NOW WE HAVE RED LIGHTS AND GREEN TEA AS CURE FOR ALZHEIMERS

IT MAY sound like a strange brew, but green tea and red light could provide a novel treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Together, the two can destroy the rogue “plaques” that crowd the brains of people with the disease. The light makes it easier for the green-tea extract to get to work on the plaques.

Andrei Sommer at the University of Ulm in Germany, and colleagues, have previously used red light with a wavelength of 670 nanometres to transport cancer drugs into cells. The laser light pushes water out of the cells and when the laser is switched off, the cells “suck in” water and any other molecules, including drugs, from their surroundings.

Now, Sommer’s team have found that the same technique can be used to destroy the beta-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s. These plaques consist of abnormally folded peptides, and are thought to disrupt communication between nerve cells, leading to loss of memory and other symptoms.

The team bathed brain cells containing beta-amyloid in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) – a green-tea extract known to have beta-amyloid inhibiting properties – at the same time as stimulating the cells with red light. Beta-amyloid in the cells reduced by around 60 per cent. Shining the laser light alone onto cells reduced beta-amyloid by around 20 per cent (Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, DOI: 10.1089/pho.2011.3073).

It can be difficult getting drugs into the brain, but animal experiments show that the green-tea extract can penetrate the so-called blood-brain barrier when given orally together with red light. The light, which can penetrate tissue and bone, stimulates cell mitochondria to kick-start a process that increases the barrier’s permeability, says Sommer.

There is no reason why other drugs that attack beta-amyloid could not be delivered to the brain in the same way, he adds.

“This important research could form the basis of a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s, with or without complementary drug treatment,” says Mario Trelles, medical director of the Vilafortuny Medical Institute in Cambrils, Spain.

“The technique described could help to regulate and even stop the appearance of this disease,” he adds.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

DOES THIS INJECTION REVERSE ALZHEIMERS?

A new study pinpoints the importance of certain soluble proteins, called cytokines, in Alzheimer’s disease. The study focuses on one of these cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF), a very critical component of the brain’s immune system. Normally, TNF finely regulates the transmission of neural impulses within the brain. The authors hypothesized that elevated levels of TNF in Alzheimer’s disease interacy adversely with this regulation. To reduce elevated TNF, the authors gave patients an injection of an anti-TNF therapeutic called etanercept. Excess TNF-alpha has been documented in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer’s.

The new study documents a dramatic and unprecedented therapeutic effect in an Alzheimer’s patient: improvement within minutes following delivery of perispinal etanercept, which is etanercept given by injection in the spine. Etanercept (trade name Enbrel) binds and inactivates excess TNF. Etanercept is FDA approved to treat a number of immune-mediated disorders and is used off label in the study.

The use of anti-TNF therapeutics as a new treatment choice for many diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and potentially even Alzheimer’s, was recently chosen as one of the top 10 health stories of 2007 by the Harvard Health Letter.

Similarly, the Neurotechnology Industry Organization has recently selected new treatment targets revealed by neuroimmunology (such as excess TNF) as one of the top 10 Neuroscience Trends of 2007. And the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives has chosen the pilot study using perispinal etanercept for Alzheimer’s for inclusion and discussion in their 2007 Progress Report on Brain Research.

The lead author of the study, Edward Tobinick M.D., is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles and director of the Institute for Neurological Research, a private medical group in Los Angeles. Hyman Gross, M.D., clinical professor of neurology at the University of Southern California, was co-author.

This study is accompanied by an extensive commentary by Sue Griffin, Ph.D., director of research at the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock Arkansaw and at the Geriatric Research and Clinical Center at the VA Hospital in Little Rock, who along with Robert Mrak, M.D., chairman of pathology at University of Toledo Medical School, are editors-in-chief of the Medical Journal of Neuroinflammation.

Griffin and Mrak are pioneers in the field of neuroinflammation. Griffin published an extensive landmark study in 1989 describing the association of cytokine overexpression in the brain and Alzheimer’s disease. Her research helped pave the way for the findings of the present study. Griffin has recently been selected for membership in the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, a nonprofit organization of more than 200 leading neuroscientists, including ten Nobel laureates.

