Guest View: US must rise to occasion in Alzheimer's research - SouthCoastToday.com

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div readability='8' class='noindex c8'><br /><p><span class='by'>By</span> <span class='byline'>GEORGE VRADENBURG</span> </p><br /><p><span>January 06, 2014 12:00 AM</span> </p><br /></div><br /><p class='articleGraf'><span>Recently, world leaders made a historic commitment to stop Alzheimer's and other dementia by 2025 at the G8 Dementia Summit convened by Prime Minister David Cameron in London.</span> </p><br /><p class='articleGraf'><span>The question moving forward will be whether the United States — the leader in biomedical research and drug development — leads this effort or sits in the backseat while others take the wheel. With 44 million people worldwide suffering from dementia — a number projected to triple to 135 million by 2050 — it's clear that the latter is not an option.</span> </p><br /><p class='articleGraf'><span>The truth is that while no one country can stop Alzheimer's, only the United States has the resources and position to lead the mobilization of a globally coordinated counter-offensive against the international health crisis of our time. We set the standard for the global response to HIV/AIDS, we can and should do it for the greatest unaddressed health need of this century.</span> </p><br /><p class='articleGraf'><span>This speaks to the need for the Obama administration and Congress to act swiftly and set the wheels in motion in the global "fight-back" against Alzheimer's. And make no mistake, time is running out. By 2050, Alzheimer's alone will cost the U.S. a staggering $1.2 trillion annually, which leaves us with a choice: Invest now or continue to pay staggering costs of care later.</span> </p><br /><p class='articleGraf'><span>Currently, the U.S. only spends about $500 million annually on Alzheimer's research, less than one-half percent of the cost of care. If we are to have even a shot at stopping Alzheimer's, it will require the U.S. and other nations to commit to at least 1 percent of the cost of care to research. Beyond this, we'll also need to advance new and innovative financing mechanisms that diversify our funding portfolio, and create new technology tools and processes to accelerate scientific discovery and drug development.</span> </p><br /><p class='articleGraf'><span>But funding isn't the only roadblock to 2025. The absence of international norms on Alzheimer's discovery and care delivery is also at the root of many of our problems. For instance, of the 5.2 million people living with Alzheimer's in the U.S., an estimated less than 1 percent participate in Alzheimer's clinical trials. This is simply inexcusable. The United Kingdom is at 5 percent and is targeting a goal of 10 percent by 2015. Moreover, diagnosis rates in the U.S. are estimated at 50 percent; Scotland is at 64 percent.</span> </p><br /><p class='articleGraf'><span>We can begin to change this, however, by establishing internationally accepted norms by which we rank countries' performance in addressing Alzheimer's, similar to the way we already rank nations' proficiency in math or sciences. This will help to introduce a much-needed sense of urgency and accountability for Alzheimer's efforts, and a system from which low-performing nations can learn from high-performing nations, and in turn, raise the level of every nation's game. For example, were we to learn from the UK and set a goal of committing to enroll 10 percent of our population that suffers from Alzheimer's in clinical trials, we could enlist an army of citizen scientists to accelerate the testing of new methods of Alzheimer's prevention and treatment. Were we to raise our diagnosis rates, we would be better able to determine who needs and how to deliver dementia care.</span> </p><br /><p class='articleGraf'><span>Increasing enrollment in clinical trials is important; so is the creation of a global clinical trial platform and fast read-out biomarkers that shorten the time and risk of getting candidate therapies to market. Such a platform would standardize how patient data is collected and shared across the globe, as well as bring crowd-sourcing and big data to the fight against Alzheimer's.</span> </p><br /><p class='articleGraf'><span>On top of this, we'll also need consistent international regulatory policies that put candidate treatments for Alzheimer's in the fast lane in Europe, the U.S. and Asia.</span> </p><br /><p class='articleGraf'><span>Central themes of all of these measures are common goals and collaboration. Without both, we won't stand a chance against this disease, and tens of millions of families around the world will suffer the consequences for decades. Yet in order to collaborate, we need leadership to bring us all together with vision, resolve and hope — that is the role and responsibility of the United States.</span> </p><br /><p class='articleGraf'><span>Now is the time for the United States to seize this historic opportunity and mobilize the world in the fight against a horrific epidemic that stands to destroy families and shake the financial stability of the planet.</span> </p><br /><span><br/> </span><br /><div id='ReaderReaction' class='noindex'><span class='readerWarning'>We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the <a id='readabilityLink-1' name='readabilityLink-1' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' target='_blank' href='http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/static/communityRules.htm'>Community Rules</a>. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or <strong><a id='readabilityLink-2' name='readabilityLink-2' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' class='limelightBox' href='http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/static/forms/abuseForm2.htm'>fill out this form</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-2'><small>^[2] </small> </a> </strong>. <strong>New comments are only accepted for two weeks from the date of publication.</strong><br/><br />Not sure how to add your comment? <a id='readabilityLink-3' name='readabilityLink-3' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' target='_blank' href='http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/static/communityHelp.htm'>Here's how</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-1'><small>^[1] </small> </a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-3'><small>^[3] </small> </a> </span> </div><br /><div id='readability-footnotes'><br /><h3>References</h3><br /><ol id='readability-footnotes-list'><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-1'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' target='_blank' href='http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/static/communityRules.htm'>Community Rules</a> <small>(www.southcoasttoday.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-2'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-2' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-2' class='limelightBox' href='http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/static/forms/abuseForm2.htm'>fill out this form</a> <small>(www.southcoasttoday.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-3'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-3' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-3' target='_blank' href='http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/static/communityHelp.htm'>Here's how</a> <small>(www.southcoasttoday.com)</small> </li><br /></ol><br /></div><br /></div>

Guest View: US must rise to occasion in Alzheimer's research - SouthCoastToday.com

By GEORGE VRADENBURG January 06, 2014 12:00 AM Recently, world leaders made a historic commitment to stop Alzheimer's and other demen...

