Room to keep track of the thousands of articles and many books I was reading. I soon realized I could help the ten million Alzheimer’s Caregivers worldwide by personalizing this information on my blog. Later on, I decided to start writing about our successes in fighting the disease, our decisions on treatments, our new life style, where to look for help, and news about the search for a cure. I stick to information I believe is useful and helpful. There is an enormous amount of new information each day; it’s difficult to identify the best and most useful information. This is my job.

I now know there are many things baby boomers can do to lower the odds of contracting Alzheimer’s disease. I do all of these things for myself each day. There are things you can do to stave off the disease. You need to start doing them now. You cannot wait. With this in mind, I am broadening my mission on the blog to include information to help baby boomers understand and take action against Alzheimer’s

Here are few things baby boomers should be doing right now:

• High blood pressure (hypertension) is a cause of cognitive decline. Hypertension causes build-up of beta-amyloid in the brain. This is a complication frequently associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Take action to get your blood pressure down now.

• High cholesterol levels in your 40s may raise the chance of developing Alzheimer's disease decades later. Failure to deal with this condition effectively could raise the odds of contracting Alzheimer’s disease by fifty percent. Get your cholesterol checked often and get it down.

• B12. A recent study found that people with higher levels of vitamin B12 were six times less likely to experience brain volume loss. A simple blood test is all that is needed to check the level of B12 in your system. You should start eating foods rich in B12 and consider getting B12 shots to raise the amount of B12 in your system.

• Big Belly. Having a large belly in middle age nearly triples the risk of developing dementia.

• Cocoa flavanols. A recent study at Harvard found that those who regularly drank a cocoa flavanol-rich beverage had an eight percent increase in brain blood flow after one week, and 10 percent increase after two weeks. I highly recommend incorporating this into your diet.

• Exercise. A new study just released shows that regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia and can help slow progression of Alzheimer's disease.

In the days ahead, I will be writing more about ways to combat Alzheimer’s disease. If you know someone currently caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease please tell them about the blog. You can subscribe to the blog via email or reader by taking the appropriate action on the blog.

They are predicting that ten million baby boomers will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. By spreading the word and taking action we can lower the number. Let’s get together on this.

Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Clostridium Difficile Is the New MRSA

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:53:00 +0000

Now, the CDC estimates, C. diff contributes to between 15,000 and 30,000 deaths annually. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the hospital there’s a tough bug to worry about.

Even as hospitals are taking bolder steps to fight MRSA, a nasty infection often contracted during hospital stays, another microbe is quickly becoming more common: Clostridium difficile. The WSJ has the story.

Clostridium Difficile Is the New MRSA

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the hospital there’s a tough bug to worry about.

Even as hospitals are taking bolder steps to fight MRSA, a nasty infection often contracted during hospital stays, another microbe is quickly becoming more common: Clostridium difficile. The WSJ has the story.

The bug was recognized a problem in the 1970s, but it was only in 2000 that an especially virulent strain emerged. Now, the CDC estimates, C. diff contributes to between 15,000 and 30,000 deaths annually.

The dark irony is that, because C. diff typically kept in check by the healthy bacteria that live in the digestive tract, people often get C. diff infections after treatment with antibiotics (which kill both harmful and healthy bacteria).

One doc recently wrote of a case where overly aggressive antibiotic treatment, apparently designed to meet performance guidelines for treating pneumonia, may have caused a case of C. diff colitis.

Hospitals are trying to slow the spread by being more judicious in their use of antibiotics. Other efforts include isolating infected patients, giving scrubs, masks and gloves to patient visitors, and using especially strong cleaning solutions for patients rooms, to destroy the C. diff spores that can dry out and remain dangerous outside the body for long periods of time.

Photo of C. diff spores by Photo Researchers

Combining Alzheimer's drugs helps slow rate of decline in Alzheimer's Patients

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:50:00 +0000

My mother is currently moving into the medium stage of Alzheimer's so for us this is exciting news. I intend to send this information to our personal care physician and discuss it with him immediately.

I just finished reading a study published in the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders that indicates combining two different kinds of Alzheimer's drugs works better one. This unique research took place over a long time frame, 1990-2005. Typical clinical trials last about 6-9 months.

Those in earlier stages of Alzheimer's disease are typically treated with cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept, Razadyne, or Exelon. Those suffering from later stage Alzheimer's disease are usually treated with Namenda (Memantine). The study found that people who took the combination of a cholinesterase inhibitor and Memantine showed a significantly slower rate of cognitve decline than those who took only a cholinesterase inhibitor or no drug.

