Posted by: Uticopa in Alzheimers on
Jul 14, 2009
Here are the headlines: Disaster looms unless new Alzheimer's drugs work, scientists warn. New drugs which slow the progress of Alzheimer's disease could be available in five years but Britain faces an "unmitigated disaster" if they fail to work, scientists have warned. In the meantime there are 700,000 people in the UK alone who suffer from some form of dementia and need help today, not in 5 years' time.
For those who are constantly searching for that elusive, simple way to help yourself at home, why not try the following.
Remember the acronym CAST (coffee, sudoku, turmeric). Each of these three things is available locally all year round. Here are the reasons why you should ‘partake' of all three as often as possible:
Posted by: Uticopa in Alzheimers on
Apr 20, 2009
Scientists are now saying that some of us will develop Alzheimer's disease in old age because our brains worked too hard when we were younger.
A study has found that in young people genetically predisposed to the degenerative disease, the brain's memory hub is hyperactive. This raises the possibility that some develop Alzheimer's because their memory is simply worn out.
The brain activity of young people with the common gene APOE4 - that can greatly increase the odds of Alzheimer's - was compared with to those without the APOE4 gene. The young volunteers did equally well on tasks which tested their general mental skills, but subsequent scans revealed the brains of those with the APOE4 gene worked harder when set a memory task, and also when at rest.
Posted by: Uticopa in Alzheimers on
Jan 30, 2009
When actor Kevin Whately proudly posed with his mother Mary for his graduation ceremony back in 1996, he couldn't have known the highs and lows of what the future held. Not only would he lose his screen partner, John Thaw, but witness the agonising years of his mother's decline through Alzheimer's.
The actor, best known for his role in the ITV drama Inspector Morse, and its spin-off series, Lewis, has recently revealed the harsh reality of caring for a loved one who is suffering from dementia.
The TV actor, who came to fame in the 1980s in the award-winning Auf Wiedersehn Pet, before becoming firmly lodged in the national conscience as the sidekick of Inspector Morse, was one of four children born to Mary Whately, now 82.
Mary was a grammar school teacher who was widowed at the age of 42. Kevin describes her as a "fiercely independent woman" who became angry as her memory began to fail seven years ago. Mrs Whately, who lived in Northumberland all her life and had hoped to die there, was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2003.
Posted by: Uticopa in Alzheimers on
Dec 05, 2008
A new claim by campaigners is gaining momentum in the media. They say that thousands of Alzheimer's patients could be suffering more than they should be. Why? In this age of more and more Britains living longer, combined with fewer of working age paying those vital N.I. contributions, has contributed to an NHS regime no longer able to afford vital services. So, cost-cutting measures are the order of the day - and it seems that dementia services are having to bear the brunt.
Campaigners say that one in three health trusts have actually been reduced, as have vital services such as district nurses and day centres. A survey published by the Alzheimer's Society is scathing. It found that two in five trusts actually fail to provide any services at all. So, what can be done?
The society's data records show as many as 700,000 people currently suffering from dementia in Britain with the number predicted to rise to one million within the next eighteen years.
