Monterey, CA Hopes Dashed For Those With Alzheimer’s : Few Drugs In The Pipeline

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There was a sad story about a woman named Geri Taylor in the most recent issue of Bloomberg Businessweek.  She ran a large long-term care facility into her mid-60’s at which point she started to get forgetful.  One time, she was in the middle of running a staff meeting and lost her train of thought.  When she couldn’t get it back, one of her deputies had to take over.  Another time, she got off at the wrong Manhattan subway stop and had no idea why she was there or where she was going.  She kept putting off seeing a neurologist for years until one day she walked into the bathroom and couldn’t recognizer her own face in the mirror.  She was finally diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, likely due to Alzheimer’s disease, in 2012.  New hope arrived in 2015 when she enrolled in a clinical trial.  She had an unusual buildup of a protein in the brain called amyloid plaque, which most researchers believe is related to Alzheimer’s disease.  The drug turned out to be Aduhelm, made by Biogen Inc.  However, her hopes were quickly dashed when, despite being given FDA approval, Medicare refused to pay for the drug and it was essentially taken off the market.  Now, some researchers are wondering if the whole Amyloid plaque theory should be abandoned and scientists should focus on some other promising areas.  But there is a huge disagreement on this topic.  Rudolph Tanzi, a neurology professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, said, “If you say amyloid doesn’t matter in this disease, you are just hiding your head in the sand.â€Â  He is more optimistic about using anti-amyloid drugs earlier as a preventative measure.  Over the next year, results from trials of three more amyloid-lowering drugs—from Eli Lilly, Roche and Eisai, are expected to be published.  If any of the trials succeed, Medicare will be under extreme pressure to pay for the drugs.  However, if they all fail, backers of the amyloid hypothesis may have to throw in the towel.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are a great group of people at the Monterey Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you just want to talk at 1-800-272-3900.

Average Life Expectancy Falls Again

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The average life expectancy in the U.S. dropped for the second year in a row, as COVID-19 deaths and drug overdoses pulled the average life expectancy down by almost a year to 76.1, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The drop was smaller than the 1.8 year decline that we saw in 2020, but it’s still disturbing.  Deaths attributed to flu, pneumonia and Alzheimer’s disease declined in 2021.  The combined figures for the last two years are the biggest drop in life expectancy since the 1920’s.

Carmel, CA Alzheimer’s Risk Lower With Aerobics, Stretching

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If you are a senior citizen at risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, you should do more aerobics and stretching, according to a new study from Wake Forest School of Medicine.  “There’s just more understanding of the underlying biology and what potential treatments can impact the disease, which actually includes exercise,†Maria Carillo, Chief Science Officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, told USA Today.  For the study, researchers recruited those with a sedentary lifestyle and assigned them to two groups.  One group regularly engaged in moderate to high intensity aerobics while the other group did less rigorous exercise.  All participants had mild cognitive impairment, but not enough to be diagnosed with dementia.  This is great news for a disease which researchers have had little success in finding drug treatments for.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There is a wonderful group of people at the Alzheimer’s Association in Monterey.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you just need some support at 800-272-3900.

Monterey, CA New Biotech Partnership To Fight Alzheimer’s

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Biotech startup Cervance Inc. could earn more than $1 billion via a collaboration with drugmaker Merck & Company to research potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. This a fledgling sector.  Although victims of the disease are growing quickly, there have been no effective new treatments that have come to market in more than a decade.  “Hopefully the tide is turning,†Cerevance CEO Craig Thompson, told the Wall Street Journal.  Cerevance gathers brain tissue from brain banks, or centers that obtain brains from organ donors.  It then examines brain tissue to identify brain diseases and metrics such as what genes are over- or under-active.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandmother had this debilitating disease when they passed away.  There are some great people at the Monterey Chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan Ranch, or you can call their 24-hour hotline at 1-800-272-3900.

Monterey, CA Seniors Need To Stick To A Healthy Diet Or Risk Alzheimer’s, Dementia

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We all know that processed foods aren’t good for you.  More proof of this come from the Alzheimer’s Association, which did a presentation at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in San Diego to show the audience proof from various studies which showed that food like instant noodles, sugary drinks and frozen meals all play a role in cognitive decline.  “It’s no secret that physical and mental cognitive health are intimately involved with each other, so it’s no surprise that this latest research suggests brain impairment too,†Rafael Perez-Escamilla, a professor of public health at Yale University, told the audience.  “Just 100 calories of processed foods can affect your physical health.  So, that’s two cookies,†he continued.  Other research has linked ultra-processed food consumption to health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancers.  Try the Mediterranean Diet, it’s great for your health and delicious.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  If you need information or just someone to talk to, there are some wonderful people at the Monterey branch of the Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-272-3900.