While still in an early stage and needing follow-up this study indicates that the combination of drugs significantly slows the deterioration of cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients.

"Finding something that could actually modify the course of the disease is the Holy Grail of Alzheimer's treatment, but we really don't know if that is happening or what the mechanism behind these effects might be," Alireza Atri explains. "What we can say now is that providers should help patients understand that the benefits of these drugs are long term and may not be apparent in the first months of treatment. Even if a patient's symptoms get worse, that doesn't mean the drug isn't working, since the decline probably would have been much greater without therapy."

John Growdon, MD, a senior author of the paper said, "The results of this study should change the way we treat patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors are approved for use in mild to moderate dementia, while memantine has been approved for advanced dementia. But it looks like there is an advantage in prescribing both drugs as initial treatment."

You can read more about the study by following the links:

Combining Alzheimer's drugs helps, study says

Benefit Of Combination Therapy For Alzheimer's Disease Confirmed

Combining Alzheimer's drugs helps, study says

Drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease have shown only modest success in easing symptoms of the incurable illness that robs people of their memory and makes them unable to lead normal lives. But a new study from Boston researchers offers a glimmer of hope that combining two kinds of drugs may help delay progression of the symptoms.

Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital Memory Disorders Unit report in the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders that combining two types of Alzheimer's drugs works better than giving none or one of the drugs alone to slow cognitive and functional decline. Previous clinical trials have compared the drugs with placebos in short studies of safety and effectiveness, but the MGH group says theirs is the first to look longer-term at patients in a real-world clinical setting. Their study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Massachusetts Alzehimer's Disease Research Center.

Led by Dr. Alireza Atri, the researchers analyzed the records of 382 patients who were treated at the Boston clinic from 1990 to 2005. The earliest group of 144 patients did not receive any medication, the second group got a cholinesterase inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the mid-1990s, and the third group took that drug plus memantine, a drug approved in 2003 that helps patients think more clearly. The patients were followed for an average of two and a half years and given tests to measure both their cognitive abilities and their capacity to carry out the activities of daily living.

People who took the combination of drugs showed a significantly smaller rate of decline than those who were taking only a cholinesterase inhibitor or no drug. Memantine was not studied alone because by the time it was available, cholinesterase inhibitors were widely used. The researchers accounted for differences among the groups, such as how early in the disease they were diagnosed and whether they had other illnesses, but the differences in how they scored on tests of cognition and function still held true.

The results raise the intriguing possibility that the drugs may be protecting the patients' brains from further deterioration, the authors said.

"Finding something that could actually modify the course of the disease is the Holy Grail of Alzheimer's treatment, but we really don't know if that is happening or what the mechanism behind these effects might be," Atri said in a statement. "What we can say now is that providers should help patients understand that the benefits of these drugs are long term and may not be apparent in the first months of treatment. Even if a patient's symptoms get worse, that doesn't mean the drug isn't working, since the decline probably would have been much greater without therapy."

Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room

Amazon.com Widgets

Worried about Alzheimer's? Rule # 1 Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:49:00 +0000

It is getting more and more difficult for me to get my mother to exercise. Recently one of her best friends, now 79, received a scare when her good friend told her she was starting to get forgetful. She asked me what I thought she should be doing to help protect herself against dementia and Alzheimer's. My answer to this is question is always the same--Rule #1 Exercise.

Our friend decided on the spot to take my advice and join Gold's gym. She did so immediately. We decided to attend the Silver Sneakers exercise class the next morning. I had trouble getting my mother to go to the gym class so I asked our friend to come over and help me convince her. It worked, thank goodness.

On the way to the gym the best way I can describe my mother is zombie like. She could barely walk, kept telling me she was going to faint, and said she was sick. I could barely get her out of the car. When we walked out of the gym my mother was standing straight, had a smile on her face, and was communicating. It is rather hard for me to describe this unless you see it for yourself. This happens every time. Exercise works for my mother who suffers from Alzheimer's and the benefits are obvious. Our friend upon seeing this in person for the first time decided she will attend the class at least three times per week.

The experience reminded me of an article I read a while back that discussed the positive effect that exercise had on nursing home residents suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

"Nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease who participate in a moderate exercise program have a significantly slower deterioration than those who receive routine medical care, researchers have shown."

Reuters Health: Exercise slows decline in Alzheimer's patients

Nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease who participate in a moderate exercise program have a significantly slower deterioration than those who receive routine medical care, researchers have shown.

Dr. Yves Rolland, of Hospital La Grave-Casselardit in Toulouse, France, and colleagues examined the effects of a program of exercise for one hour twice weekly on activities of daily living, physical performance, nutritional status, behavioral disturbance and depression among 134 Alzheimer's disease patients in nursing homes.

