AlzHub

Toxin Found That Makes Alzheimer's Worse

Researchers in Australia have found a toxin in the brain of Alzheimer's patients that appears to impact the progression of the disease.  Researchers point out that the toxin is not the cause of Alzheimer's but that it makes the disease worse.

Researchers hope that by using medication to switch off the toxin, that will also halt or slow the progression of Alzheimer's.

Better yet, new medications meant to switch off the toxin have already been tested in stroke patients.  This provides a huge head start in the testing on Alzheimer's and could greatly reduce the time to market if the drugs prove safe and effective.

See the links to two articles below:

-Scientists discover toxin which could lead to Alzheimer's breakthrough by Paula Kruger - PM

-Protein discovery offers Alzheimer's hope by Sophie Scott - ABC News Online

Brain Exercises

There's a never ending stream of articles about how exercising your mind can help to ward off or delay the onset of Alzheimer's.  Unfortunately, other than crossword puzzles or reading, these articles don't really give much in the way of examples of some exercises for your mind.

I just came across a review by Ted Kreiter in the January/February issue of the Saturday Evening Post for a book called What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Alzheimer's Disease by Gayatri Devi, M.D., and Deborah Mitchell.

I'm pointing out the review itself because it provides specific examples of three types of brain exercises: language boosters, memory boosters, and visual/perceptual boosters.

These are exercises that I haven't seen in any other articles about Alzheimer's although I have done a couple of the language boosters before.  These are also exercises that everyone can do and seem like a good idea regardless of whether Alzheimer's prevention is your motive or not. For me, some of these brain exercises are the kinds of things I haven't done since I got out of school.

Check out the review, give these a try and have fun!

Alzheimer's And Keeping Your Home Safe

Here's an article by Jim Miller on HeraldToday.com with a lot of great ideas on how to keep your home safe for someone with Alzheimer's disease.

The article has a long list of suggestions that includes the basics like:

-Cover unused electrical outlets with childproof plugs.

but also has some good ideas that you might not think of:

-Paint walls a light solid color. Patterns and designs can create confusion.

Check it out here: "How To Make Your Home Alzheimer's Safe"