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Vitamin E may slow Alzheimer's disease progression - Daily Local News

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease — the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage.</p><br /><p>In a study of more than 600 older veterans, high doses of the vitamin delayed the decline in daily living skills, such as making meals, getting dressed and holding a conversation, by about six months over a two-year period.</p><br /><p>The benefit was equivalent to keeping one major skill that otherwise would have been lost, such as being able to bathe without help. For some people, that could mean living independently rather than needing a nursing home.</p><br /><p>Vitamin E did not preserve thinking abilities, though, and it did no good for patients who took it with another Alzheimer’s medication. But those taking vitamin E alone required less help from caregivers — about two fewer hours each day than some others in the study.</p><br /><p>“It’s not a miracle or, obviously, a cure,” said study leader Dr. Maurice Dysken of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. “The best we can do at this point is slow down the rate of progression.”</p><br /><p>The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sponsored the study, published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.</p><br /><p>No one should rush out and buy vitamin E, several doctors warned. It failed to prevent healthy people from developing dementia or to help those with mild impairment (“pre-Alzheimer’s”) in other studies, and one suggested it might even be harmful.</p><br /><p>Still, many experts cheered the new results after so many recent flops of once-promising drugs.</p><br /><p>“This is truly a breakthrough paper and constitutes what we have been working toward for nearly three decades: the first truly disease-modifying intervention for Alzheimer’s,” said Dr. Sam Gandy of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. “I am very enthusiastic about the results.”</p><br /><p>About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer’s is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5 million have Alzheimer’s. There is no cure and current medicines just temporarily ease symptoms.</p><br /><p>Researchers don’t know how vitamin E might help, but it is an antioxidant, like those found in red wine, grapes and some teas. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage that can contribute to other diseases, says the federal Office on Dietary Supplements. Many foods contain vitamin E, such as nuts, seeds, grains, leafy greens and vegetable oils. There are many forms, and the study tested a synthetic version of one — alpha-tocopherol — at a pharmaceutical grade and strength, 2,000 international units a day.</p><br /><p>Years ago, another study found that the same form and dose helped people with more advanced Alzheimer’s, and many were prescribed it. But vitamin E fell out of favor after a 2005 analysis of many studies found that those taking more than 400 units a day were more likely to die of any cause.</p><br /><p>The new study involved 613 veterans, nearly all male, 79 years old on average, with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s, at 14 VA centers. All were already taking Aricept, Razadyne or Exelon — widely used, similar dementia medicines.</p><br /><p>Participants were placed in four groups and given either vitamin E, another dementia medicine called memantine (its brand name is Namenda), both pills or dummy pills.</p><br /><p>After a little more than two years of follow-up, those on vitamin E alone had a 19 percent lower annual rate of decline in daily living skills compared to the placebo group. Memantine made no difference, and vitamin E did not affect several tests of thinking skills.</p><br /><p>“It’s a subtle effect but it’s probably real,” Dr. Ron Petersen, the Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s research chief, said of the benefit on daily living from vitamin E. “That has to be weighed against the potential risks” seen in earlier studies, he said.</p><br /><p>Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer’s Association, said the group’s position is that “no one should take vitamin E for Alzheimer’s disease or other memory issues except under the supervision of a physician,” because it can interfere with blood thinners, cholesterol drugs and other medicines.</p><br /><p>The new results also need to be verified in a fresh study that includes more women and minorities, she said.</p><br /></div>

Vitamin E may slow Alzheimer's disease progression - Daily Local News

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease — the first time any treatment has been shown t...

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Alzheimer's Disease and Vitamin E: Prevention Method Not Yet Proven - Guardian Liberty Voice

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p class='c4'><a rel='attachment wp-att-194132' href='http://guardianlv.com/2014/01/dementia-is-not-yet-proven/alzhaimer_care/'><img alt="Alzheimer's" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-194132" height="433" src="http://guardianlv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/alzhaimer_care-650x433.jpg" title="Alzheimer's Disease and Vitamin E: Prevention Method Not Yet Proven" width="650"/> </a>The slow demise of a beloved family member or friend is always a painful process to watch, and any report of medical breakthroughs in slowing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is certainly well received by the public. Each new release of the medical profession’s progress to halt or potentially cure the disease creates a great deal of interest by the media and can be hailed as a success story, but this is not always the whole story and reports can lead to conflicting information.</p><br /><p>The new report that Vitamin E can help ease the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease enough to relieve some of the responsibilities of care takers to patients is certainly of interest. The report was published in the online review Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) however, a membership to the service is required to read the to read the full report.</p><br /><p>In the JAMA report, simple tasks such as washing or dressing remained a self-controlled task in patients’ daily rituals over a longer term when these sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease took elevated doses of vitamin E. Subjects of the study received one treatment of medication out of four options during the course of two years. Two of the options included the vitamin E. Those who took extra vitamin E as part of the treatment had the most encouraging results.</p><br /><p>Whether taking such a continual dose of vitamin E is advisable for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease is not yet known for certain. Allowing a high quantity of vitamin E supplements into a diet may lead to harmful side effects such as bleeding, notably bleeding in the brain, and high doses of vitamin E has been reported as potentially causing of some forms of cancer such as prostate cancer.</p><br /><p>The widespread belief that the taking of “natural” vitamin supplements can assist in generating health benefits either as a preventive measure or as a form of treatment is up to some contention. Recent reports reveal that taking a wide variety vitamin supplements on a daily basis may not offer any health benefits and may be the cause of health deterioration.</p><br /><p>Whether or not one believes that vitamin supplements can boost the immune system, most physicians, as well as a source at an Alzheimer’s charity, recommend that a healthy individual eat a varied diet with plenty of fruits, grains and vegetables and get enough exercise. Likewise, mental stimulation is also an important part of an overall quality of health. A study reported that people who kept their brain active into old age had a cognitive decline estimated at 15 percent lower than those who did not engage in reading and puzzle solving. The conclusion of the findings was that what a person does during the course of the lifetime when it came to mental stimulation can affect the rate of the onset of dementia.</p><br /><p>It is also important to note that while dementia is a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, they are not the same thing. Dementia can be caused by several different factors related to aging or illness, but Alzheimer’s is a disease unto itself, and dementia often appears as an indicator.</p><br /><p>For patients under medical supervision, a vitamin supplement may be prescribed as part of their treatment, otherwise it is always a better idea to consult with a doctor first before deciding on or when planning to take a vitamin supplement.</p><br /><p>By Persephone Abbott</p><br /><p>Sources</p><br /><p><a id='readabilityLink-1' name='readabilityLink-1' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' target='_blank' href='http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002406.htm'>NLM Nih</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-1'><small>^[1] </small> </a> </p><br /><p><a id='readabilityLink-2' name='readabilityLink-2' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' target='_blank' href='http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/01/01/researchers-say-vitamin-e-may-slow-spread-mild-to-moderate-alzheimer-disease/' title='Researchers say Vitamin E may slow spread of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease'>Fox News</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-2'><small>^[2] </small> </a> </p><br /><p><a id='readabilityLink-3' name='readabilityLink-3' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' target='_blank' href='http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/vitamin-e-may-help-slow-down-onset-of-dementia-9031900.html' title='Vitamin E 'may help slow down onset of dementia''>The Independent</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-3'><small>^[3] </small> </a> </p><br /><div data-name='like-post-frame-33247223-194130-52ca41664ef9f' data-src='//widgets.wp.com/likes/#blog_id=33247223&post_id=194130&origin=guardianlv.com&obj_id=33247223-194130-52ca41664ef9f' id='like-post-wrapper-33247223-194130-52ca41664ef9f' class='sharedaddy sd-block sd-like jetpack-likes-widget-wrapper jetpack-likes-widget-unloaded'><br /><h3 class='sd-title'>Like this:</h3><br /><p><span class='button'>Like</span> <span class='loading'>Loading...</span> </p><br /><a class='sd-link-color'> </a> </div><br /><div id='readability-footnotes'><br /><h3>References</h3><br /><ol id='readability-footnotes-list'><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-1'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' target='_blank' href='http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002406.htm'>NLM Nih</a> <small>(www.nlm.nih.gov)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-2'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-2' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-2' target='_blank' href='http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/01/01/researchers-say-vitamin-e-may-slow-spread-mild-to-moderate-alzheimer-disease/' title='Researchers say Vitamin E may slow spread of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease'>Researchers say Vitamin E may slow spread of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease</a> <small>(www.foxnews.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-3'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-3' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-3' target='_blank' href='http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/vitamin-e-may-help-slow-down-onset-of-dementia-9031900.html' title='Vitamin E 'may help slow down onset of dementia''>Vitamin E 'may help slow down onset of dementia'</a> <small>(www.independent.co.uk)</small> </li><br /></ol><br /></div><br /></div>