The patients were 83 years old on average. They were assigned to the exercise program, which focused on walking, strength, balance and flexibility training, or to routine medical care for 12 months.

As reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 110 participants completed the study. Among the 56 subjects in the exercise group who completed the study, the rate of adherence to the program was about 33 percent on average.

At the end of the 12 months, the average activities-of-daily-living score was significantly more improved in the exercise group than in the routine medical care group, Rolland's team reports.

In addition, average walking speed improved significantly more in the exercise group than in the routine medical care group at 6 months and 12 months.

However, the exercise program had no apparent effect on behavioral disturbance, depression or nutritional assessment scores.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, February 2007.

Read more about Alzheimer's at the Alzheimer's Reading Room

The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems

Forget MRSA C Difficile Worse

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:48:00 +0000

With all the attention on antibiotic-resistant staph, or MRSA, you may have overlooked Clostridium difficile, the nasty bacterium behind a growing number of hospital-acquired infection. Turns out C. diff is infecting more than 1 in 100 inpatients, a nationwide survey just found.

Forget MRSA for a Moment, Clostridium Difficile is a Growing Problem

With all the attention on antibiotic-resistant staph, or MRSA, you may have overlooked Clostridium difficile, the nasty bacterium behind a growing number of hospital-acquired infection. Turns out C. diff is infecting more than 1 in 100 inpatients, a nationwide survey just found.

APIC, the big infection-control group, asked its members to take a one-day snapshot of C. diff in U.S. hospitals; responses came back from more than 600 facilities in 47 states.

A day in the life of C. diff proved sobering. Thirteen of every 1,000 hospitalized patients are colonized with C. diff, and 94% of those patients show signs of C. diff disease, such as severe diarrhea. The finding suggests that, on any given day, some 7,000 hospital patients have C. diff, and about 300 will go on to die of the disease, the authors wrote.

The one-day-snapshot method is somewhat unusual, so it’s tough to compare these findings with C. diff numbers from earlier studies. But by any measure, it’s clear that C. diff is a growing problem. Check out this analysis, which found that the percentage of hospital patients with C. diff doubled between 2000 and 2005.
C. diff has the nasty habit of flourishing after patients are treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, which wipe out the intestinal bacteria that normally keep C. diff in check. And it forms hardy spores that are difficult to kill — alcohol-based disinfectant gels, for example, don’t do the trick. What’s more, a recently discovered strain called NAP1 is not only especially virulent, but also appears to pass more easily from person to person than other strains of C. diff.

So what can be done? Solid isolation and hygiene by hospital personnel helps. So does avoiding broad-spectrum antibiotics when possible, and keeping the course of treatment short. For more tips, see this WSJ story.

Photo of C. diff spores by Photo Researchers

‘No Cost’ Ways to Get Informed and Get Help about Alzheimer’s Disease

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:46:00 +0000

“Families with loved ones who have Alzheimer’s disease are being pulled on all sides, and the last thing they need is any additional financial pressure. Now more than ever, they need to be proactive and embrace support that is theirs free for the asking. This assistance can make a world of difference in terms of lightening the financial as well as the emotional toll of caregiving.”

Press Release

‘No Cost’ Ways to Get Informed and Get Help about Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Urges Action during National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

NEW YORK , NY – As economic woes and healthcare cost concerns continue to grip the nation, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is encouraging families of those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias to take advantage of free services and monetary awards that can help reduce the financial toll of this chronic disease.

AFA’s message comes during the observance in November of both National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Caregivers Month.

Eric J. Hall, AFA’s president and CEO, said that AFA these days is fielding more inquiries than ever about financial aspects of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease.

“The burden of chronic disease, especially for those living on fixed incomes, becomes even more apparent when economic times are tough,” he said.

“Families with loved ones who have Alzheimer’s disease are being pulled on all sides, and the last thing they need is any additional financial pressure. Now more than ever, they need to be proactive and embrace support that is theirs free for the asking. This assistance can make a world of difference in terms of lightening the financial as well as the emotional toll of caregiving.”

It is estimated that five million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, with the majority aged 65 and older. The brain disorder progressively causes loss of memory and other intellectual functions, and a person lives an average eight years from diagnosis. The cost of an individual’s care can be as high as $36,000 per year.

