Both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease affect the brain severely.  While they have strong genetic components, the question remains why these conditions are on the rise.  Certainly there must be some environmental factors involved. Well, researchers may have found at least part of the answer:  pesticides.  Pesticides have long been linked to dangerous health conditions, and now more research is pointing to how they are linked to both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The Parkinson’s research has been ongoing for the last thirty years when a pair of young adults came to the ER with Parkinson’s-like features.  Their bodies seemed “frozen” and not
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November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, a time when we think of those affected by the condition and of ways to prevent it in ourselves.  Doctors have recently come up with one more way to avoid an Alzheimer’s diagnosis:  Sleep. This new research has to do with Beta amyloid, plaque that is found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients.  And those seniors who are not getting enough sleep have more of it than those who sleep well. Does this mean that if you have insomnia that you are destined for dementia?  No.  But there does seem to be a link
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With Alzheimer’s disease affecting so many families, there is a great deal of information circulating about it.  There is also a great deal of misinformation.  It’s time to debunk some of these Alzheimer’s myths. 1. Myth: We know the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.  Although doctors have made huge strides in finding specifics of the condition, they have yet to find a definitive cause that links all of the cases. 2. Myth: Alzheimer’s disease is genetic.  Although we know that people with family members who have Alzheimer’s have a higher chance of being affected by the disease, it isn’t a sure thing.  It’s
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With one in eight older Americans affected by Alzheimer’s disease, doctors are working harder than ever to find a cure.  But with none yet in sight, we must for the time being concentrate on prevention. Luckily, there has been a large amount of research done on prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.  Researchers have arrived at six pillars to keep your brain healthy and reduce the risk of dementia. Get regular exercise.  Not only does exercise reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by fifty percent, it also slows the progression in those who are already affected.  Those are two good reasons
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