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☆ Belly fat linked to brain decay and early signs of Alzheimer’s, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-02 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Both beta amyloid plaques and tau tangles are early signs of the brain’s march toward a possible Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. “Most of a person’s body mass index (BMI) reflects subcutaneous fat, not visceral fat,” Raji said. “The more visceral fat one has, the more inflammation happens in the body and it’s much worse, in truth, than the inflammation that occurs with subcutaneous fat,” Raji said. Visceral fat receives more blood flow due to its placement near organs and is more hormonally active than subcutaneous fat, Raji said. “Previously, we had only showed a link between visceral fat and amyloid.”The PET scans showed that as visceral fat levels went up, so did levels of both amyloid and tau, according to the new research.

Persons: ”, Cyrus Raji, St . Louis, “, Raji, Richard Isaacson, ” Isaacson, ” Raji, “ We’re, Tau tangles, Isaacson Organizations: CNN, Washington University School of Medicine, World Health Organization, Cleveland Clinic, BMI, Radiology Society Locations: St ., Florida, United States, midlife

☆ Alzheimer’s blood test catches 90% of early dementia cases, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-28 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —A combined blood test for cognitive decline has a 90% accuracy rate in determining whether memory loss is due to Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found. “The p-tau217 blood test is turning out to be the most specific for Alzheimer’s and the one with the most validity. “These are absolutely transformational times.”How does a p-tau217 blood test work? The results of the blood tests were then measured against patient diagnoses provided by Swedish primary care doctors and specialists. “There’s no one more bullish on these tests than I am, but Alzheimer’s blood tests aren’t fully definitive yet,” he said.

Persons: CNN —, Sebastian Palmqvist, ” Palmqvist, ”, Maria Carrillo, Carrillo, “ You’re, that’s, ” Carrillo, “, ” Tau tangles, Richard Isaacson, Oskar Hansson, ” Hansson, Hansson, Isaacson, ” Isaacson Organizations: CNN, Lund University, “, Alzheimer’s Association, International Conference Locations: Sweden, Alzheimer’s, Florida, United States, Philadelphia

☆ Apparently Healthy, but Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Paula Span | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Determining whether someone has Alzheimer’s disease usually requires an extended diagnostic process. A doctor takes a patient’s medical history, discusses symptoms, administers verbal and visual cognitive tests. or a spinal tap — tests that detect the presence of two proteins in the brain, amyloid plaques and tau tangles, both associated with Alzheimer’s. All of that could change dramatically if new criteria proposed by an Alzheimer’s Association working group are widely adopted. Its final recommendations, expected later this year, will accelerate a shift that is already underway: from defining the disease by symptoms and behavior to defining it purely biologically — with biomarkers, substances in the body that indicate disease.

Organizations: Alzheimer’s Association

☆ Healthy living may battle cognitive decline even with signs of dementia in the brain, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Living a healthy lifestyle with a focus on a nutritious diet, regular exercise, minimum alcohol consumption and other healthy habits can help keep your brain sharp into old age, doctors say. But what if your brain already has signs of beta amyloid or tau — two of the hallmark signs of Alzheimer’s and other brain pathologies? Will a healthy lifestyle still protect you from cognitive decline? Not everyone who has signs of Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia goes on to develop cognitive issues, but many do. In fact, “a higher healthy lifestyle score was associated with better cognition even after accounting for the combined burden of brain pathologies,” according to Yaffe and Leng.

Persons: ”, Dr, Klodian, Richard Isaacson, “, Isaacson, wasn’t, —, Kobus, Lewy, Yue Leng, Kristine Yaffe, Yaffe, San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences . Leng, Leng, it’s Organizations: CNN, Rush Institute, Healthy Aging, Rush University, “, University of California, San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences . Locations: Chicago, Florida, San

☆ Bigger belly in 40s and 50s linked to early signs of Alzheimer’s disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Inflammation from belly fat may be linked to the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease decades before symptoms begin, new research has found. “That’s important because brain atrophy is another biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease,” Raji said. “These are people who, if they do develop Alzheimer’s disease, it won’t happen for another 20 or 25 more years. “Regardless of weight, people should find out if they have hidden visceral fat,” Raji said. Visceral fat ‘easier to lose’There’s good news: Visceral fat responds well to diet and exercise, Raji said.

Persons: “, ”, Richard Isaacson, Isaacson, Cyrus Raji, St . Louis, ” Raji, Dr, Mahsa, Raji, ” Isaacson, It’s Organizations: CNN, Washington University School of Medicine, Radiology Society, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic Locations: Florida, St .

☆ Sweet spot for HRT may reduce dementia risk by nearly a third, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Just how harmful or helpful hormone replacement therapy may be also depends on the type of hormones that are prescribed, especially at older ages. Estrogen-only hormone therapy can be prescribed if the uterus has been removed via hysterectomy. Scientists are developing a new generation of hormone replacement called selective estrogen receptor modulator, or SERM. Scientists are working on new forms of hormone replacement therapy that go directly to the brain, thus making them safer for menopausal women. In addition, some women are not candidates for hormone replacement therapy, perhaps due to family history, heart conditions or clotting disorders.

