Alzheimer’s disease is an age-related brain disease that over time diminishes a person’s memory and cognitive thinking skills. Alzheimer’s disease can eventually lead to Dementia, which entails a loss of memory and cognitive thinking skills so great that daily life and activities become almost impossible. Age, genetics, environment and lifestyle are the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and though Alzheimer’s disease seems untreatable and unpreventable, there are lifestyle changes that can help as well as modern medicine and therapy that slow the deterioration of the brain.
The NIH notes that age is the most common known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, and after age 65 the risk doubles every 5 years. The Department of Health Research Policy at Stanford University wrote an article “Alzheimer’s disease: review of hormone therapy trial and implications for treatment and prevention after menopause.” They outline that hormonal changes associated with the menopausal transition and post menopause have the potential to influence processes linked to Alzheimer’s disease symptoms and pathogenesis. Clinical trials took place to test the estrogen-containing hormone and see if hormone therapy treated or prevented Alzheimer’s disease. “However, no clinical trials of hormone therapy address Alzheimer prevention, but one clinical trial provides moderate evidence that continuous, combined estrogen plus progestogen initiated at age 65 years or older increases the risk of dementia.” The researchers at Stanford University outlined that the timing is critical. Through observational research, they say if hormone therapy starts at a younger age, closer to menopause, the risk of Alzheimer’s disease may decrease.
Genetics is another risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. According to the NIH, “apolipoprotein E (APOE), has three forms, or alleles (ε2, ε3, and ε4). One form, APOE ε4, increases a person’s risk of getting the disease. It is present in about 25 to 30 percent of the population. However, carrying APOE ε4 does not necessarily mean that a person will develop Alzheimer’s, and people without APOE ε4 can develop the disease.” Though these gene factors are identified as risk factor genes, genetic testing cannot predict who will or will not develop late-onset Alzheimer’s.
The NIH did note that although genetics and age may be uncontrollable, there are lifestyle changes that can take place to lower the risk or slow the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Certain medical conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes can increase the risk of cognitive decline. Clinical trials are taking place to see how physical activity, blood pressure and diabetes affect the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. While researcher’s think the disease will be unaffected by health and activity, research is saying the opposite. Though more research is needed to see if there is a direct relationship with these factors and the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, animal studies have started to prove there could be a strong link between the amount physical exercise and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Through animal studies, exercise highlights “the number of small blood vessels that supply the blood to the brain and the number of connections between nerve cells in older rats and mice. In addition, researchers have found that exercise raises the level of a nerve growth factor (a protein key to brain health) in an area of the brain that is important to memory and learning.”
In addition to simple lifestyle choices and changes that will help the prevention, there are also medical treatments. For example, the Sunderland Pharmacy School and Department of Pharmacy, Health and Well- Being, have emerging drug targets for Aβ and tau in Alzheimer's disease. “Currently, treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) focuses on the cholinergic hypothesis and provides limited symptomatic effects. Research currently focuses on other factors that are thought to contribute to AD development such as tau proteins and Aβ deposits, and how modification of the associated pathology affects outcomes in patients.” To test the efficacy of this treatment in vitro and in vivo AD models were used. Through the Sunderland Pharmacy School’s research and studies, the statistics show significant improvement (p<.05) of Aβ and or tau pathology or cognitive effects. In addition, “many studies conducted in AD animal models have shown a reduction in Aβ peptide burden and a reduction in tau phosphorylation post intervention.” Potentially, this will cause reduction of plaque formation and neuronal degeneration.
Overall, Alzheimer’s disease has much more research coming in the future to see if there are any concrete and proven treatments or prevention tactics but much of that still remains unclear. The brain is an extremely complicated organ with many mysteries about the functioning of the brain regardless of the causes of dysfunctions and deteriorations. Science progresses and research continues every day. Even if Alzheimer’s disease seems unpreventable, incurable, irreversible or treatable, the search to find preventions and treatments of Alzheimer’s will continue.
References:
Department of Health Research & Policy (Epidemiology), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Alzheimer's disease: review of hormone therapy trials and implications for treatment and prevention after menopause. Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. Electronic address: vhenderson@stanford.edu. Pubmed. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23727128
NIH-National Institute on Aging, Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease: What do we know?, U.S Department of Health and Human Services, September 2012,
www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers
Sunderland Pharmacy School, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Well-Being, The University of Sunderland, Sunderland, United Kingdom. Emerging drug targets for Aβ and tau in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review. March 2015. Pubmed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25753046
The NIH notes that age is the most common known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, and after age 65 the risk doubles every 5 years. The Department of Health Research Policy at Stanford University wrote an article “Alzheimer’s disease: review of hormone therapy trial and implications for treatment and prevention after menopause.” They outline that hormonal changes associated with the menopausal transition and post menopause have the potential to influence processes linked to Alzheimer’s disease symptoms and pathogenesis. Clinical trials took place to test the estrogen-containing hormone and see if hormone therapy treated or prevented Alzheimer’s disease. “However, no clinical trials of hormone therapy address Alzheimer prevention, but one clinical trial provides moderate evidence that continuous, combined estrogen plus progestogen initiated at age 65 years or older increases the risk of dementia.” The researchers at Stanford University outlined that the timing is critical. Through observational research, they say if hormone therapy starts at a younger age, closer to menopause, the risk of Alzheimer’s disease may decrease.