Alzheimer's Disease and Vitamin E: Prevention Method Not Yet Proven - Guardian Liberty Voice

The slow demise of a beloved family member or friend is always a painful process to watch, and any report of medical breakthroughs in slowi...

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Alzheimer's group sees success with art therapy programs - Tulsa World

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div class='content'><br /><p><span class='paragraph-0'>Carol Morris dips a brush in the shiny dollop of bright blue paint and tentatively swabs it onto the sheet of clear plastic in front of her.</span> </p><br /><p><span class='paragraph-1'>Her eyes narrow as she carefully sets the brush along the outline of the candy cane that has been traced onto the plastic, and paints a swath of blue.</span> </p><br /><p>It is obvious — even to the casual observer — that Morris is not greatly pleased with what she sees. But she loads her brush with more blue paint and applies another patch of color.</p><br /><p>"Maybe you should use a different color for that section," said Sharon Goforth, indicating the small paper-plate palette that has circles of red, white, green and yellow paint, as well as blue.</p><br /><p>Morris starts to dip her blue-saturated brush into the glob of green, but Goforth suggests that red would be a better choice.</p><br /><p>"That way, you'd have purple," she said.</p><br /><p>True enough, but this change still doesn't sit well with Morris. Finally, she pushes her half-completed painting aside.</p><br /><p>"I don't want to do this today," Morris said. She looks down at the image of the candy cane, and said, "This looks like a snake to me. And I don't like snakes."</p><br /><p>So Morris watches, closely, as Goforth helps finish the painting. And when Goforth holds up the painting, so that the light from the window streams through it, as if it were made of stained glass, Morris acknowledges the effort and the results with a small smile and a satisfied nod.</p><br /><p>Morris is one of nine people, each of them living with some degree of Alzheimer's disease, who are taking part this Tuesday morning in a program offered through the Oklahoma chapter of the Alzheimer's Association in cooperation with local arts organizations.</p><br /><p>"It's inspired by a program called Drawing on Memories, that the Museum of Modern Art in New York started years ago," said Ronda Roberts, programs manager for the Alzheimer's Association in Tulsa. "We try to provide them with a complete artistic experience, from learning about a specific piece of art to creating something of their own."</p><br /><p>The program provides a number of potential benefits, Roberts said.</p><br /><p>"It can give those who might not be able to communicate verbally a way to connect with others," she said. "It can really elevate some people's mood, to be in a friendly environment, to be able to focus on making something.</p><br /><p>"And it often can help spark a memory of good times in that individual's past," Roberts said.</p><br /><p>The program is offered the second Tuesday of the month at Gilcrease Museum, though the snowstorm in early December forced that session to be canceled.</p><br /><p>But the third Tuesday of the month, which is when the program is presented at Philbrook, was clear, if still a bit chilly.</p><br /><p>"Most of the people attending today are from Inverness Village," Roberts said. "But we have people from other centers take part, as well as people who are on their own. They all come with their caretakers or family members, all of whom can take part in the art-making process.</p><br /><p>"In fact," she said, laughing, "my staff members love coming on these events because we get to make things, too."</p><br /><p>The Philbrook program is led by teaching artist Andrea Wamble, who for this session begins with a brief talk about one of the works in the museum's current exhibit, "Collective Future."</p><br /><p>It's a painting titled "The Blizzard" by Barbara Lathem, which portrays a woman in a shawl, looking out a window. Wamble talks about the medium Lathem used, egg tempura, which allows the artist to create thin, almost transparent layers of color.</p><br /><p>All that leads to this week's project, done in the museum's lower-level art studios — making a "stained glass" painting of a holiday image, by tracing the image onto a sheet of clear plastic, then painting over it.</p><br /><p>When Wamble holds up a prototype image to the window, Dorothy Swearingen exclaims, "Oh, that's pretty!"</p><br /><p>When it comes time to make her own painting, Swearingen tries to follow Wamble's example closely — even if she has a bit of trouble at first with putting down random dots of white to simulate snowflakes.</p><br /><p>When one of the caretakers demonstrates, Swearingen beams. "Oh, yes, that's VERY pretty!" And soon, snowflakes begin to fill the area around the large star at the center of her painting.</p><br /><p>"This is my favorite thing I do here," said Wamble, who has been guiding these sessions for about three years. "I look forward to it every month. We have a lot of people who come back each month. Dorothy has been coming for about a year, for example, and she's just a treat to work with. In a way, this group is getting to be a little like a family to me."</p><br /><p>Louise Higgs, the teaching artist who leads the program at Gilcrease Museum, follows a similar formula — using an image from the collection as the starting point for the hands-on project that will follow.</p><br /><p>"It's really so much fun to be a part of this, because the people who take part are some of the most receptive people I've ever worked with," she said. "Even if they have trouble communicating, they understand a great deal about what is going on around them."</p><br /><p>The art projects the participants do vary from different types of painting to creating rudimentary sculptures. Still, Higgs and Wamble agree, it is important to have a starting point.</p><br /><p>"Just to give them a blank page can be intimidating — and not just for those dealing with Alzheimer's," Higgs said. "So I always try to have projects where the first step is already done. That gives them a goal to reach in the time we have."</p><br /><p>Higgs said she can tell that some of the people who take part in these activities have a natural ability to paint or draw or sculpt.</p><br /><p>"That's what's interesting to me," she said. "It's as if they are accessing a different part of their brain to do this, a part that hasn't been affected by the disease. You can see their personality really come through in the way they make this little work of art."</p><br /><p>James D. Watts Jr. 918-581-8478</p><br /><p><a id='readabilityLink-1' name='readabilityLink-1' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' href='mailto:james.watts@tulsaworld.com'>james.watts@tulsaworld.com</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-1'><small>^[1] </small> </a> </p><br /></div><br /><div id='readability-footnotes'><br /><h3>References</h3><br /><ol id='readability-footnotes-list'><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-1'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' href='mailto:james.watts@tulsaworld.com'>james.watts@tulsaworld.com</a> <small>(www.tulsaworld.com)</small> </li><br /></ol><br /></div><br /></div>