“It is unprecedented that we can see cognitive and behavioral improvement in a patient with established dementia within minutes of therapeutic intervention,” said Griffin. “It is imperative that the medical and scientific communities immediately undertake to further investigate and characterize the physiologic mechanisms involved. This gives all of us in Alzheimer’s research a tremendous new clue about new avenues of research, which is so exciting and so needed in the field of Alzheimer’s. Even though this report predominantly discusses a single patient, it is of significant scientific interest because of the potential insight it may give into the processes involved in the brain dysfunction of Alzheimer’s.”

While the article discusses one patient, many other patients with mild to severe Alzheimer’s received the treatment and all have shown sustained and significently marked improvement.

The new study, entitled “Rapid cognitive improvement in Alzheimer’s disease following perispinal etanercept administration,” and the accompanying commentary, entitled “Perispinal etanercept: Potential as an Alzheimer’s therapeutic,” are available on the Web site of the Journal of Neuroinflammation (http://www.jneuroinflammation.com/content/5/1/2/abstract).

Author Hyman Gross, M.D., has no competing interests. Author Edward Tobinick, M.D. owns stock in Amgen, the manufacturer of etanercept, and has multiple issued and pending patents assigned to TACT IP LLC that describe the parenteral and perispinal use of etanercept for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders, including, but not limited to, U.S. patents 6015557, 6177077, 6419934, 6419944, 6537549, 6982089, 7214658 and Australian patent 758523.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

Pink power can save your brain

CHOLESTEROL CONDITIONS THE BRAIN FOR ACTIVE THOUGHT

Alzheimer’s disease and high levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol are very much common in western societies.  It is said that, in the United States alone, greater than 50 percent of its adult population has high cholesterol levels.  Approximately 1 percent of individuals aging between 65 to 69 years acquire Alzheimer’s disease.  For people who are older than 95 years old, the prevalence is increased by more than 60 percent.

Dyslipidemia:  Up Close

Increased levels of cholesterol present a variety of health hazards to the affected person.  This predisposes one to a multitude of illness, some of which are often fatal.  High cholesterol levels are tough on the blood vessels, especially on the arteries.  This may lead to the accumulation of fatty deposits within the walls and linings of the arteries which could seriously impede blood flow.  The blood flow in the specific area of the artery where fatty deposits have accumulated becomes sluggish.  This prompts the heart to pump harder in order to make sure that blood reaches the vital organs.  This doubles the heart effort, putting more workload to one of the most important organs in the body. As a result of the cascade of events, the dangers are foreseen:  high blood pressure, the possibility of embolism, stroke, heart attack, atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, kidney failure, heart failure and many more.  These are reason enough for you to make sure that essential steps are done in order to prevent the onset of dyslipidemia.

Shedding a Light on Alzheimer’s Disease

According to a report released by the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), an association composed of 73 Alzheimer’s organization, 5.3 million Americans are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and approximately 500,000 new cases will be diagnosed by 2010.  The economic impact is devastating – Alzheimer’s disease severely affects the person’s quality of life as it causes the loss of normal cognitive functioning such as reasoning, remembering and thinking.  It is a progressive and irreversible disease that slowly destroys thinking skills and memory, and will eventually hinder the patient’s ability to perform even the most simple task.

Scientists are currently hard at work try to pinpoint the exact mechanism that causes Alzheimer’s disease, and why majority of the affected individuals are the elderly.  Because the cause is unknown, treatment also remains out of reach.

Associating Dyslipidemia and Alzheimer’s disease

A report published in the December issue of one of the JAMA/Archives journals, Archives of Neurology, stated that high amounts of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), commonly known as the “good” form of cholesterol, seem to be linked to a lowered risk of Alzheimer’s disease in elderly adults.

Dr. Christiane Reitz, Ph.D and her colleagues enrolled 1,130 elderly individuals in order for the researchers to examine the link between Alzheimer’s disease and the levels of fat present in the blood.  A random sampling of old adults with ages 65 and older and who are residents of Northern Manhattan was conducted.  The other criteria for inclusion include being a Medicare recipient and having no history of cognitive impairment or dementia.  The researchers’ definition of high cholesterol levels was at 55 milligrams per decilitre, or more.