Carmel, CA Alzheimer’s Research Called Into Question

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A report in Science Magazine stated that an influential 2006 study relied on fabricated images to support its conclusion, which resulted in misdirected Alzheimer’s research for the past 16 years.  Dr. Karen Ashe, a senior University of Minnesota scientist, has admitted that a junior colleague appears to have manipulated two images.  However, she claims those actions did not affect the study’s wording and conclusion.  And the first researcher to state that Alzheimer’s disease is triggered by amyloid beta plaques in the brain now concedes that after years of developing amyloid-targeting drugs that have failed, a new approach must begin.  He says a multi-drug approach will likely be more affected.  I’m confident we will gradually push back on Alzheimer’s disease in the same way that we’ve pushed back on cancer and so on,†Dr. John Hardy told USA Today.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  If you need information or just someone to talk to, there are some wonderful people at the Monterey branch of the Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-272-3900.

 

Monterey, CA Alzheimer’s Breakthrough With The Christchurch Variant APOE Gene

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Researchers have been studying a group of families in Columbia for years due to the fact that they carry a variant of the gene PSEN-1 which pretty much guarantees they will get Alzheimer’s.  Many get it at an early age, with a sad story being told by a mother who had to take care of her son who had Alzheimer’s disease.  There has been a recent breakthrough, with Aliria Rosa Piedrahita de Villegas, a woman in her 70’s with the gene who did not get Alzheimer’s disease until the age of 72, three decades after most others with the gene get the disease.  Further study found that Aliria also had two copies of another rare variant of the APOE gene, also known as the Christchurch variant, which helped protect her brain and drastically slowed the progression of the disease.  “This opens a new door for Alzheimer’s research,†said Yakeel Quiroz, an associate professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.  “And through that door are new opportunities for treatments,†he said.  Quiroz and other researchers are now working on developing an Alzheimer’s treatment that can replicate the protective actions and effects of the Christchurch variant.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my grandmother and my father had this terrible disease when they died.  There is a great group of people at the Monterey branch of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan Ranch or you can also call their 24-hour hotline for support at 1-800-272-3900.

MRI Can Diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease With 98% Accuracy : By Derek Baine

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Science is taking a giant leap forward as machine-learning, artificial intelligence and other types of computer-generated intelligence are contributing a great deal to our knowledge of various diseases.  Finally, there is good news on the Alzheimer’s front.  A study which was published in the journal Nature found that a machine-learning MRI algorithm can predict whether a person has Alzheimer’s disease or not with a whopping 98% accuracy.  It can also differentiate between an early and late-staged Alzheimer’s patient with an accuracy of 79%.  The modeling was achieved on an MRI found in most hospitals.

 

Monterey, CA Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Can Help You And Others

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There can be great self-gratification that comes from participating in a clinical trial in the hopes of coming up with a promising treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.  Unfortunately, there has been very little good news on the clinical trial front, with a new study showing that the most recent drug released to the market, Roche’s crenezumab did not slow or prevent cognitive decline.

There was a recent story in The Future of Personal Health about Donald Macintosh, a smart attorney with a good memory who had a 25-year career but now can’t make a cup of coffee or remember what he ate for lunch.  He was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, an affliction that impacts 6 million Americans.  He is now excited to be participating in a clinical trial for a new Alzheimer’s drug which could slow the progress of the disease.  “It’s a privilege,†he says.  “Not everyone is in such a trial because either they don’t know about it or they don’t meet the requirements,†he added.  Although Donald had to drop out of the most recent trial due to side effects, he is looking forward to joining others.  He has no regrets about participating.  “Even if it doesn’t benefit me personally, it will benefit other people in the future,†he said.

Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandmother died of this terrible disease.  There are some great people at the Alzheimer’s Association in Monterey at Ryan’s Ranch that can help you if you are dealing with a family member with dementia.  They also have a 24 hour hotline at 1-800-272-3900.

Carmel, CA Promising New Alzheimer’s Drug Crenezumab Takes Another Hit

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A new study is out on the controversial drug that recently hit the market to treat Alzheimer’s disease, Roche’s crenezumab, and the results are not good.  The study showed that it did not slow or prevent cognitive decline in a long-running study of Colombian families who carried a genetic mutation that put them at a very high risk of developing the disease.  The drug did not demonstrate a significant benefit in tests measuring cognitive abilities or memory function among study participants.  ‘We’re disappointed that crenezumab did not show a significant clinical benefit,†Eric Reiman, the executive director at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, told USA Today.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandmother died of this terrible disease.  There are some great people at the Alzheimer’s Association in Monterey at Ryan’s Ranch that can help you if you are dealing with a family member with dementia.  They also have a 24 hour hotline at 1-800-272-3900.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/06/16/closely-watched-alzheimers-study-fails-prevent-advance-disease/7639930001/