It has been noted, in recent years, that sports figures, such as boxers, football players, and soccer players, who are regularly hit in the head during their exploits, develop Alzheimer’s in their later years.  Floyd Patterson also developed Alzheimer’s disease.

See Related Posts:

Parents Beware!  Are You Setting Your Kids Up for Alzheimer’s!

Ex-NFL Players Suffering from Alzheimer’s Qualify for Assistance

The NFL, Concussions and Alzheimer’s Disease

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Boxer Ingemar Johanssen Dies of Alzheimer’s

When Liz Lewis co-blogged with me here at Alzheimer’s Notes, she offered a very informative feature concerning Alzheimer’s news around the world.  Since Liz lives in New Zealand and I live in the US, we automatically offered global views.  But Liz tried to find information from other countries, too.

Where Are You From?

I know this information was of interest to our readers, so I’ll start featuring it again.  I’d appreciate it if  you let me know which country you’re from so I can find something specifically for you. 

Do you have news you can share with us?

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Alzheimer’s News Around the World

Today, September 21, has been designated at World Alzheimer’s Day, when activities focus on world awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.  Various events, such as walkathons, workshops, get-togethers have as their goal…creating more awareness of this disease and the people who have been stricken with it. Ultimately this awareness should result in more research and recognition that with an increasing number of people reaching the “Alzheimer’s age,” we will see more need for care of those stricken and support for their families.

Here are some sites/blogs that give recognition to World Alzheimer’s Day.  Help spread the word yourself.

• At Minding Our Elders, Carol Bradley Bursack discusses World Alzheimer’s Day: Truly a Global Issue.
• Today is World Alzheimer’s Day at Healthy Aging
• Everyday Health has an Alzheimer’s Disease Center

Are there events in your area?  Are you doing something special today with your Alzheimer’s family member?  Share with us your thoughts and feelings.

(Amazon image; click here for details)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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World Alzheimer’s Day Today!

Study points to cocktail therapy for Alzheimer’s – “A dietary cocktail that includes a type of omega-3 fatty acid can improve memory and learning in gerbils, according to the latest study from MIT researchers that points to a possible beverage-based treatment for Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases…” (more)

Soy products may raise dementia risk: study – “Consumption of soy products like tofu may raise the risk of dementia, according to a new study from Britain and Indonesia…” (more)

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Alzheimer’s News From Around the World.

Drug for Alzheimer’s fails in late-stage trial – “A drug developed by Myriad Genetics to treat Alzheimer’s disease failed in a closely watched late-stage clinical trial, dealing another blow to efforts to combat the illness…” (more)

Facebook Concepts Indicate Brains Of Alzheimer’s Patients Aren’t As Networked, Stanford Study Shows – “This is your brain on Facebook. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine used concepts borrowed from the popular social networking site to analyze the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. They found that patients’ brains were less well-connected than the brains of people without the disorder…” (more)

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Alzheimer’s News From Around the World.

Antipsychotics Bring Little Long-Term Benefit in Alzheimer’s – “When an Alzheimer’s patient becomes suspicious of family and hostile or violent, medication may be indicated. Despite their side effects in this population, antipsychotics are the primary tools available for these symptoms…” (more)

Alzheimer’s less likely for men over 90 than women – “Men are much less likely than women to live into their 90s, but those who do have a much lower chance of having Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday…” (more)

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Alzheimer’s News From Around the World.

New study dismisses ginkgo biloba as Alzheimer’s treatment – “A study carried out by Imperial College London, has found that ginkgo biloba, which is marketed as an aid to memory, has no significant impact on mental function or quality of life…” (more)

Hope Mixes With Doubt For Alzheimer’s – “A promising new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease helped some patients but may have harmed others, according to a preliminary study of 240 patients released today by the drug’s makers…” (more)

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Alzheimer’s News From Around the World.

Likely Causative Gene For Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Discovered – “The genetic profile of two large Georgia families with high rates of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease points to a gene that may cause the disease, researchers say…” (more)

First Conclusive Evidence Of Alzheimer’s-Like Brain Tangles In Nonhuman Primates, Findings Could Pave Way For New Human Treatments – “Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have discovered the first conclusive evidence of Alzheimer’s-like neurofibrillary brain tangles in an aged nonhuman primate…” (more)

Seeing Alzheimer’s Amyloids – “In an important step toward demystifying the role protein clumps play in the development of neurodegenerative disease, researchers have created a stunning three-dimensional picture of an Alzheimer’s peptide aggregate using electron microscopy…” (more)

End-Stage Dementia Patients Deserve The Same Access To Palliative Care As People With Cancer - “There is an urgent need to improve end-of-life care for older people in the final stages of dementia, according to an international review published in the May issue of Journal of Clinical Nursing…” (more)

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Alzheimer’s News From Around the World.

Black, Hispanic Caregivers More Likely To Misinterpret Signs Of Alzheimer’s, Survey Finds – “Hispanic and black caregivers are more likely than other ethnic groups to misinterpret symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease as normal signs of aging, according to a recent survey by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America…” (more)

Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease by new drug to be possible in several years - “German scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden believe that they have created a drug that when injected into the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s disease reversed signs of the disease…” (more)

Study Details New Molecular Approach to Preventing Alzheimer’s – “German researchers are reporting a new approach to the possible prevention of the molecular “debris” that’s associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease…” (more)

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Alzheimer’s News From Around the World.

One study followed 917 retired Catholic priests and nuns. 190 of them developed Alzheimer’s disease and it appeared that those with symptoms of depression at the beginning of the study were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Lead researcher Dr Robert Wilson, a neuropsychologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, says

“What we think it suggests is that depression truly is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, and not simply a sign that the disease is developing.”

According to Wilson

“Our thinking is that depression somehow causes damage to part of the brain called the limbic system, and this is the part of the brain that Alzheimer’s disease preferentially attacks.”

A Dutch Study, also published Monday in Neurology, found that

“among the 134 of 503 people in the study who reported seeking help for depression, the risk of Alzheimer’s was 2.5 times higher than among those who were not depressed.”

But the researchers in this study are more cautious, saying

“We don’t know yet whether depression contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease or whether another unknown factor causes both depression and dementia.”

(source)

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Depression Increases Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.