Showing posts with label alzheimer's disease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alzheimer's disease. Show all posts

Friday, May 30, 2025

It’s unlikely a magic bullet will ever cure Alzheimer’s – maybe a magic shotgun can (The Conversation podcast)

For much of the 21st century, one theory has dominated research efforts to cure Alzheimer’s disease: the amyloid hypothesis. Beta-amyloid is a protein that builds up in clumps, or plaques, in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and is linked to their cognitive decline.

But in recent years, despite the emergence of a couple of new drugs targeting these plaques, some scientists have begun to doubt the amyloid hypothesis. Don Weaver, a professor of chemistry at the University of Toronto in Canada, is one of them.

In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, Weaver tells us about shifts in the understanding of Alzheimer’s during his career of more than 30 years, and what theories are now emerging about what might cause the disease and how to treat it.

Weaver no longer believes there will be one magic bullet drug found to cure Alzheimer’s disease. Instead, he advocates for a magic shotgun approach that is likely to involve multiple ways of treating the problem, including starting much earlier in a person’s life.
Interview: 


Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Could Alzheimer’s be caused by an infection?

In particular, evidence pointed towards herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) – a pathogen found in 70% of the UK population, and the cause of oral herpes – as a prominent suspect...


Monday, November 14, 2022

A brain expert shares his 7 'hard rules' for boosting memory and fighting off dementia

What's more, brain disorders are on the rise. In 2020, 54 million people worldwide had Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, and that number is expected to grow. .
But serious mental decline doesn't have to be an inevitable part of aging. In fact, certain lifestyle factors have a greater impact than your genes do on whether you'll develop memory-related diseases…


Saturday, July 30, 2022

Evidence does not support link between Alzheimer’s and aluminum - PolitiFact

A Facebook post says, "Know what they always find in Alzheimer's patients? Excessive aluminum in the brain. 
Know what makes your body hoard aluminum? Fluoride." 
 However, evidence does not support the claim that aluminum is increased in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, or that aluminum is a cause of the disease. 
 And fluoride is considered safe in both drinking water and toothpaste, which are the main ways people consume it…


Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Air pollution may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia risk – here's what we're learning from brain scans

... The U.S. government had an opportunity to strengthen those standards in 2020, a move that EPA scientists explained could prevent thousands of premature deaths from health risks such as heart disease. Scientists advocated tougher standards, citing other health problems linked to PM2.5. However, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler declined, announcing on Dec. 7 that the standards would remain unchanged...

Thursday, October 8, 2020

Monday, August 19, 2019

What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's | Lisa Genova

Alzheimer's doesn't have to be your brain's destiny, says neuroscientist and author of "Still Alice," Lisa Genova. She shares the latest science investigating the disease -- and some promising research on what each of us can do to build an Alzheimer's-resistant brain.....
https://youtu.be/twG4mr6Jov0

Thursday, July 18, 2019

‘Well, that was a weird moment’ and other signs of dementia family members should watch for - The Washington Post

Julie Staple was a child when her dad, Mark Womack, began exhibiting odd behavior. An award-winning violin, viola and cello maker, Womack was not following through for clients nor returning phone calls promptly. He was watching more TV and taking more breaks from work. He began drinking and was quick to become angry....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/well-that-was-a-weird-moment-and-other-signs-of-dementia-family-members-should-watch-for/2019/07/12/71fab37a-820c-11e9-bce7-40b4105f7ca0_story.html


Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Thursday, July 5, 2018

The Fight To Stop Alzheimer’s Before It Starts And Disrupting The Ad Business (Diane Rehm, On My Mind)

On the show this week: a topic Diane is passionate about – the fight against Alzheimer’s. Dr. Reisa Sperling’s father and grandfather both died of Alzheimer’s so she knows how devastating the disease can be. It’s her life’s work to try and keep people from ever experiencing debilitating memory loss through early diagnosis and treatment. She talked to Diane about her research.

Then, goodbye Mad Men, hello Math Men. The New Yorker’s Ken Auletta wrote a new book on massive disruption in the ad industry – and why, even though we can’t stand ads, we should care.

We also go into the archives for a Father’s Day special. Former Meet The Press host Tim Russert died 10 years ago this week. In 2004, Diane interviewed him for his book about his dad “Big Russ and Me.” You don’t want to miss this special interview.
Interview:
https://dianerehm.org/shows/2018-06-15/the-fight-to-stop-alzheimers-before-it-starts-and-disrupting-the-ad-business

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Neuroscientist Predicts 'Much Better Treatment' For Alzheimer's Is 10 Years Away (Terry Gross, Fresh Air)

..."Losing your keys, forgetting where you put your glasses, is completely normal," he says. "But when you find your glasses and your keys and you talzhhink, 'What are these for?' — that's a sign that there's something else going on, that it's not just a memory loss."...
Interview:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/01/02/575055148/neuroscientist-predicts-much-better-treatment-for-alzheimers-is-10-years-away

Friday, November 17, 2017

Bill Gates joins the fight against Alzheimer’s — and it’s personal - The Washington Post

Billionaire Bill Gates is personally investing $50 million to help fund research to find a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia Gates says has struck members of his own family. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, which destroys memory and other mental processes, so Gates said he is investing his own money in the Dementia Discovery Fund, a private-public partnership to search for a solution....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/11/13/bill-gates-joins-the-fight-against-alzheimers-and-its-personal/?utm_term=.f12c6f695bcd


Thursday, October 19, 2017

Scientists Have Discovered This Drug Fixes Cavities and Regrows Teeth

Dental fillings may soon be left in the ash heap of history, thanks to a recent discovery about a drug called Tideglusib. Developed for and trialled to treat Alzheimer’s disease, the drug also happens to promote the natural tooth regrowth mechanism, allowing the tooth to repair cavities.....
https://futurism.com/scientists-have-discovered-this-drug-fixes-cavities-and-regrows-teeth/









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