AlzHub

Studies On Reminyl And Mild Cognitive Impairment

Data from 2 studies on the drug Reminyl is being reviewed by health authorities.

The studies were testing the drugs ability to help patients with Mild Cognitive impairment (MCI) which can, but does not always, lead to Alzheimer's disease.  Out of the 2,000 patients in the study, there were 20 deaths.  15 were taking the Reminyl, 5 were taking placebos.

The drug is still approved for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.  The higher death rate was not observed in the Alzheimer's trials, but those trials were for a much shorter 6 month period.

Links:

HSA - Termination Of Reminyl Trials On Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Johnson & Johnson

Assisted Living Consumer Guide available from Massachusetts Chapter Of The Alzheimer's Association

The local Massachusetts Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association has put together a great booklet called:

ASSISTED LIVING CONSUMER GUIDE:
What to Look For While Evaluating an Assisted Living Facility for Someone with Memory Impairment.

The booklet describes what an Assisted Living facility is, what to look for, questions to ask, financial matters, activities, support and so much more.

The booklet is not specific to Massachusetts and would be helpful to anyone looking for information on Assisted Living facilities.

It is available on the Massachusetts Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association website and also available as an Acrobat .PDF download.

Here are the links:

Massachusetts Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

Assisted Living Consumer Guide - Web based.

Assisted Living Consumer Guide - Acrobat .PDF download.

Some Healing Of Brain Cells Possible?

A recent experiment on mice at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis turned out to be more successful than anyone expected.

The researchers used antibodies to remove plaque from the brains of the mice.  Not only did the antibodies do that, but once the plaque was reduced, the brain cells showed some recovery from the damage that had been done by the plaque.

The general hope up to this point was that the plaque that causes the damage could be slowed or stopped but the damage that was caused could not be reversed. 

Again, the experiment has only been with mice, but the reversal / recovery aspect of this study is potentially a huge development.   

See the following for more information:

www.alz.org - Alzheimer's Association.

www.WebMD.com - Alzheimer's Disease Brain May Be Able to Heal.

Curcumin And Alzheimer's

Curcumin, an ingredient in curry, may help in the fight against Alzheimer's.  It appears to not only help reduce the amount of amyloid proteins but also break down and remove some of the plaque that has already built up.

More info in the following links

Alzheimer's Association: Masala medicine: Curry spice may target Alzheimer lesions.

Alzheimers Society: Does eating curcumin reduce my risk of dementia?

Happy New Year

I'd like to wish everyone a safe, healthy and hopeful New Year.

This past year has seen a constant stream of exciting news regarding Alzheimer's.  So many possiblities, from foods to medications to the benefits of exercise for both body and mind.  You never know which one will lead to an effective treatment or cure.  We've gained so much in our understanding of the disease.  There are many more resources available to learn about Alzheimer's and support options.  There has been a real focus placed on the disease this past year.  California is putting billions toward stem cell research. 

We can't let up now.  We must all continue to contribute money, time, support and assistance towards fighting the disease and helping those already affected.  We've come so far, we have the momentum going, we must not let up.

The one thing this past year has given me is hope.  A belief that maybe we can beat Alzheimer's.  It can't happen soon enough for me, but the time frame seems to be shrinking all the time.

I want to start out the new year on a positive note by sharing this article with you.  It's an article on hope.  Hope that is held by experts in the field. 

Science Makes Strides Toward Alzheimer's Cure - From HealthDay News via Yahoo! News.