In order to determine the link between HDL levels and Alzheimer’s disease, data were gathered from neuropsychological, neurological and medical evaluations.  Furthermore, the researchers assigned the following diagnosis based on the cause of dementia:

• “Probable” Alzheimer’s disease – dementia onset could not be further explained by other disorders
• “Possible” Alzheimer’s disease – the cause of dementia is mostly likely Alzheimer’s disease but other disorders are present which could contribute to the development of dementia, such as Parkinson’s disease or stroke.

For the duration of the follow-up period, 101 subjects were diagnosed with new cases of Alzheimer’s disease – 12 were possible, and 89 belonged to the probable category.  Average age of possible and probable onset of Alzheimer’s disease was 83 years.  It was found that Hispanic subjects as well as those who had higher incidence of diabetes at the beginning of the study have been shown to have developed dementia.  Moreover, for subjects who had higher levels of HDL in their plasma (55 mg/dl or higher), there was a decreased risk of developing both possible and probable Alzheimer’s disease, even after adjustments on lipid-lowering treatments and vascular risk factors were made.

Other Natural Means to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

• The American Journal of Medicine has published a study indicating that people who consume at least three servings of vegetable and fruit juices each week have a 76 percent reduction in their risk of Alzheimer’s disease as compared to people who consume less than one serving each week.  However, for people who have problems with their blood sugar levels and because some fruits contain high sugar levels, vegetable juices are more recommended. Eating raw vegetables, with the absence of a juicer, can also help.Examples of vegetables and fruits include cherries, plums, raisins, blueberries, apples, red bell peppers, spinach and eggplant.
• The regular intake of foods rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),  can also help slow Alzheimer’s disease progression.  This is according to the results of a study which was published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Omega-3 fatty acids helps build and maintain the healthy state of the nervous system – the main system affected in Alzheimer’s disease.Excellent food sources include salmon, flax seeds, purslane, seaweeds, walnuts and cod liver oil.
• The National Institutes of Health said that some aluminum compounds have been linked to the neurological damage featured in Alzheimer’s disease. Although it is impossible to totally avoid being exposed to aluminum because we may never know that the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food on our table may be contaminated, still, it is important to know the most common sources of aluminum exposure such as antiperspirants; over-the-counter drugs like buffered aspirin and antacids; and processed cheese.
• Doing mentally-stimulating activities is a perfect way to exercise your brain cells. Adopt hobbies that will force you to think – go for the crossword puzzles in the morning paper, learn a new language, memorize a new poem, catch up with current events.  This will not only reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but it will also help you feel more in-touch, alert and enthusiastic.
• Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha
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Can chess check-mate Alzheimer’s? (2:02)

Dec 8 – Russian chess grandmaster Anatoly Karpov has pit his skills against French rival Joel Lautier as part of a scientific experiment to see if intellectual work can help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. Stuart McDill reports.

View video here

Alzheimer’s disease is a common health issue during the age of senility. It is the most familiar and common form of dementia and is considered to be an incurable and terminal degenerative disease. Alzheimer’s disease usually starts at 65 but it may happen at an earlier age. Treatment for Alzheimer’s disease is only limited to care-giving, psychosocial, medical and environmental intervention. Despite the disease’s increasing popularity in people in old age, different studies have found different ways of reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Theories on Alzheimer’s Disease

Different conflicting theories argue on the root cause of Alzheimer’s disease. The oldest theory called the cholinergic hypothesis suggests that the disease is caused by the weakened synthesis of acetylcholine in the brain, a neurotransmitter responsible for promoting and maintaining a healthy communication with the sections of the brain. But due to the lack of efficacy exhibited by medications to improve the synthesis of acetylcholine, the theory has not gained and maintained support form the medical schools.

Another theory suggests that Alzheimer’s disease is implied by a specific disorder in the human genome. The well-established observation is that people who have this specific genetic abnormality develop the disease as early as the age of 40.  This gives the theory a stronger standpoint than its older opponent. Medical experts strongly suggest that the development of Alzheimer’s disease can be brought about by a certain genetic trait. But they also add that the person’s overall lifestyle greatly influence its onset. In a study conducted in order to examine the risk and development of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers found that walking can slow down the progression of the disease.

Though there hasn’t been any concrete evidence found in order to support suggested methods to avoid or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, medical experts are consistent on the idea that diet and sufficient mental and physical exercise can strongly influence the progression of the disease. The simple habit of walking was found by a group of researchers from Pennsylvania to slow down cognitive decline in a group of adults with mild conditions of cognitive impairment.

