Alzheimer's Club

Alzheimer's study highlights programs
BusinessWeek - USA
Recent reports of an early breakthrough study on Alzheimer's disease in Japan brought attention to several Western companies dealing with similar ...

Memory Pharmaceuticals Completes Enrollment in Phase 2a MEM 1003 ...
Drug Newswire (press release) - Oakville, CT, USA
(NASDAQ:MEMY) today announced that it has completed enrollment in its Phase 2a trial of MEM 1003 in Alzheimer's disease. The Company expects to report ...

Diabetes may increase risk for Alzheimer's Disease

Insider Medicine - Kingston, Ontario, Canada

People with diabetes may be at greater risk of developing cognitive impairment- a transitional state to Alzheimer’s disease- say researchers in a report published in the Archives of Neurology. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the body has trouble using its own insulin to control blood sugar. It is the most common type of diabetes, and is strongly linked to lifestyle factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and poor diet. In the US, it is estimated that more than 21 million people have diabetes and twice as many are at high risk of developing the disease. Some earlier studies have found a significantly greater risk of mental impairment, and a greater risk of overall dementia and Alzheimer's disease, among people with diabetes. The findings, however, have not been consistent. Alzheimer’s disease affects approximately 4.5 million Americans, robbing them of their memory and leading to profound disability and eventually death.
To investigate the association between diabetes and mental impairment, researchers studied more than 900 healthy people over age 65. At 18-month intervals, the participants underwent an interview, a physical and neurological exam, and a variety of tests to measure learning, memory, reason and language skills. Of the participants, 24% had diabetes, 68% had high blood pressure, 33% had heart disease, and 15% had suffered a stroke. Over the six-year follow-up, about one-third developed mild mental impairment, and diabetes was found to be a significant risk factor. In fact, as much as 11% of mental deterioration was caused directly by diabetes. It is thought that poorly controlled diabetes may impair mental function by compromising the small vessels of the brain due to a build-up of plaques. As a result, small strokes may occur, producing ischemic damage that affects mental function. Lifestyle modifications, including weight management and blood pressure control, are important ways to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and perhaps ultimately, Alzheimer’s disease.


Alzheimer's Association urges baby boomers to 'maintain your brain'
Delmarva Daily Times - MD, USA
Baby boomers are entering the age of highest risk for Alzheimer's disease. The focus of the Maintain Your Brain campaign calls attention to the fact that...

UT Southwestern Medical Center Alzheimer's disease forum to focus ...
Pegasus News - Dallas, TX, USA
The Friends of the Alzheimer’s Disease Center will hold its Spring Public Forum on April 24 at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The talk, “Neuropathology One Century After First Description of Alzheimer’s Disease,” will be given by Dr. Charles L. White, professor of pathology at UT Southwestern.
The 7 p.m. forum in the Simmons/Hamon Biomedical Research Buildings on UT Southwestern’s North Campus, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., is open to the public at no charge. .. Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German neuropathologist and psychiatrist, studied stained brain slices from a woman with severe dementia in 1906, and discovered the distinctive plaques and tangles characteristic of the disease that now bears his name.
Dr. White is director of the Winspear Family Special Center for Research on the Neuropathology of Alzheimer’s Disease... The Friends of the Alzheimer’s Disease Center was established in 1996 to provide financial support for Alzheimer’s research at the medical center. All of the group’s membership contributions go directly to support Alzheimer’s research at UT Southwestern. Since its founding, the group has raised more than $750,000 for grants to researchers. This year, for the first time, two grants will be given, with $50,000 each being awarded to Dr. White and Dr. Hanzhang Lu, assistant professor in the Advanced Imaging Research Center and in radiology and psychiatry...

'Cruising the high seas'
Napa Valley Register - Napa, CA, USA
Though it has a cruise theme, this will be a camping weekend for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia...

Neuroptix Corp. Opens New Corporate Headquarters in Acton
Genetic Engineering News (press release) - New Rochelle, NY, USA
Neuroptix Corporation, a Massachusetts-based pioneer in the early detection of Alzheimer's disease, today announced that it has opened its corporate headquarters in Acton, Mass., as it ramps up development of its innovative technology for non-invasive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease through laser eye scanning.
Paul Hartung, President and CEO of Neuroptix, said, "We are very pleased to announce expanded operations in our new facility, following our successful Series A funding and new hires of senior personnel, as we work to further develop our diagnostic platform for Alzheimer's disease toward commercialization." The new facility, leased to Neuroptix by Wedgewood Realty, is located at 20 Main Street in Acton, Mass.