August 3, 2020

Could the Flu Shot Lower Your Risk for Alzheimer's?

MONDAY, July 27, 2020 -- Getting vaccinated to protect against pneumonia and flu may offer an unexpected benefit -- a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.

Two new studies being presented Monday at this summer's virtual Alzheimer's Association International Conference found a lower incidence of Alzheimer's in people who got flu and pneumonia vaccines. A third study underscored the importance of prevention, reporting that people with dementia are more likely than others to die if they get serious infections.

August 3, 2020

Blood Test Heralds New Era in Alzheimer's Diagnosis

TUESDAY, July 28, 2020 -- A new blood test offers hope that doctors may soon be able to diagnose Alzheimer's disease with astonishing accuracy.

A study led by Swedish researchers found the test did more than differentiate between Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. It also spotted signs of Alzheimer's two decades before symptoms appeared in people who were genetically predisposed to develop the degenerative disease.

August 3, 2020

Researchers Zero in on Alzheimer's Disease Risk Factors

MONDAY, July 20, 2020 -- Ten risk factors may affect your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a new Chinese study suggests.

Focusing on these factors could help doctors develop guidelines for preventing Alzheimer's, researchers say. The risk factors include mental activity, obesity in late life, depression, diabetes and high blood pressure.

July 9, 2020

Brain's Iron Stores May Be Key to Alzheimer's

TUESDAY, June 30, 2020 -- The progression of Alzheimer's disease may accelerate as iron deposits build up in the brain, a new study finds, hinting at a possible role for the mineral in mental decline.

Using MRI scans of 200 older adults with and without Alzheimer's, researchers found that those with the disease generally had higher iron levels in various parts of the brain. And 17 months later, Alzheimer's patients who had had a greater iron accumulation over time also tended to show a faster decline.

June 29, 2020

Hormones May Explain Greater Prevalence of Alzheimer's in Women

FRIDAY, June 26, 2020 -- Women have more Alzheimer's disease-related changes in the brain than men, and this may be linked to hormonal disruptions at menopause, researchers say.

"About two-thirds of people living with Alzheimer's are women, and the general thinking has been it's because women tend to live longer," said study author Lisa Mosconi of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

June 29, 2020

Middle-Age Obesity Linked to Higher Odds for Dementia

THURSDAY, June 25, 2020 -- If you've been looking for a good reason to slim down, consider this: Being obese at midlife appears to increase your odds for dementia.

That's the takeaway from a large study just published by British researchers, and it echoes similar findings published in December.