Alzheimer's group sees success with art therapy programs - Tulsa World

Carol Morris dips a brush in the shiny dollop of bright blue paint and tentatively swabs it onto the sheet of clear plastic in front of her....

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Study: Mexican Americans develop problems that could lead to Alzheimer's 10 ... - The Seattle Times

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>AUSTIN, Texas — New research suggests Mexican Americans might develop memory problems that could lead to Alzheimer’s disease as much as a decade earlier than non-Hispanics.</p><br /><p>If the work is confirmed by additional studies, Mexican Americans with mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, could be identified earlier and put into treatment sooner, said Sid O’Bryant, the study’s leader.</p><br /><p>His team has done other work that suggests Mexican Americans get MCI earlier, but “I would never have expected there to be that much of an age difference,” said O’Bryant, an associate professor and interim director of the Institute for Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Research at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.</p><br /><p>Little research has been done on MCI and Mexican Americans, who make up 65 percent of the nation’s Hispanic population. The study — recently published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia — included researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio.</p><br /><p>Researchers not affiliated with the study called it a good first step but said larger groups from the general population need to be studied over time to verify the stark difference in MCI onset age and the reasons for it.</p><br /><p>O’Bryant’s team looked at two groups of Mexican Americans in Texas who were taking part in either a community-based or a clinical study of mental aging. Those in the clinical group already were having memory problems.</p><br /><p>Studying such groups, which is common in research, limits the ability to draw conclusions to the population at large, said Mary Haan, a biostatistics and epidemiology professor at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.</p><br /><p>Haan has studied cognitive impairment in older Mexican Americans in Sacramento, Calif., and found that they have an earlier onset of certain chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, she said. Those conditions are risk factors for dementia, so “It’s reasonable to think they might have an earlier onset” of MCI as well, she said.</p><br /><p>O’Bryant’s team also saw a similar early onset of diabetes: at an average age of 48 for Mexican Americans and 57 for non-Hispanics, according to the study. His group suspects that depression, education level and metabolic dysfunction, which can include diabetes, are risk factors for Mexican-Americans who develop cognitive impairment.</p><br /><p>Understanding those risks is fertile ground for future research, O’Bryant said, and a key to finding treatments.</p><br /><p>“He’s at the beginning of a process that could go on for many years,” said Dallas Anderson, program director in epidemiology at the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, which provided some funding for the study. “We need to be like detectives to get to the bottom of it.”</p><br /><p>Scientists are eager to find treatments that can prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. Of the medicines in use today, some may help lessen severity of symptoms, such as memory loss and confusion, but for a limited time, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.</p><br /><p>More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, costing society $203 billion, the association says. That cost is expected to rise to $1.2 trillion by 2050.</p><br /><p>Hispanics are believed to be 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanic whites to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to the association, but are often diagnosed later and cared for by their families.</p><br /><p>“If you can find a treatment to delay someone from getting the disease by five years, you cut the prevalence of the disease in half because people die of other things, which, in my opinion, is a blessing,” O’Bryant said.</p><br /><br/></div>

Study: Mexican Americans develop problems that could lead to Alzheimer's 10 ... - The Seattle Times

AUSTIN, Texas — New research suggests Mexican Americans might develop memory problems that could lead to Alzheimer’s disease as much as a de...

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Editorial: Alzheimer's hope - Ocala

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>When the Group of 8 economic forum set an international goal this month to conquer Alzheimer's disease by 2025, it may have sounded too ambitious. The dementia-type illness, after all, is so prevalent that nearly half of the 85-and-older population have it — presenting a huge personal, familial and global challenge.</p><p>Still, the very act of setting this goal energizes the quest for better diagnostic tools and even a cure.</p><p>As humanity has learned from the fights against cancer and AIDS, we can tame health scourges if we put all our minds — and considerable money — to the effort. HIV and cancer were once inexorable killers. They remain formidable diagnoses today, yet millions of people survive them thanks to hard-won, near-miraculous medical advancements.</p><p>The world must demand the same high-priority effort against Alzheimer's, whose shadow looms larger and larger as the population ages.</p><p>In retiree-laden communities like Marion County, Alzheimer's is a visible intruder in thousands of households, diminishing the gift of longer lifespans. In a progression that can last a decade or more, dementia's memory-demolishing effects gradually incapacitate patients and steal quality of life from their families, too. From caregiving to assisted-living and nursing-home facilities, the community struggles to meet the need for Alzheimer's-related services.</p><p>Medically, emotionally and socially, it is a difficult, costly and long-term problem. As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notes, "Individuals with Alzheimer's disease use a disproportionate amount of health care resources; for instance, they are hospitalized 2-3 times as often as people the same age who do not have the disease."</p><p>Research is underway around the world, but breakthroughs are elusive. Despite Alzheimer's prevalence, scientists aren't sure how it begins or how to stop it.</p><p>Many believe that the resulting cognitive decline is due to nerve damage from protein plaque and tangles in the brain, but no easy, definitive tests exist to diagnose it. There is a risk association between head injuries and later dementia, but researchers aren't sure why. Several drugs developed for Alzheimer's have troubling side effects and offer benefits that are largely temporary.</p><p>Clearly, Alzheimer's is a subject that cries out for top-priority research and the funding to conduct it. The United States has had some success in that regard. Under legislation signed in 2011, a national plan to address Alzheimer's and dementia was initiated. It includes the 2025 goal, as well as increased research funding and other strategies, but it's a work in progress. (Read about it at http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/napa/natlplan.shtml.)</p><p>Increasingly, other nations are recognizing that Alzheimer's is their problem, too. December's summit meeting of the G8 (France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada), focused an even stronger spotlight on the issue. Also helping was Britain's recent pledge to double dementia-research funding by 2025.</p><p>Ambitious though it is, the 2025 Alzheimer's goal is a vital one. This is an illness that attacks the front of the human spirit — the brain. Fittingly, that same asset is our best tool to find the best ways to fight back.</p></div>

