Alzheimer's disease affected about five million Americans over age 65 in 2013, according to the Alzheimer's Association. This number is expected to exceed seven million by 2025. Despite 30 years devoted to studying Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, the precise cause of the disease is still unknown.
There are no universal methods of treatment or prevention for Alzheimer's either, but scientists are continually developing new protocols that could significantly improve the lives of Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers. Some of the latest studies are considered revolutionary and could even cure the disease in the near future.
A One-Pill Cure?
The onset of Alzheimer's can be stopped if the brain can prevent antagonist activity as a result of defending itself against misshaped neurodegenerative proteins, according to British scientists. Researchers at the University of Leicester administered a "drug-like" compound to mice that blocked signals in the brain that caused it to halt production of essential proteins necessary for cellular health. The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine last October and reported in The Independent, involved administering the compound to mice with prion disease, an animal version of Alzheimer's. The compound inhibits the PERK enzyme, which is responsible for shutting down the production of new proteins.Professor Giovanna Mallucci, who led the team of scientists, called the findings a big step forward, since the compound is the first that can be administered orally and still effectively get to the brain. Scientists across the globe are excited but cautious, mostly due to the fact that the compound in mice targeted prion disease and not Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. But the similarities between the way neurons in the brain die due to Alzheimer's and prion disease are very similar.
Re-Thinking the Strategy
The reason no widespread effective treatments for Alzheimer's have been developed in 30 years may be that scientists have been going about it wrong the entire time, Dr. Dale Bredesen of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging told the San Francisco Chronicle.Scientists have focused mostly on a protein called amyloid beta as the primary cause of Alzheimer's. But patients who have undergone treatments focusing on this protein have not improved. Amyloid beta is simply one of the underlying causes of Alzheimer's, and scientists believe they may have focused too much on it and not looked at other root causes. Stanford University researchers have begun focusing more on the brain's synapses, the communication lines between neurons that help form memories, as another potential culprit in the development of Alzheimer's.
Old-Fashioned Diet and Recreation
One of the best ways to prevent Alzheimer's is to adjust your diet and daily activities as soon as possible. Researchers at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System recently discovered a link between large doses of vitamin E and a delayed onset of Alzheimer's. University of Pittsburgh researchers recommend eating baked fish at least once per week to better preserve gray matter in the brain.
The other key is to exercise your brain. Rush University Medical Center researchers found that reading and writing are two essential activities for improved memory and thinking functions. Learning a new language is considered one of the most effective brain exercises out there. A study by Georgetown University researchers in 2012 found that students immersed in a new language developed patterns similar to a native speaker, unlike those who learned via a classroom.
Turn a vacation into a learning experience by traveling to a country where the language you want to learn is spoken. Fund the trip with a credit card, or contact a company like J.G. Wentworth to buy your future annuity payments for a lump sum of cash.
Some estimates have the number of Alzheimer's patients numbering close to 14 million by 2050 without some type of radical breakthroughs. Do all you can to keep your brain healthy until that revolutionary cure is finally introduced.
The other key is to exercise your brain. Rush University Medical Center researchers found that reading and writing are two essential activities for improved memory and thinking functions. Learning a new language is considered one of the most effective brain exercises out there. A study by Georgetown University researchers in 2012 found that students immersed in a new language developed patterns similar to a native speaker, unlike those who learned via a classroom.
Turn a vacation into a learning experience by traveling to a country where the language you want to learn is spoken. Fund the trip with a credit card, or contact a company like J.G. Wentworth to buy your future annuity payments for a lump sum of cash.
Some estimates have the number of Alzheimer's patients numbering close to 14 million by 2050 without some type of radical breakthroughs. Do all you can to keep your brain healthy until that revolutionary cure is finally introduced.
Elizabeth WallaceLiz is a former geriatric nurse who blogs about issues affecting seniors' health. She is married with two grown children.
