WASHINGTON, DC, Oct 5 — In the 20th Century, men and women feared that they might develop heart disease or cancer as they age. “For most of the last century, the leading cause of death in the United States, as measured by actual deaths, was heart disease, followed by cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control [CDC]. People, particularly the elderly, still develop heart disease and cancer, but biomedical science has made great strides in their prevention and treatment, allowing those who are diagnosed with these diseases to have hope.
In the 21st Century, seniors dread the prospect that they may be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, a particularly nasty version of dementia. Though the disease is not deadly, as such, it has a tragic impact on the elderly and their families nonetheless. The National Institute on Aging notes that “Older age does not cause Alzheimer’s, but it is the most important known risk factor for the disease. The number of people with Alzheimer’s disease doubles about every 5 years beyond age 65. About one-third of all people age 85 and older may have Alzheimer’s disease.”
Not much can be done to treat Alzheimer’s today other than to provide palliative care, but bioscience is making progress in learning what causes the disease, and causation is critical to learning how to treat the disease. What medical scientists do know is that it is age-related and that family history, diet, and environmental factors play a role. However, what might be called a “breakthrough” in identifying a key physical cause of Alzheimer’s has now been made, and that it could be a game-changer.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association [AA], in addition to the non-physical causes, it is known that beta-amyloid, a sticky compound that accumulates in the brain, may play a major role in the onset of the disease. And it was just reported that scientists in Australia have made a discovery that offers potential new prevention and treatment opportunities for the disease.
Professor John Mamo, director of Australia’s Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, was the lead investigator of the research that revealed the discovery. He says: “While we previously knew that the hallmark feature of people living with Alzheimer’s disease was the progressive accumulation of toxic protein deposits within the brain called beta-amyloid, researchers did not know where the amyloid originated from, or why it deposited in the brain … Our research shows that these toxic protein deposits that form in the brains of people living with Alzheimer’s disease most likely leak into the brain from fat carrying particles called lipoproteins.”
The bottom line, according to Mamo, more research needs to be done, but it may be possible to reduce the risk and slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease by targeting the amyloid threat in a timely fashion using diet and drugs.
Professor Warren Harding, chairman of the Australian advocacy organization, Alzheimer’s WA, Issued a statement on the global impact of the Curtin Institute’s findings: “In Australia, approximately 250 people are diagnosed with dementia daily, adding to the staggering half a million Australians who are already living with dementia. Without significant medical advances like the breakthrough Professor Mamo’s team has made, it is estimated that the number of Australians living with dementia will exceed one million by 2058. This has a significant impact on families, careers and communities.”
Worldwide at least 50 million people are believed to be living with Alzheimer’s disease or other Dementias. The CDC reports that 5.8 million Americans suffer from the disease. This number is projected to nearly triple to 14 million people by 2060. Younger people may get Alzheimer’s disease, but it is less common.
My husband was 51 when I recognized he had Alzheimer’s. It was devastating to my two children and myself. Life changed drastically with fear and worry. Caretakers are led down a road with endless days of hopelessness, stress, and emotional havoc. I pray that a cure or medicine will soon be available to combat this horrible disease.
That’s what I was hoping to read… then suddenly— the blue box!! Nothing like leading us to the cliff, John.
The article mentioned a correlation with lipoproteins, so I expect to see an ad for statin drugs coming to my email real soon. Doctors our family go to all recommend drugs to lower cholesterol, even though no one has died of a stroke or a heart attack. A few take the drug, but I and several others do not. Inflammation is the worse culprit, I think, so I’ve cut out most carbohydrates. Links from the links in the article indicate that this protein-fat complex damages capillaries in the brain when they breach the blood-brain barrier, and that the liver is the origin of amyloid-beta deposits in the brain. So, take care of your liver as well.
In the interest of transparency, my mother had been taking statin drugs for decades before she died last year. She was 95, and fairly sharp up to the last year. But she also complained of muscle aches, and was treated for long-term type 2 diabetes, which the drugs might have caused. I’m not a doctor. I do ask questions when I see my doctor, and, frankly, leave with few of them answered. For many questions, no one knows the answers.
I hope AMAC will follow up with a more informative article. Amac wouldn’t print this reply to PaulE, so I’ll try here……….
heloo how r u
My husband has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016. There’s a herbal foundation in Cape Town/ Joburg that cured my husband’s Alzheimer’s disease . Pm them they will give their details. People can search about them on Google or youtube(Multivitamin Care ). My husband faced many difficulties and was in several depression, Trouble understanding visual image, aggression ,so many,. This thing happened to him at a very crucial stage of our life. PM if someone needs info or buys direct from them www. multivitamincare. org they cured 100% of Alzheimer with their herbal formula .
You write scitechdaily.com/groundbreaking-research-identifies-likely-cause-of-alzheimers-disease-potential-for-new-treatment The bottom line, according to Mamo, more research needs to be done, but it may be possible to reduce the risk and slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease by targeting the amyloid threat in a timely fashion using diet and drugs.”
So what dietary changes are being suggested? You kind of omitted the most important part of the story, by providing no information in this area.