Editorial: Alzheimer's hope - Ocala

<p>When the Group of 8 economic forum set an international goal this month to conquer Alzheimer's disease by 2025, it may have sou...

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There is hope on Alzheimer's front - Fond du Lac Reporter

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div readability='109' id='GPage1'><br /><p>Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease — the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage.</p><br /><p>In a study of more than 600 older veterans, high doses of the vitamin delayed the decline in daily living skills, such as making meals, getting dressed and holding a conversation, by about six months over a two-year period.</p><br /><p>The benefit was equivalent to keeping one major skill that otherwise would have been lost, such as being able to bathe without help. For some people, that could mean living independently rather than needing a nursing home.</p><br /><p>Vitamin E did not preserve thinking abilities, though, and it did no good for patients who took it with another Alzheimer’s medication. But those taking vitamin E alone required less help from caregivers — about two fewer hours each day than some others in the study.</p><br /><p>“It’s not a miracle or, obviously, a cure,” said study leader Dr. Maurice Dysken of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. “The best we can do at this point is slow down the rate of progression.”</p><br /><p>The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sponsored the study, published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.</p><br /><p>No one should rush out and buy vitamin E, several doctors warned. It failed to prevent healthy people from developing dementia or to help those with mild impairment (”pre-Alzheimer’s”) in other studies, and one suggested it might even be harmful.</p><br /><p>Still, many experts cheered the new results after so many recent flops of once-promising drugs.</p><br /><p>“This is truly a breakthrough paper and constitutes what we have been working toward for nearly three decades: the first truly disease-modifying intervention for Alzheimer’s,” said Dr. Sam Gandy of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. “I am very enthusiastic about the results.”</p><br /><p>About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer’s is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5 million have Alzheimer’s. There is no cure and current medicines just temporarily ease symptoms.</p><br /></div><br /><div readability='119' id='GPage2'><br /><p>(Page 2 of 2)</p><br /><p>Researchers don’t know how vitamin E might help, but it is an antioxidant, like those found in red wine, grapes and some teas. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage that can contribute to other diseases, says the federal Office on Dietary Supplements. Many foods contain vitamin E, such as nuts, seeds, grains, leafy greens and vegetable oils. There are many forms, and the study tested a synthetic version of one — alpha-tocopherol — at a pharmaceutical grade and strength, 2,000 international units a day.</p><br /><p>Years ago, another study found that the same form and dose helped people with more advanced Alzheimer’s, and many were prescribed it. But vitamin E fell out of favor after a 2005 analysis of many studies found that those taking more than 400 units a day were more likely to die of any cause.</p><br /><p>The new study involved 613 veterans, nearly all male, 79 years old on average, with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s, at 14 VA centers. All were already taking Aricept, Razadyne or Exelon — widely used, similar dementia medicines.</p><br /><p>Participants were placed in four groups and given either vitamin E, another dementia medicine called memantine (its brand name is Namenda), both pills or dummy pills.</p><br /><p>After a little more than two years of follow-up, those on vitamin E alone had a 19 percent lower annual rate of decline in daily living skills compared to the placebo group. Memantine made no difference, and vitamin E did not affect several tests of thinking skills.</p><br /><p>“It’s a subtle effect but it’s probably real,” Dr. Ron Petersen, the Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s research chief, said of the benefit on daily living from vitamin E. “That has to be weighed against the potential risks” seen in earlier studies, he said.</p><br /><p>Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer’s Association, said the group’s position is that “no one should take vitamin E for Alzheimer’s disease or other memory issues except under the supervision of a physician,” because it can interfere with blood thinners, cholesterol drugs and other medicines.</p><br /><p>The new results also need to be verified in a fresh study that includes more women and minorities, she said.</p><br /></div><br /></div>

There is hope on Alzheimer's front - Fond du Lac Reporter

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease — the first time any treatment has been shown t...

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High dose vitamin E may help delay Alzheimer's disease - VOXXI

