Measures that may prevent Alzheimer's
Thursday April 14th, 2011
People at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease may benefit from aggressive treatment of diseases of the circulation, researchers said last night.
High
blood pressure and cholesterol and diabetes are all linked to speedier
development of the brain disease, researchers said.
A study of more than 800 patients has found that thorough treatment of these problems can help slow the development of the disease.
The findings come as researchers also showed the brain starts shrinking at least ten years before the disease can be diagnosed.
Chinese researchers said treating diseases of the circulation <!vascular risk factors> cut the rate at which patients developed Alzheimer's disease by 39 per cent.
They studied the 800 patients for five years during which 52 per cent of those with circulation problems developed Alzheimer's disease - compared with 36 per cent of those with no risk of heart disease or stroke.
The findings were reported in the journal Neurology.
Researcher Dr Yan-Jiang Wang, of the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China, said: "Although this was not a controlled trial, patients who were treated for their high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes had less progression of their memory or thinking impairment and were less likely to develop dementia."
In the same journal Dr Bradford Dickerson, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, reports on an 11 year study of some 60 people - all showing no signs of Alzheimer's at the beginning.
The volunteers underwent MRI scans at the outset to study the areas of the brain related to Alzheimer's. Dr Dickerson reports that 55 per cent of those with the smallest brain size in those areas developed the disease - but none of those with the largest brain size did.
He said: "These are preliminary results that are not ready to be applied outside of research studies right now, but we are optimistic that this marker will be useful in the future."
Neurology April 13 2011
Tags: Asia | Brain & Neurology | Diabetes | Geriatric Health | Heart Health | North America
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