Genetics is another risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. According to the NIH, “apolipoprotein E (APOE), has three forms, or alleles (ε2, ε3, and ε4). One form, APOE ε4, increases a person’s risk of getting the disease. It is present in about 25 to 30 percent of the population. However, carrying APOE ε4 does not necessarily mean that a person will develop Alzheimer’s, and people without APOE ε4 can develop the disease.” Though these gene factors are identified as risk factor genes, genetic testing cannot predict who will or will not develop late-onset Alzheimer’s.
The NIH did note that although genetics and age may be uncontrollable, there are lifestyle changes that can take place to lower the risk or slow the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Certain medical conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes can increase the risk of cognitive decline. Clinical trials are taking place to see how physical activity, blood pressure and diabetes affect the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. While researcher’s think the disease will be unaffected by health and activity, research is saying the opposite. Though more research is needed to see if there is a direct relationship with these factors and the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, animal studies have started to prove there could be a strong link between the amount physical exercise and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Through animal studies, exercise highlights “the number of small blood vessels that supply the blood to the brain and the number of connections between nerve cells in older rats and mice. In addition, researchers have found that exercise raises the level of a nerve growth factor (a protein key to brain health) in an area of the brain that is important to memory and learning.”
In addition to simple lifestyle choices and changes that will help the prevention, there are also medical treatments. For example, the Sunderland Pharmacy School and Department of Pharmacy, Health and Well- Being, have emerging drug targets for Aβ and tau in Alzheimer's disease. “Currently, treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) focuses on the cholinergic hypothesis and provides limited symptomatic effects. Research currently focuses on other factors that are thought to contribute to AD development such as tau proteins and Aβ deposits, and how modification of the associated pathology affects outcomes in patients.” To test the efficacy of this treatment in vitro and in vivo AD models were used. Through the Sunderland Pharmacy School’s research and studies, the statistics show significant improvement (p<.05) of Aβ and or tau pathology or cognitive effects. In addition, “many studies conducted in AD animal models have shown a reduction in Aβ peptide burden and a reduction in tau phosphorylation post intervention.” Potentially, this will cause reduction of plaque formation and neuronal degeneration.
Overall, Alzheimer’s disease has much more research coming in the future to see if there are any concrete and proven treatments or prevention tactics but much of that still remains unclear. The brain is an extremely complicated organ with many mysteries about the functioning of the brain regardless of the causes of dysfunctions and deteriorations. Science progresses and research continues every day. Even if Alzheimer’s disease seems unpreventable, incurable, irreversible or treatable, the search to find preventions and treatments of Alzheimer’s will continue.
References:
Department of Health Research & Policy (Epidemiology), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Alzheimer's disease: review of hormone therapy trials and implications for treatment and prevention after menopause. Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. Electronic address: vhenderson@stanford.edu. Pubmed. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23727128
NIH-National Institute on Aging, Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease: What do we know?, U.S Department of Health and Human Services, September 2012,
www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers
Sunderland Pharmacy School, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Well-Being, The University of Sunderland, Sunderland, United Kingdom. Emerging drug targets for Aβ and tau in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review. March 2015. Pubmed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25753046
I have not personally seen the effects of Alzheimer's disease or dementia in my family, yet I understand the importance to develop novel therapies to combat neurological degeneration. After reading an article nano-particles and its flexibility to perform various treatments, I wonder if nano-particles could target the agglomerations of Aβ proteins and someone destroy the molecules. Biotechnology is ever-evolving and I feel as though treatments for Alzheimer's disease are possible in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy hearing about Alzheimer's disease research because although it is very common, is it still not understood. I thought the lifestyle changes that could reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's was interesting, and I wonder if they are effective in individuals with a history of the disease.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that there are any medications available to help with Alzheimer's, although it's an encouraging sign that there's at least a little bit of progress being made. Still, it seems like, as with cancer, Alzheimer's has such a complex set of causes that prevention is the best way to deal with this disease. In addition to exercise, doing games and exercises to give the brain a "workout" is a helpful way of lowering the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Hopefully, with the amount of research being done on this condition, researchers will make some breakthroughs in understanding this. Even knowing more about how to predict who will develop Alzheimer's, or how it can best be prevented, would be very helpful.
ReplyDeleteAfter learning more about this topic in class, I have more hope for the future and do believe a cure is soon to come.
ReplyDeleteAfter learning more about this topic in class, I have more hope for the future and do believe a cure is soon to come.
ReplyDeleteThis is very exciting to see! For a long time alzheimer's was viewed as a disease relegated strictly to old and and the nervous system; the change to a more holistic viewpoints may provide new insights and bring us closer to preventing this devastating disease.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a wonderful post. I really enjoyed reading about the hope for cures in the future because I often only hear about new causes of AD. I think this prevention research is very important and should be a major focus considering the complexity of the disease. The only way you to know you have AD is through a measure of cognitive skills, so the disease has already begun and will likely continue to progress. By focusing on prevention scientist can really help people by telling them how important their lifestyle choice are to their future health.
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