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div readability='32' class='wp-caption aligncenter c1' id='attachment_259815'><br /><p><img alt="Taking vitamins may not be beneficial. " class="size-full wp-image-259815" height="401" src="http://ionevoxxi.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/vitamin-e.jpg?w=600&h=401" title="Vitamin E for Alzheimer's Disease" width="600"/> </p><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>Taking high dose vitamin E may delay Alzheimer’s disease. (Shutterstock)</p><br /></div><br /><p>While the verdict on multivitamins may not support their use for everyday disease prevention according to the most recent studies, some vitamins, especially at experimental dosages <em>do</em> have a benefit–or detriment–to the body. Such is the case with vitamin E, a supplement often touted as beneficial for skin-related issues. Now research suggests there may be another application for vitamin E: to delay Alzheimer’s disease.</p><br /><p>When given a pharmacological, or higher-than-average, dose of the vitamin, individuals already showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease experienced slower declines in thinking and memory and required less caregiver time than those taking a placebo. The <a id='readabilityLink-1' name='readabilityLink-1' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' target='_blank' href='http://voxxi.com/2012/07/22/vitamin-e-liver-cancer/'>vitamin E</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-1'><small>^[1] </small> </a>was not found, however, to treat the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease, and experts cautioned use of the vitamin could not be compared to a cure.</p><br /><blockquote readability='9.46360153257'><br /><p>“We found vitamin E significantly slowed the rate of progression versus placebo,” study author Dr. Maurice Dysken, who is with the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, said as reported by <a id='readabilityLink-2' name='readabilityLink-2' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' href='http://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/vitamin-and-mineral-news-698/daily-high-dose-vitamin-e-may-delay-alzheimer-s-683455.html'>HealthDay News</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-2'><small>^[2] </small> </a>.</p><br /></blockquote><br /><p>Overall, those study participants taking only vitamin E during the research experienced an average six month delayed Alzheimer’s disease progression compared to other individuals being tracked. Those who took vitamin E alone experienced a 19 percent reduction in their annual rate of decline when compared to the group taking the placebo medication.</p><br /><p>Individuals taking the high-dose vitamin E also required an average of two hours less a day in regards to supportive care, an important aspect of daily life for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, over a 40-year period, treatment of Alzheimer’s disease <a id='readabilityLink-3' name='readabilityLink-3' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' href='http://voxxi.com/2013/04/04/alzheimers-disease-expensive-cancer/'>will cost</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-3'><small>^[3] </small> </a> the United States alone more than $20 trillion.</p><br /><blockquote readability='11.6571428571'><br /><p>“We know that Alzheimer’s disease is not just ‘a little memory loss’- it is a national crisis that grows worse by the day,” said Harry Johns, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, in <a id='readabilityLink-4' name='readabilityLink-4' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' href='http://www.alz.org/documents_custom/final_trajectory_report_release-emb_5-11-10.pdf'>a statement</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-4'><small>^[4] </small> </a>. “Alzheimer’s not only poses a significant threat to millions of families, but also drives tremendous costs for government programs like Medicare and Medicaid.”</p><br /></blockquote><br /><div readability='32' class='wp-caption alignright c2' id='attachment_259816'><br /><p><img alt="Quality elder care is important." class="size-full wp-image-259816" height="200" src="http://ionevoxxi.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/eldery.jpg?w=300&h=200" title="Nursing home" width="300"/> </p><br /><p class='wp-caption-text'>1 in 3 seniors will die with a dementia-like disease. (Shutterstock)</p><br /></div><br /><p>While there was some improvement seen with vitamin E at a high dose to delay Alzheimer’s disease, and no increased mortality risk was seen, experts caution such treatment should not be undertaken without a doctor’s supervision. Vitamin E has the potential, especially at high dosage, to interact with other medications like blood thinners and cholesterol drugs.</p><br /><p>What’s more, while the research indicates vitamin E at a high-dose should be safe for to delay Alzheimer’s disease, no causative reason was identified, meaning study authors are unsure just <em>how</em> vitamin E affects the brain’s degenerative process. At best, the results of the research may be used to help develop more complete treatment and preventative therapies for those at-risk for Alzheimer’s disease.</p><br /><p>“This is an excellent trial, and it points out the limitations of finding ways to treat the disease,” Dr. Denis Evans, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said in an editorial accompanying the research. “It’s a reasonable argument for putting more emphasis on prevention. If you look at all trials of Alzheimer’s disease, of which this is an example of one of the best, the treatment effects are real but they are also relatively small and they focus [only] on the symptoms of the disease.”</p><br /><p>Alzheimer’s disease currently affects more than 5 million Americans and is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately 1 in 3 seniors will die with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, and in 2013 alone, Alzheimer’s cost the United States more than $200 billion dollars. Because there is not definitive cause of this disease–and therefore no way to cure it–Alzheimer’s has no survivors.</p><br /><div id='readability-footnotes'><br /><h3>References</h3><br /><ol id='readability-footnotes-list'><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-1'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' target='_blank' href='http://voxxi.com/2012/07/22/vitamin-e-liver-cancer/'>vitamin E</a> <small>(voxxi.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-2'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-2' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-2' href='http://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/vitamin-and-mineral-news-698/daily-high-dose-vitamin-e-may-delay-alzheimer-s-683455.html'>HealthDay News</a> <small>(consumer.healthday.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-3'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-3' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-3' href='http://voxxi.com/2013/04/04/alzheimers-disease-expensive-cancer/'>will cost</a> <small>(voxxi.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-4'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-4' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-4' href='http://www.alz.org/documents_custom/final_trajectory_report_release-emb_5-11-10.pdf'>a statement</a> <small>(www.alz.org)</small> </li><br /></ol><br /></div><br /></div>

High dose vitamin E may help delay Alzheimer's disease - VOXXI

Taking high dose vitamin E may delay Alzheimer’s disease. (Shutterstock) While the verdict on multivitamins may not support their use for e...

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High Vitamin-E Dose Slows Decline in Alzheimer's Patients, Study Finds - Wall Street Journal

