Dementia in the News

Coffee, in excess is traditionally considered to be unhealthy, as it can lead to irritability, dehydration, and a jump in blood pressure. According to a study released in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease however, drinking three to five cups a day has shown to reduce the risk of contracting Alzheimer's disease by as much as 65%.

Doctors who specialize in treating the elderly are calling on the nation's medical schools to require all students to demonstrate competence in treating senior citizens, a change in century-old teaching standards.

With the first of the 78 million baby boomers nearing retirement age, the American Geriatrics Society is proposing that elder care be added to the list of six core areas that have long been the focus of medical school training.

From the moment he test-drove the brain game, Ed Johnson was riveted.

The word teasers flashing on his computer screen seemed tuned to his personal abilities. And the accompanying voice track prodded or consoled - "it actually congratulates you," he said - based on his answers.

A team of US, Canadian and Italian scientists led by researchers at Johns Hopkins report evidence from studies in animals and humans supporting a link between Alzheimer's disease and chronic heart failure, two of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States.

A new study reveals that a previously undiscovered mouse gene reduces the two major pathological perturbations commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The research, published by Cell Press in the November 12 issue of the journal Neuron, finds that the novel gene interacts with a key cellular enzyme previously-linked with AD pathology, thereby uncovering a new strategy for treating this devastating disorder.

As cases of Alzheimer's disease continue to soar in the United States, with as many as 16 million Americans expected to be diagnosed by 2015, according to the Alzheimer's Association, more and more youths are faced with the grim reality that one day, grandma or grandpa may forget who they are.
Joe LoGuidice and Bryant Soohoo are all too aware of that possibility -- the Fairfield County teens both have grandparents diagnosed with Alzheimer's, or a related from of dementia.

Middle-aged women with high levels of a specific amino acid in their blood are twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's many years later, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. This discovery could lead to a new and simple way of determining who is at risk long before there are any signs of the illness.

With the flu continuing to spread nationwide, imagine adding the virus into the mix when someone is already coping with a chronic illness like Alzheimer's disease. In an effort to help families manage this situation, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) today released tips for caregivers of individuals with dementia who believe that they or the people they are caring for have the flu.

When Charles Tang's wife Amy 76, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's several years ago, he started looking for a support group for himself. He was shocked to find none were available in his native Chinese language.

"Every time I was attending the education meetings at the Alzheimer's Association NYC chapter, I found that I was the only one who was Chinese or even Asian," said Tang, 84, of Manhattan.