Persons: hasn’t, “, ”, Lisa Mosconi, Mosconi, Richard Isaacson, ” Isaacson, gynecologists, midlife, ” Mosconi Organizations: CNN, Weill Cornell Medicine, “ Locations: New York City, midlife, Florida

☆ Doubts abound about a new Alzheimer’s blood test
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Judith Graham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The Quest Diagnostics blood test, AD-Detect, measures elevated levels of amyloid-beta proteins, a signature characteristic of Alzheimer’s. But Alzheimer’s researchers and clinicians aren’t convinced the Quest test is backed by sound scientific research. Though blood tests for Alzheimer’s are likely to become common in the years ahead, the Alzheimer’s Association said it’s premature to offer a test of this kind directly to consumers. Because the science behind blood tests for Alzheimer’s is still developing and because “patients may not really understand the uncertainty of test results,” Edelmayer said, the Alzheimer’s Association “does not endorse the use of the AD-Detect test by consumers.”Quest’s blood test is one of several developments altering the landscape of Alzheimer’s care in the United States. The bottom line: Before taking a test, “older adults need to ask themselves, ‘Why do I want to know this?

Persons: aren’t, Alzheimer’s, Michael Racke, ”, there’s, Suzanne Schindler, St . Louis, That’s, ” Schindler, Racke, Meera Sheffrin, —, Rebecca Edelmayer, ” Edelmayer, Eric Widera, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Emily Largent, ’ ”, Munro Cullum Organizations: Health, Diagnostics, Alzheimer’s Association, Quest, University of Michigan, International Conference, Washington University School of Medicine, Senior, Stanford Healthcare, The University of Michigan, FDA, National Institute, Aging, University of California, Get CNN, CNN Health, University, Pennsylvania’s Perelman, of Medicine, HIPAA, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: U.S, San Diego, St ., United States, San Francisco

☆ Blood tests needed for widespread Alzheimer's diagnosis on the way
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Deena Beasley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Several Alzheimer's blood tests are in the works – and one is already being sold to consumers – but none have been established as accurate, formally approved by regulators or reimbursed by insurers. Researchers have been working for years on blood tests for Alzheimer's that can replicate these diagnostic tools. The need for blood tests has become more pressing since the FDA approved Leqembi in July. Accurate blood tests are expected to help identify which dementia patients actually have Alzheimer’s, the most common but not the only cause of dementia. "When there are widely available, scalable, sensitive and specific blood tests it will be an absolute game changer for Alzheimer's patients."

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Eli Lilly, Dr, Sarah Kremen, Eliezer Masliah, Eisai, Michael Irizarry, Roche, Bruce Jordan, Russ Paulsen, Deena Beasley, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Memory Centre, of Readaptation, University Hospital, REUTERS, FDA, Sinai Medical Center, Wednesday, Quest Diagnostics, National Institute, Aging, U.S . National Institutes of Health, C2N Diagnostics, Roche Diagnostics, Alzheimer's Association, RAND, Thomson Locations: Geneva, Switzerland, Leqembi, Eisai, Los Angeles, U.S

☆ Eli Lilly has spent years and billions of dollars in search of an effective Alzheimer's drug. But success is not all or nothing for the stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +22 min

Eli Lilly (LLY) has spent decades researching Alzheimer's disease without successfully bringing to market a treatment that slows the memory-destroying condition. For Eli Lilly as a company, an Alzheimer's drug is an important pursuit. Lilly's Alzheimer's history Eli Lilly's "first real foray" into Alzheimer's came in the 1990s, according to Dr. John Sims, Eli Lilly's head of medical development for donanemab. Financial implications for Lilly LLY mountain 2021-10-08 The Club started a new position in Eli Lilly (LLY) in October 2021. The Eli Lilly logo is shown on one of the company's offices in San Diego, California, September 17, 2020.

☆ What increasing confidence in Biogen's latest Alzheimer's drug means for Eli Lilly
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Donanemab is the name of Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug in its own late-stage trials. JPMorgan has a neutral (hold) rating on Biogen shares and an overweight (buy) rating on Eli Lilly shares. What it means for Eli Lilly Eli Lilly has a phase three trial underway for its donanemab Alzheimer's drug that is similar to lecanemab, which is why the Biogen-Eisai data has been interpreted as favorable for the Club holding. Clumps of the protein, known as amyloid plaques, are one of the key markers of Alzheimer's disease. Previous drugs developed around the a-beta hypothesis — including those from Eli Lilly — have failed to meaningfully delay the disease's progression.

☆ Secrets of ‘SuperAgers’ with superior memories into their 80s
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Siegler is a cognitive “SuperAger,” possessing a brain as sharp as people 20 to 30 years younger. She is part of an elite group enrolled in the Northwestern SuperAging Research Program, which has been studying the elderly with superior memories for 14 years. Once accepted, colorful 3D scans are taken of the brain and cognitive testing and brain scans are repeated every year or so. A SuperAger’s brain, usually donated to the research program by participants after death, also has bigger, healthier cells in the entorhinal cortex. SuperAger brains had three times fewer tau tangles, or abnormal formations of protein within nerve cells, than the brains of cognitively healthy controls, the study also found.

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