Walking against Alzheimer’s Disease

A study presented at the annual conference of the Radiological Society of North America suggested that walking can slow down cognitive decline in adults experiencing mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and even in adults with no signs of cognitive impairment. Lead researcher from the University of Pittsburgh Department Of Radiology, Cyrus Raji, said that they had found that walking for a minimum of five miles a week helps protect the brain from damage, especially in areas responsible for learning and memory, for ten years. They also found that it slows down the decline of memory loss for over years.

In the data provided by the National Institute of Aging, around 2 to 5 million Americans suffer from the disease and the numbers are expected to increase in the next years. The fact that Alzheimer’s disease is irreversible and that no cure has been found to make the brain recover from the damage makes it one of the biggest health issues in the world. Minor cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition wherein in a person experiences serious age-related memory loss but not as grave as that of Alzheimer’s disease. But around 50 percent of MCI cases continue to develop into a full blown Alzheimer’s disease. Raji said that the best way of coping with the problem, since treatment is not yet available, is to find ways to alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, slow down its progression and help improve the patient’s quality of life.

Study Details

The study will last for 20 years and will examine the relationship between brain health and physical activity. The researchers gathered a group of 127 adults with cognitive impairment and 299 healthy adults. The group with cognitive impairment consists of 44 people with Alzheimer’s disease and 83 with mild cognitive impairment. They monitored how frequent and far the study participants walked in a period of seven days and after 10 years, they underwent MRI examinations to determine and identify the changes in their brain. Researchers looked closely at brain volume since it is directly related to the brain’s health condition; higher brain volume means healthier brain while a decline could mean that brain cells are dying. They were also asked to take an examination to test their cognitive skills for 5 years. The results of the cognitive exams directly corresponded with the MRI results with adjustments made to discharge the influence of variables like education, gender, head size and body fat composition.

The study concluded that increased physical activities results to greater brain volume. Study participants with mild cognitive impairment had to walk at least 5 miles in a weak in order to offset the cognitive decline while healthy participants needed a minimum of six miles per week to reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairment. Raji added that walking is not a cure against Alzheimer’s disease but refers to the activity as an effective means of reducing memory loss associated with ageing and lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The Numerous Health Benefits of Walking

We walk on a daily basis. But despite the inevitability of the need for walking, some people are still not getting enough of the activity. The availability of new technologies that bypasses the necessities for walking like Segways, lifts and other devices that moves people to short distances wherein walking was previously required deprives people of its various health benefits.

Walking is the most natural form of physical activity. The movement of the legs and hands requires enough exertion to promote healthier breathing and blood circulation. More oxygen gets circulated in the blood and to the brain. This helps the body maintain health cognitive and physical function. Walking has also been found to boost the immune system, manage weight, prevent and control disease, prevent osteoporosis and a lot more.

A study showed that it is easier to exercise when it is part of our daily lives. Walking to nearby locations is an effective means of getting enough exercise without getting stressed too much about maintaining the activity. Going to the gym or participating in a certain physical activity may be challenging for some people since these may require too much self-discipline.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

Low vitamin D linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease

So you’ve listened to mainstream and now you don’t even know what the sun looks like anymore.

Well, I’ve got some bad news for you — because if, like most people, you’re deficient in the sunshine vitamin, you’re also at risk for life-robbing diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

One new study out of England’s University of Exeter found that seniors with the lowest levels of D had a dramatically higher risk of dementia warning signs.

Researchers followed 858 seniors for six years, and found that those with less than 25 nanomoles of D per liter of blood were 60 percent more likely to experience general cognitive decline, and 31 percent more likely to start losing their abilities to plan, organize and prioritize.

That’s a road you don’t want to go down — because it ends in a nursing home, where you think every orderly is a long-dead relative and you can’t tell noon from midnight anymore.

But what’s truly bizarre about this new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine is the accompanying editorial, which is straight out of the Dark Ages. In it, Dr. Andrew Grey of the University of Auckland in New Zealand urges people NOT to take a D supplement. He also writes that most people shouldn’t even bother to have their D levels measured.

Paging Dr. Grey, there’s a reality check for you on line one: Ignorance isn’t bliss!