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Dec. 31, 2013 4:02 p.m. ET</p><br /><div id='articleBody'><br /><p>A high daily dose of vitamin E slowed functional decline in patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease by about six months, according to a new study.</p><br /><p>However, the research to be published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, found no impact on memory and doctors said there was no evidence that vitamin E prevents the debilitating disease.</p><br /><p>The study, which ran from 2007 to 2012, is one of the largest and longest studies in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and involved 613 patients at 14 Veterans Affairs medical centers who were already taking Alzheimer's drugs like Aricept. Researchers followed patients for an average of 2.3 years and found those receiving 2,000 international units of vitamin E daily showed less of a decline on a commonly used measure of daily functioning than patients in a placebo group.</p><br /><p>Patients in the groups started out with a score of about 57 points on the scale, which measures activities of daily living. Those in the placebo group declined about 17 points on average, while the decline in the vitamin E group was about 14 points.</p><br /><p>Though the benefit may seem small, lead researcher Maurice Dysken, a research scientist at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, said it could represent the difference between patients who can still dress or bathe independently and those who cannot. It also translates into about a six-month slowing in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The study also showed that caregiver time increased the least among the vitamin E group.</p><br /><p>"I think it's very meaningful to patients and caregivers to preserve function," Dr. Dysken said.</p><br /><p>Alzheimer's currently affects more than five million Americans. The progressive brain disorder leads to memory loss and eventually the ability to think and function.</p><br /><p>Scott Small, an Alzheimer's expert at Columbia University in New York who wasn't involved in the research, said he might consider using vitamin E for some of his Alzheimer's patients. But he said healthy people worried about developing Alzheimer's should exercise and eat healthy foods rather than take supplements. Dr. Small said there is evidence that the part of the brain associated with age-related memory loss benefits from physical exercise.</p><br /><p>A 1997 study of vitamin E in patients with more severe Alzheimer's disease had a similar outcome, finding that a high daily dose of 2,000 international units delayed disease progression.</p><br /><p>But enthusiasm was blunted in 2005 after an analysis involving 19 vitamin E studies showed a higher death rate in people taking more than 400 international units per day of the supplement. Researchers in the current study looked at death rates and other safety measures in light of the earlier findings. Dr. Dysken said there wasn't an increase in mortality seen in the study related to vitamin E.</p><br /><p>The study released Tuesday also included a group of patients who received memantine, another Alzheimer's drug sold by <a id='readabilityLink-1' name='readabilityLink-1' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' class='t-company' href='http://quotes.wsj.com/FRX'>Forest Laboratories</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-1'><small>^[1] </small> </a> Inc. <span data-country-code='US' data-ticker-code='FRX' data-utc-offset-hours='-5' data-channel-currency='$' data-channel-last-price='59.63' data-channel-path='/quotes/nls/frx' class='article-chiclet down'> <span class='ticker'><a id='readabilityLink-2' name='readabilityLink-2' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' href='http://quotes.wsj.com/FRX'>FRX <span>-0.02%</span> </a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-2'><small>^[2] </small> </a> </span> <span class='t-content'><span class='t-name'><a id='readabilityLink-3' name='readabilityLink-3' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' href='http://quotes.wsj.com/FRX'>Forest Laboratories Inc.</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-3'><small>^[3] </small> </a> </span> <span class='t-sec-1'><span class='t-exch'>U.S.: NYSE</span> <span class='t-index'><span class='t-curnum down'> ^$59.62</span> <span class='t-direction down'> <span>-0.01</span> <span>-0.02%</span> </span> </span> <span class='t-dates'>Jan. 3, 2014 4:00 pm <span>Volume (Delayed 15m) : <span>1.06M</span> </span> </span> </span> <span class='t-sec-2 a-hrs'><span class='t-exch'>AFTER HOURS</span> <span class='t-index'><span class='t-curnum up'> ^$59.73</span> <span class='t-direction up'> <span>+0.11</span> <span>+0.18%</span> </span> </span> <span class='t-dates'>Jan. 3, 2014 4:48 pm <span>Volume (Delayed 15m): <span>18,252</span> </span> </span> </span> <span class='t-sec-3'><span class='inline-list'>P/E Ratio <span>N/A</span> </span> <span class='inline-list'>Market Cap <span>$16.06 Billion</span> </span> <span class='inline-list'>Dividend Yield <span>N/A</span> </span> <span class='inline-list'>Rev. per Employee <span>$552,816</span> </span> </span> <span class='t-sec-4'> <span data-ticker='US:FRX' data-type='chart' id='usxnysfrx'> </span> </span> <span class='t-sec-5'><span class='inline-list'>12/27/13 <a id='readabilityLink-4' name='readabilityLink-4' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' href='http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304753504579284622336162960'>Options Show Bullish Tilt on F...</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-4'><small>^[4] </small> </a> </span> <span class='inline-list'>12/02/13 <a id='readabilityLink-5' name='readabilityLink-5' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' href='http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304355104579233882686228974'>Forest Labs to Cut 9% of Workf...</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-5'><small>^[5] </small> </a> </span> <span class='inline-list'>10/22/13 <a id='readabilityLink-6' name='readabilityLink-6' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' href='http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2013/10/22/the-game-plan-for-new-forest-labs-ceo/'>The Game Plan for New Forest L...</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-6'><small>^[6] </small> </a> </span> <a id='readabilityLink-7' name='readabilityLink-7' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' href='http://quotes.wsj.com/FRX?mod=articleInlineTicker'>More quote details and news »</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-7'><small>^[7] </small> </a> </span> </span> </span> under the brand name Namenda, and a group that received both memantine and vitamin E. Neither of those groups showed statistically significant improvement compared with placebo. Dr. Dysken said it wasn't clear why the group receiving both memantine and vitamin E didn't do as well as the group on vitamin E alone.</p><br /><p>Maria Carrillo, vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer's Association, which wasn't involved in the study, called the results "encouraging" but said they should be replicated in future studies. "No one should take vitamin E for Alzheimer's except under the supervision of a physician," she said.</p><br /><p><strong>Write to</strong> Jennifer Corbett Dooren at <a id='readabilityLink-8' name='readabilityLink-8' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' class='icon' target='_new' href='mailto:jennifer.corbett-dooren@wsj.com'>jennifer.corbett-dooren@wsj.com</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-8'><small>^[8] </small> </a> </p><br /></div><br /><div id='readability-footnotes'><br /><h3>References</h3><br /><ol id='readability-footnotes-list'><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-1'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' class='t-company' href='http://quotes.wsj.com/FRX'>Forest Laboratories</a> <small>(quotes.wsj.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-2'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-2' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-2' href='http://quotes.wsj.com/FRX'>FRX -0.02%</a> <small>(quotes.wsj.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-3'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-3' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-3' href='http://quotes.wsj.com/FRX'>Forest Laboratories Inc.</a> <small>(quotes.wsj.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-4'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-4' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-4' href='http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304753504579284622336162960'>Options Show Bullish Tilt on F...</a> <small>(online.wsj.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-5'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-5' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-5' href='http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304355104579233882686228974'>Forest Labs to Cut 9% of Workf...</a> <small>(online.wsj.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-6'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-6' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-6' href='http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2013/10/22/the-game-plan-for-new-forest-labs-ceo/'>The Game Plan for New Forest L...</a> <small>(blogs.wsj.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-7'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-7' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-7' href='http://quotes.wsj.com/FRX?mod=articleInlineTicker'>More quote details and news »</a> <small>(quotes.wsj.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-8'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-8' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-8' class='icon' target='_new' href='mailto:jennifer.corbett-dooren@wsj.com'>jennifer.corbett-dooren@wsj.com</a> <small>(online.wsj.com)</small> </li><br /></ol><br /></div><br /></div>

High Vitamin-E Dose Slows Decline in Alzheimer's Patients, Study Finds - Wall Street Journal

Dec. 31, 2013 4:02 p.m. ET A high daily dose of vitamin E slowed functional decline in patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer...