Here are five of AFA’s “no cost” support services:

On AFA’s 6 th annual National Memory Screening Day on November 18 th, more than 2,100 sites from coast to coast will offer free, confidential memory screenings and information about memory concerns, successful aging and resources. AFA encourages adults with memory concerns, a family history of Alzheimer’s disease or a desire to establish a baseline score for future comparison to participate. The results do not represent a diagnosis, and screeners encourage those with abnormal scores and those who still have concerns to pursue a full medical exam.

AFA’s toll-free hot line, 866-AFA-8484, links callers with its licensed social workers who answer questions—big and small—about myriad topics and provide referrals to local resources nationwide.

Available by free subscription, AFA’s quarterly magazine, care ADvantage for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses, contains practical care-related strategies, activities and input from families living with the disease.

Families in financial need can apply for respite care grants to help offset the cost of such services as adult day programs and in-home aides. The grants are offered twice a year and applications must be made through AFA member organizations.
For teenagers, including those personally dealing with Alzheimer’s disease in their families, AFA awards a $5,000 scholarship annually to a college-bound student. Applications are due February 15.

For information about these and other programs and services, contact AFA at 866-AFA-8484 or visit www.alzfdn.org.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is a New York-based nonprofit organization made up of 950 member organizations nationwide that provide hands-on programs to meet the educational, emotional, practical and social needs of families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses. AFA’s services include a toll-free hot line, educational materials, a free caregiver magazine, and professional training. Call (toll-free) 866-AFA-8484 or visit www.alzfdn.org .

Contact: Carol Steinberg
Phone: 866-AFA-8484

The Alzheimer's Reading Room

Learning to Speak Alzheimer's: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease

: Blog to Cope With Alzheimer's

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:43:00 +0000

"You're never too old to start blogging -- and to stave off dementia.

Seniors in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, with mild to moderate memory loss, are writing Web logs to help them make sense of their daily lives. And the activity, they say, is slowing the onset of their symptoms."

A terminally-ill Girl wins the legal right to die

noreply@blogger.com (Alzheimer's Reading Room) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:41:00 +0000

A terminally-ill British teen wins the legal right to die at home. ITN's Joanna Simpson reports.

Girl, 13, rejects life-saving heart operation

A 13-year-old British girl who has undergone nearly a dozen surgeries in her young life has refused a heart transplant operation -- a decision that may ultimately lead to her death.

Hannah Jones, who was diagnosed with leukemia and later a heart condition, told her parents and medical authorities that she would rather spend her remaining time at home than in the hospital. Health authorities have ceded to the decision after interviewing the girl.

"I've been in hospital too much -- I've had too much trauma," Hannah Jones told Sky News on Tuesday. "I don't want this, and it's my choice not to have it."

Hannah was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 4 years old. Chemotherapy put her into remission but doctors then discovered she had cardiomyopathy, a serious disease where the heart muscle becomes swollen and sometimes fails.

The girl's story surfaced when parents complained about hospital officials who sent a social worker to interview the girl about her choice.

The family received a telephone call saying the hospital would take legal action if they didn't bring Hannah to hospital, said her mother, Kirsty Jones.

"They phoned us on a Friday evening and said that if we didn't take her in they'd come and take her. We still refused to take her," she said.

Hospital officials said it is standard procedure to make sure both the child and their parents understand the consequences of any medical decision.

"Clearly, the welfare of the child is paramount," said Sally Stucke, a pediatrician with the Herefordshire Primary Care Trust where Hannah was receiving treatment.

"Pediatricians will always consider the child's best interests at all times and this would include the child's medical, emotional and psychological well-being."

"No one can be forced to have a heart transplant," she added.

Dr. Tony Calland, who chairs the British Medical Association's medical ethics committee, told BBC radio that a 13-year-old like Hannah, supported by her parents, should be "perfectly capable" of making such a decision.

"Decisions to refuse life-prolonging treatment are always extremely difficult and emotive," he said.

"What is paramount is that decisions are made in the best interests of the patient. Where consensus cannot be reached between doctors, patients and family, then it is only appropriate that the courts intervene to act in the best interests of the patient."

Dr. John Jenkins, a pediatrician and chairman of Britain's General Medical Council standards and ethics committee, said children who have lengthy illnesses become "experts in their own condition quite early in life."

Heart transplants are risky operations on any patient -- and those risks increase with young people who have additional conditions like Hannah's leukemia.

The transplants often require patients to be on lifelong anti-rejection medication to prevent their body from attacking their new heart. The medicines often have side-effects, which make the body more susceptible to dangerous infections.

"I just decided there were too many risks, and even if I took it there might be a bad outcome," Hannah said.

"There is a chance that I may be OK, and there's a chance that I may not be as well as I could be, but I'm willing to take that chance."

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