News and features related to Alzheimer's

1. Omega-3 for Alzheimer's
   

   3rd May 2012 - A new study has found that people who eat foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, chicken and nuts, may also have lower levels in their blood of the protein beta-amyloid which is associated with Alzheimer's disease and memory problems. Around 820,000 people in the UK

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2. Active elderly people less likely to get dementia
   

   There's some good evidence that people who do regular exercise throughout life are less likely to get dementia when they're older. This may be because exercise keeps the blood circulation healthy, ensuring the brain gets a good supply of oxygen. However, most studies rely on what people say about ho

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3. Antipsychotics and heart attack risk in older people with dementia
   

   People with dementia often have symptoms that can affect their behaviour. Some people can become agitated, irritable, or aggressive. Some people have delusions (imagining things) or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there). Some doctors prescribe antipsychotics to people with deme

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4. Dementia research funding to double
   

   26th March 2012 - Government funding for research into dementia is to be more than doubled by 2015. Launching a "national challenge on dementia" the Prime Minister has set out plans to step up research into cures and treatments and to ensure that the health and social care systems can deal with the

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5. Benefits of taking Alzheimer's drugs for longer
   

   8th March 2012 - UK scientists have found that donepezil approved for use only in the mild-to-moderate stages of Alzheimer’s could benefit patients in the later stages of the disease. Donepezil (also known as Aricept) is prescribed to help maintain a higher level of function and is a type of treatme

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6. Dementia treatment: Risk of death depends on medication
   

   24th February 2012 - Nursing home residents over the age of 65 who take certain antipsychotic medications for dementia are at an increased risk of death, suggests a research paper published on bmj.com. Warnings about an increased risk of death in patients with dementia who take atypical antipsychoti

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7. Walking speed and grip strength may predict dementia and stroke risk
   

   Some studies have suggested that people who are frail, or who lack physical strength or mobility, have an increased risk of dementia when they are elderly, and brain scans have suggested they are more prone to brain damage that can lead to strokes. But we don’t know if these things can be used to pr

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8. Can ‘mental exercise’ make a difference in dementia?
   

   Researchers think that doing challenging mental tasks may be beneficial for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, as studies have suggested that activities which stimulate the mind help to slow mental decline. One common type of mental exercise for dementia is

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9. Overeating could double risk of memory loss
   

   13th February 2012 - New research suggests that eating between 2,100 and 6,000 calories per day may double the risk of memory loss, or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), among people age 70 and older. The new findings are due to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology i

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10. Mild memory loss more common in men than women
    

    Many people become more easily confused or forgetful as they get older. If these changes are more than would be expected with normal ageing, but don’t meet the criteria for dementia, doctors say a person has mild cognitive impairment. Although many people with mild cognitive impairment go on to deve

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