More Alzheimer's Drug Trial Failures: Are Researchers on the Wrong Track?

WEDNESDAY, April 10, 2019 -- Amyloid beta has long been a prime suspect in Alzheimer's disease, since abnormal levels of the protein form disruptive plaques between patients' brain cells.

But drug trials aimed at lowering amyloid levels have repeatedly failed to save people's brains, and some researchers now believe the focus needs to shift to other potential culprits.

Brain Scans Spot, Track Alzheimer's

TUESDAY, April 2, 2019 -- Brain scans can improve diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease, a new study claims.

Researchers assessed the use of PET scans to identify Alzheimer's-related amyloid plaques in the brain. The study included more than 11,000 Medicare beneficiaries with mild thinking impairment or dementia of uncertain cause.

Fewer Periods May Mean Higher Dementia Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 27, 2019 -- A new study suggests that the fewer menstrual periods a woman has in her lifetime, the higher her risk of dementia -- though the reasons, for now, are unclear.

The study was based on close to 16,000 women. It found that those who started having periods at age 16 or later were more likely to develop dementia than women who started menstruating at a more typical age.

Healthy Diet Might Not Lower Dementia Risk

TUESDAY, March 12, 2019 -- A long-running study questions the conventional wisdom that a healthy diet may help ward off dementia.

European researchers followed more than 8,200 middle-aged adults for 25 years -- looking at whether diet habits swayed the odds of being diagnosed with dementia. In the end, people who ate their fruits and vegetables were at no lower risk than those who favored sweets and steaks.

Even Distant Relatives' History Could Up Your Alzheimer's Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 13, 2019 -- A grandparent's mental decline or a great uncle's waning memory may indicate you, too, have greater risk for Alzheimer's disease -- especially if closer relatives have the condition, a new study says.

Alzheimer's in both a first-degree relative (parents, siblings) and a second-degree relative (grandparent, aunt, uncle, nieces or nephews) doubles your risk of the brain-destroying disorder, researchers found. But if you have one first-degree relative and two second-degree relatives with the disease, your risk increases by 21 times.