Counselors have long cautioned about the downsides of genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease. For one thing, the current genetic tests for late-onset Alzheimer’s — the type that develops after age 60 and is responsible for more than 90 percent of cases — only indicate a probability of getting the disease. It’s not definitive. And consumers’ […]
Amid the generally discouraging news about drugs that can slow or reverse the progress of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study is a faint glimmer of hope: In mice whose brains are clogged with the protein deposits that characterize Alzheimer’s, a drug called bexarotene substantially reversed key signs of dementia and reduced by half the telltale protein […]
A woman grips her car’s steering wheel and silently lets out a scream as her frail father, on oxygen, coughs beside her and her kids play around in the back seat.
There is a certain degree of helplessness that a person can feel when reading about dementia. After all, there is no cure. There is no precise understanding of the cause. There is not even a way to delay the disease. From time to time, there are fun articles that do assuage our fears about dementia, […]
Alzheimer’s disease is an illness that slowly develops overtime usually affecting those people over 65 years old. It’s the most common form of dementia and is not a normal part of aging. I’ve had the opportunity of being around someone with Alzheimer’s disease and the problems with memory, thinking and behavior are very noticeable. My […]
The behaviors of seniors with Alzheimer’s are often unpredictable. You may have already experienced a wide swing in your loved one from withdrawn to aggressive. Dealing with these behaviors is never easy, especially as they sometimes come out of the blue. But that’s Alzheimer’s. We’ll look at some common behaviors and ways you can respond […]
Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease. “Initially, the forgetfulness isn’t crippling and people can remain independent,” says Gandy. “But eventually, everyone will require 24-hour supervision, which means either an assisted living situation or having either a family member or outside help in place around the clock.” One reason doctors stress having an elderly loved one assessed […]
Dementia advocates are urging the province to do more for people with the disease after a man with Alzheimer’s went missing for five days, leaving a nursing home in Stephenville and then travelling to New Brunswick. The man was found safe in Saint John.
We cannot rely on medical advances to solve the problem of dementia. The few drugs that help stave off the disease have limited effectiveness and new drugs will take decades to develop.
If there was a way to know if you were predisposed to developing Alzheimer’s disease, would you want to know? As tests to evaluate an individual’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease advance, this is a question plaguing the minds of more and more Americans, especially those who have parents or other relatives with the disease. […]