Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

Latest Alzheimer's & Dementia News and Research

By altering a single gene you could live longer and be thinner

Imagine that by altering the function of a single gene, you could live longer, be thinner and have lower cholesterol and fat levels in your blood.

30 Jun 2004

The medical use of marijuana

The medical use of marijuana enjoys wide public support. More than 70% of respondents to recent surveys agree that marijuana should be available medically. Sources: Pew Research Center for the People & the Press conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates. Feb. 14-19, 2001 and The Gallup Poll. March 19-21, 1999.

30 Jun 2004

Harmless form of the herpes virus may help create a vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease

Scientists have taken an important step toward creating a vaccine against Alzheimer’s disease, customizing the response of the immune system with unprecedented precision.

30 Jun 2004

Creation of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC)

A new drive to harness the research potential of the NHS was given a further boost today by the creation of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC).

29 Jun 2004

Vascular dementia, a common form of dementia often mistaken for Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s isn’t always the cause of a progressive loss of memory and other mental skills.

29 Jun 2004

Canadian Alzheimer Society responds to donepezil study

A study on the effects of donepezil on people with mild to moderate Alzheimer Disease entitled Long-term donepezil treatment in 565 patients with Alzheimer's Disease(AD2000): randomised double-blind trial appears in the June 26, 2004 issue of The Lancet.

29 Jun 2004

Hormone replacement therapy in women increases risk of dementia

These "surprising and significant findings" are reported in two studies from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study, in which UC Medical Center participates, in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

28 Jun 2004

Call for President Bush to lift restrictions on embryonic stem cell research

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, along with more than 140 patient groups, universities, and scientific societies, sent a letter today to President Bush urging an expansion of the regulations governing federal embryonic stem cell research.

25 Jun 2004

Alzheimer’s Society expresses concern over new study on dementia drug effectiveness, published in The Lancet

The Alzheimer’s Society has expressed serious concern at the interpretation of a new study into the effectiveness of drugs for dementia, published in The Lancet.

25 Jun 2004

Most Alzheimer's drugs don't work

A new UK study published in THE LANCET concludes that the most widely used drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease have only minimal efficacy, and that an alternative approach for treatment is needed.

24 Jun 2004

Fewer Americans with Alzheimer’s and $149 billion in annual Medicare and Medicaid savings by 2025

A new Alzheimer’s Association report released today shows that medical research breakthroughs could result in nearly three million fewer Americans with the disease and $149 billion in annual Medicare and Medicaid savings by 2025.

24 Jun 2004

Findings from WHI memory study may not directly apply to newly menopausal women

The WHIMS article reported that estrogen therapy does not decrease, but may increase, the risk of probable dementia in women age 65 and older using hormones compared to women taking placebo.

23 Jun 2004

Computerised test that can help detect memory problems in older people

Ageing can cause many fears in people, but perhaps one of the biggest is fear of losing your memory.

23 Jun 2004

Estrogen therapy may increase the risk for dementia

A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that estrogen therapy does not decrease, but may increase, the risk for dementia in older, postmenopausal women.

22 Jun 2004

New insights into a mysterious type of amnesia

Researchers have new insights into a mysterious type of amnesia, according to a study published in the June 22 issue of Neurology

21 Jun 2004

Elevated homocysteine levels have been associated with an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease

Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) who also have high levels of homocysteine (an amino acid produced by the body) are more likely to be depressed compared with other patients with PD who have normal levels of homocysteine

21 Jun 2004

New centre of excellence to develop stem cell treatments for diabetes and diseases of the brain

New centre of excellence at the University of Cambridge to develop stem cell treatments for diabetes and diseases of the brain, including Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

21 Jun 2004

Statement on the legislation to double the funding for Alzheimer’s research

Sheldon Goldberg, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association issued the following statement today on the legislation to double the funding for Alzheimer’s research at the National Institutes of Health

16 Jun 2004

74 percent of Americans support call for the Bush White House to lift restrictions on stem cell research

By a decisive margin of 74-21 percent, Americans support former First Lady Nancy Reagan’s call for the Bush White House to lift restrictions on stem cell research in order to look for possible treatments for the Alzheimer’s disease that afflicted former President Ronald Reagan prior to his recent death

16 Jun 2004