New Alzheimer's Drug Rember Hailed As Breakthrough | Health | Sky News: "Scientists have developed a drug that could prove twice as effective as current medicines in treating Alzheimer's."
All too late already for Gan Gan and anyone already diagnosed with Alzheimer's as further clinical tests are needed and it will be at least 4 years before the drug becomes available and it is likely to be used only on those in the early stages of Alzheimer's.
Stages of Alzheimer's: "Stages of Alzheimer's
Stage 1: No impairment
Stage 2: Very mild decline
Stage 3: Mild decline
Stage 4: Moderate decline (mild or early stage)
Stage 5: Moderately severe decline (moderate or mid-stage)
Stage 6: Severe decline (moderately severe or mid-stage)
Stage 7: Very severe decline (severe or late stage)"
The expert rolled out on the TV news reckoned the drug would be used before stage 4 is reached so early diagnosis will be even more crucial.
Extra Care Housing Enabling More Older People And Those With Dementia And Long-term Conditions To Live In A Home Of Their Own, UK: "Health and Care Minister Ivan Lewis today (Monday 21 July) announced the sites that will benefit from £80million of Government funding to build extra care housing, enabling more older people and those with dementia and long-term conditions to live in a home of their own...
People who are unable to continue to live in their own homes have traditionally had their choices limited to care homes, creating a number of problems including couples finding they can no longer live together.
Extra care housing gives people a home of their own where wide ranges of care and support services are provided on site. Tenants enjoy greater privacy, dignity and independence, couples can stay together, and social and leisure opportunities can be enjoyed at the resident's convenience. In addition, homeowners may be able to keep some of the equity in their property."
From our experience with Gan Gan extra care accommodation works really well for him and he now has severe dementia but appears most settled when in his apartment as compared to say the hospital or one of the family's houses when the change in surroundings makes him very agitated indeed. One of the saddest aspects of his decline is the inability to take pleasure from most everything apart from his cigaretts, it is a battle to get him to eat anything, he does not ask for a beer, cannot follow TV shows nor read his daily paper. So sad...
The Northern Echo :: News, Sport, Business and more from around the North East: "A MAN with an aggressive form of dementia has become the first person in the world to benefit from a revolutionary treatment developed by a North-East GP.
Three weeks after he flew to the UK to be treated using a prototype light-emitting helmet - invented by County Durham GP Dr Gordon Dougal - American Clem Fennell's family are amazed at the progress he has made..... In January, The Northern Echo broke the news that the North-East medic had developed a new way to combat dementia, a feared degenerative brain disease which affects millions of Britons.
In 2005 researchers at Sunderland University confirmed that infra-red light with a specific wavelength of 1072 nanometers has a measurable, positive effect on human immune cells, also known as lymphocytes, which play a vital role in the healing process.
"The great thing is that this treatment is non-invasive. It wouldn't do any harm," said Dr Dougal.
The Fennells have been told they can take the prototype helmet back to the US with them so they can continue the treatment at home.
Dr Dougal estimates that commercially available helmets, which include 700 LEDs, will cost about £10,000, but should last for years"
A heartbreaking first hand account of living with and caring for a partner with Alzheimers.
Dementia – a living death - Sunderland Echo: "It started with little things, like Audrey Shaw popping teabags in the kettle, and missing numbers on her bingo card.
'It was my friend who noticed it and said 'There's something wrong with Audrey. She's never missed a number before,'' says her husband of 47 years, Brian, who never realised it was the start of dementia and the heartbreak of his life."
For now gan gan is still back in his extra care apartment following the succesful hip replacement (needed because of a fall) but while in hospital he could not recognise the place as a hospital despite all the visual and other clues we all would process unthinkingly to call the place a hospital. He always seemed more comfortable in the apartment even if he did mistake for a station or a hotel at times..
This week however he seems ever more confused and insistent that he does not know where he is whereas before he would settle when his furniture etc was brought to his attention and told the name of the village and town but no more. it seems to be a long slow spiral always downwards and very had on all the family. Where it all will go next is anyones guess...
Newmarket Jackpot Tips: Working through the race card, tips will be online before the first race. Well worth having a go as there could be
a £1million jackpot to be won at Newmarket today as it was not won at Pontefract yesterday.
The rollover pool will start on £521,541 after £308,887 so the magic million is a real possibility today.
The totepool spokesman, Paul Petrie, stated: 'It is normal for the pools to double in size and with the quality of racing on show at Newmarket we would hope the jackpot would top the £1million mark.'"
Blood pressure link to dementia - Yahoo! News UK: "High blood pressure among the over 80s can increase their chances of dementia, a study has found.
The condition pressure is already associated with an increased risk of strokes and heart attacks.
And these new findings show lowering blood pressure among this elderly age group could cut their chances of dementia by 13 per cent.
Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: 'This is an exciting development, with the potential to enhance thousands of lives."
Thought today was going to be another jackpot winning day, close in the end but no big payout...
Sunday Racing Tips, Jackpot Placepot: "2.20 Jaconet WON 5/1, Mandalay King 3rd
2.50 Snow Bay WON 4/5
3.20 Border Fox, Papa’s Princess WON 10/1
3.50 Inner Voice 2nd
4.20 Imperial Sword, Oeuf A La Neige
4.50 Esoterica WON 10/3"
Latest news - Alzheimer's Research Trust: "Results from a large US study reveal that women aged 90+ are almost twice as likely to develop dementia than men.
Previous studies have shown that in men and women over the age of 65 the prevalence of dementia increases by 5% and doubles every 5 years thereafter. . .
This study revealed
that the prevalence of dementia kept on doubling in women aged over 90 but not in men of the same age. It allows us to look at the risk factors associated with dementia and whether they have a greater effect in women aged 90+ or if certain sex-specific risk factors are the cause.
This study also found that
women with higher education were less likely to develop dementia. So on one hand my risk of developing dementia is higher but negated by my having a degree...
BBC NEWS | Have Your Say | Tofu 'may raise risk of dementia': "Eating high levels of some soy products - including tofu - may raise the risk of memory loss, research suggests.
The study focused on 719 elderly Indonesians living in urban and rural regions of Java.
The researchers found high tofu consumption - at least once a day - was associated with worse memory, particularly among the over-68s.
The Loughborough University-led study features in the journal Dementias and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders...
Soy products are rich in micronutrients called phytoestrogens, which mimic the impact of the female sex hormone oestrogen.
There is some evidence that they may protect the brains of younger and middle-aged people from damage - but their effect on the ageing brain is less clear.
The latest study suggests phytoestrogens - in high quantity - may actually heighten the risk of dementia."
Does this mean I should stop using soya milk in my tea as I am dairy intolerent but love a good cuppa?
Simple questionnaire may identify dementia risk | Healthcare News:: "Simple questionnaire may identify dementia risk
A new questionnaire has been devised which can evaluate an older adult's basic mental functioning abilities, US scientists say.
The questionnaire assesses an individual's performance in everyday activities and is completed by someone who knows the person well, according to a report in the July issue of Neuropsychology, published by the American Psychological Association.
Any difficulties experienced in activities such as shopping without a list or following a conversation could signal the risk or presence of disease, researchers at the University of California suggest....In addition, given it was able to differentiate between normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and dementia, it offers great promise for detecting individuals who may be at increased risk of developing dementia, according to the researchers."
Hmm, why would someone who knows the person well be more able to give an objective answer to a question than the subject of the questionnaie themselves? Seems tobe stating the obvious and not much improvement on the mini memory test (Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE))