I wonder if this guy even bothers reading these journals. Let me help him out here, because a second new study finds that high levels of D can help save you from Parkinson’s disease.

The study in the Archives of Neurology looked at the D levels of 3,173 Finns between the ages of 50 and 79, and found that those with the most had a 65 percent lower risk of Parkinson’s than those with the least.

Meanwhile, a new report in Endocrine Today says it’s now clear beyond all doubt that vitamin D is needed by the immune, pancreas, cardiovascular, muscle and brain systems.

That’s in addition to all the other well-established benefits of vitamin D, which can help everything from your bones to your longevity. Low levels of vitamin D have also been linked to diabetes, multiple sclerosis, autism and schizophrenia

Sortced & published by Henry Sapiecha

Protein could battle Alzheimer’s disease

NEW YORK (UPI) — U.S. researchers say they are looking at a new approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease with a protein thought to extend lifespan in laboratory animals.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said that in mice prone to developing Alzheimer’s, activating a protein called sirtuin suppressed the disease and destroying the protein made the disease much worse, The New York Times reported.

The finding raises the hope that Alzheimer’s, and possibly other neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s, could be treated with drugs that activate sirtuin, researchers say.

“We think it is a scientifically compelling story that ties the sirtuins to the biology of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Dennis J. Selkoe, an Alzheimer’s expert at Harvard Medical School who was not a part of the study.

Drugs that activate sirtuin already exist, including resveratrol, a minor ingredient of red wine and other foods.

One drug company, Sirtris, is in preclinical trials with sirtuin-activating drugs.

“We think it has very significant potential in neurodegenerative diseases,” Sirtris Chief Executive Officer George P. Vlasuk said.

Copyright 2010 by United Press International

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

Social Security Disability – Alzheimers Disease

Alzheimers  treatment with Curcumin in CURRY

Cooking with Curry: How Curcumin Can Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant that is found in curry powder and used in traditional Indian cooking. The blending of curcumin with other spices has made this seasoning appeal more to the European pallet and has made the ingredient a popular and healthy choice for seasoning many different dishes. However, more than just your taste buds will benefit from curry. Curry, and more specifically curcumin, has been found to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

The preventative quality of curry goes beyond its basic antioxidant function. Curcumin has been found effective in slowing or stopping the formation of protein fragments in brain cells. It is able to do this so effectively because it has such a low molecular weight. This enables it to seep into the blood stream better and bind to the beta amyloid plaque that forms on the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. So curry is good at not only preventing Alzheimer’s disease, but it removing some plaques of those already in the early stages.

If you don’t think that curry can do all that it claims, consider the fact that adults between the ages of 70-79 in India had a four times lower rate of Alzheimer’s disease in one 2003 study. The conclusion that researcher drew is that the difference is in the curry. The yellow, powdery food preservative, curcumin, found in curry, is found in abundance in the traditional Indian diet.

Here are some great uses for curry that will spice up your diet and put this strong antioxidant to work in cleaning up brain plaque that may already be forming. Curry can be a very strong flavor that some people just don’t like. For those who don’t care for it, the flavor can be played down as in the following recipes, keeping all of the nutritional benefits in.

1. Sprinkle some curry powder on your chicken salad. Adding halved red grapes and green onions balances the strength of the curry flavor. It’s also great with toasted almond slivers. You can serve it on a bed of dark green spinach or in half a tomato to add to the nutritional value.
2. Vitamins A and C are abundant in a traditional Bombay rice dish that has both curry powder and cumin. Use brown rice as your base adding chick peas, apricots, zucchini, onion, and any other vegetables you like such as carrots and red pepper. This can be cooked in a vegetable or fat-free chicken broth until the rice is cooked through. Just a tablespoon of curry powder and a teaspoon of cumin to 1 ½ cups uncooked rice balances the recipe.
3. Try adding 1/8 teaspoon of curry powder to low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise to spice up your next turkey sandwich. Load on the fresh lettuce, raw spinach, tomatoes, and peppers and put the balanced meal into a whole-wheat pita pocket.
4. 
   Curry can be added subtly into many different recipes eliminating the need for salt. Check to be sure that your curry seasoning does not have added salt, or use just plain cumin in its place. You’ll spice up your meals while protecting your brain.

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Learn how to maintain good mental health at: http://www.alzheimersdefense.com/

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 17th March 2010