January 18, 2017

Today’s Top Alzheimer’s News

MUST READS

A February 2017 Scientific American issue article reported on the possible link between stomach drugs to Alzheimer’s disease and kidney problems. Over-the-counter proton-pump inhibitors (PPI’s) to ease heartburn and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) are intended to be consumed for just two weeks at a time, unless otherwise directed by a physician. However, many people take them for years, and safety questions have been raised about their prolonged use. Last year, a study published in JAMA Neurology linked the regular use of proton-pump inhibitors to increased the risk of developing dementia, including AD.

A January 17, 2017 Miami Herald article reported on how eating a brain-food healthy diet really does matter, according to UC David nutrition expert, Liz Applegate. She’s an advocate of the MIND diet, a combination of two long-studied diets that have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. There is a 53 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s if you follow the MIND diet. “At the first of the year, everyone goes too crazy, (vowing) to follow this diet plan or that diet plan. I encourage people to take just one step at a time, baby steps. Pick one thing to work on: I’m going to eat berries twice a week. Make a berry smoothie on Tuesday and Friday or put berries on your oatmeal. Just chip away at eating more healthfully,” advises Liz Applegate.

A January 17, 2017 NPR interview by Robert Siegel spoke with Scott Tarde, CEO of a non-profit building a “fake town” for Alzheimer’s patients, modeled after 1950’s American culture, in San Diego. The village is to help seniors cope with AD by providing a safe space for them to spend time during the day, complete with vintage cars, period music, payphones and shops from the pre-shopping mall era. Research suggests this type of visual reminder might improve cognitive function and quality of life for AD patients over 65. “So what's interesting about what's called reminiscence therapy - which is not a new source of treatment and care - it's been shown to reduce agitation, improve mood and actually improve sleep quality. So it's something that we've been utilizing in our centers for some time, but now we're taking it to a level where we're creating more of a immersive experience for our participants and for their families,” says Scott Tarde.

 

RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY

A January 18, 2017 David Enterprise article reported on a promising Alzheimer’s prevention drug developed in the laboratory of Bruce Hammock, at UC Davis. Researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (Wuhan, China) used the drug to show that the neurofibrillary pathology of an AD-related protein could be dramatically reduced. “I was thrilled to see this paper on tau phosphorylation from Huazhong University shows that our drug could block a key event and a key enzyme called GSK-3 beta thought critical in the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Hammock.