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New findings about Alzheimer's show where it starts - Metro.us

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div readability='32' class='wp-caption alignright' id='attachment_125867'><a href='http://www.metro.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/brain_head_health_scan_man.jpg'><img alt="Scientists are taking a closer look at how Alzheimer's progresses. Credit: Metro file" class="size-full wp-image-125867" height="376" src="http://www.metro.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/brain_head_health_scan_man.jpg" width="319"/> </a><br /><p>Scientists are taking a closer look at how Alzheimer’s progresses.<br/><br />Credit: Metro file</p><br /></div><br /><p>Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have gained new insight into where Alzheimer’s disease starts and how it spreads throughout the brain, which could lead to earlier detection and thus more effective treatments.</p><br /><p>The findings were presented in the journal Nature Neuroscience on Dec. 22.</p><br /><p>Scientists have known that the degenerative disease starts in a part of the brain called the entorhinal cortex, says co-senior author Dr. Scott A. Small, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. But he says his team’s study shows that it starts specifically in the lateral entorhinal cortex, which leads to the hippocampus (which we use for long-term memory). “If the LES is affected, other aspects of the hippocampus will also be affected,” he says.</p><br /><p>The researchers also found that Alzheimer’s spreads out to other parts of the cerebral cortex, specifically the parietal cortex, which deals with spatial orientation and navigation. Alzheimer’s, they also learned, happens when changes to two particular proteins (tau and amyloid precursor protein) damage neurons in the LEC.</p><br /><p>The study followed 96 people for an average of 3.5 years.</p><br /></div>

New findings about Alzheimer's show where it starts - Metro.us

Scientists are taking a closer look at how Alzheimer’s progresses. Credit: Metro file Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center hav...

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Vitamin E could slow Alzheimer's progression - NewsNet5.com

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease - the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage.</p><br /><p>In a study of more than 600 older veterans, high doses of the vitamin delayed the decline in daily living skills, such as making meals, getting dressed and holding a conversation, by about six months over a two-year period.</p><br /><p>The benefit was equivalent to keeping one major skill that otherwise would have been lost, such as being able to bathe without help. For some people, that could mean living independently rather than needing a nursing home.</p><br /><p>Vitamin E did not preserve thinking abilities, though, and it did no good for patients who took it with another Alzheimer's medication. But those taking vitamin E alone required less help from caregivers - about two fewer hours each day than some others in the study.</p><br /><p>"It's not a miracle or, obviously, a cure," said study leader Dr. Maurice Dysken of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. "The best we can do at this point is slow down the rate of progression."</p><br /><p>The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sponsored the study, published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.</p><br /><p>No one should rush out and buy vitamin E, several doctors warned. It failed to prevent healthy people from developing dementia or to help those with mild impairment ("pre-Alzheimer's") in other studies, and one suggested it might even be harmful.</p><br /><p>Still, many experts cheered the new results after so many recent flops of once-promising drugs.</p><br /><p>"This is truly a breakthrough paper and constitutes what we have been working toward for nearly three decades: the first truly disease-modifying intervention for Alzheimer's," said Dr. Sam Gandy of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. "I am very enthusiastic about the results."</p><br /><p>About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer's is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5 million have Alzheimer's. There is no cure and current medicines just temporarily ease symptoms.</p><br /><p>Researchers don't know how vitamin E might help, but it is an antioxidant, like those found in red wine, grapes and some teas. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage that can contribute to other diseases, says the federal Office on Dietary Supplements. Many foods contain vitamin E, such as nuts, seeds, grains, leafy greens and vegetable oils. There are many forms, and the study tested a synthetic version of one - alpha-tocopherol - at a pharmaceutical grade and strength, 2,000 international units a day.</p><br /><p>Years ago, another study found that the same form and dose helped people with more advanced Alzheimer's, and many were prescribed it. But vitamin E fell out of favor after a 2005 analysis of many studies found that those taking more than 400 units a day were more likely to die of any cause.</p><br /><p>The new study involved 613 veterans, nearly all male, 79 years old on average, with mild to moderate Alzheimer's, at 14 VA centers. All were already taking Aricept, Razadyne or Exelon - widely used, similar dementia medicines.</p><br /><p>Participants were placed in four groups and given either vitamin E, another dementia medicine called memantine (its brand name is Namenda), both pills or dummy pills.</p><br /><p>After a little more than two years of follow-up, those on vitamin E alone had a 19 percent lower annual rate of decline in daily living skills compared to the placebo group. Memantine made no difference, and vitamin E did not affect several tests of thinking skills.</p><br /><p>"It's a subtle effect but it's probably real," Dr. Ron Petersen, the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's research chief, said of the benefit on daily living from vitamin E. "That has to be weighed against the potential risks" seen in earlier studies, he said.</p><br /><p>Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer's Association, said the group's position is that "no one should take vitamin E for Alzheimer's disease or other memory issues except under the supervision of a physician," because it can interfere with blood thinners, cholesterol drugs and other medicines.</p><br /><p>The new results also need to be verified in a fresh study that includes more women and minorities, she said.</p><br /></div>

Vitamin E could slow Alzheimer's progression - NewsNet5.com

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease - the first time any treatment has been sho...

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Help sought to find missing Elk Grove woman suffering from Alzheimer's - Sacramento Bee

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Elk Grove police seek the public’s help in finding a missing 82-year-old woman who reportedly suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and is a dialysis patient.</p><br /><p>Georgia Reese (pictured) was last seen about 9:45 a.m. today at a medical building at 8139 Elk Grove Boulevard. Reese drove to the location in a gold 1999 Toyota Camry with the license plate number 8138WDP, according to a Police Department news release. She left the medical building after she was told that she did not have an appointment today, police said.</p><br /><p>Reese is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds with black hair, brown eyes and wearing glasses.</p><br /><p>Anyone with information regarding Reese’s whereabouts is asked to call the Elk Grove Police Department Dispatch Center at (916) 691-5246.</p><br /><hr/><br /><p class='storybug'><em>Call The Bee’s Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.</em> </p><br /><p class='storybug'>• <a id='readabilityLink-1' name='readabilityLink-1' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' title='Read more articles by Cathy Locke' href='http://www.sacbee.com/search_results/?sf_pubsys_story_byline=Cathy%20Locke&link_location=bottom'>Read more articles by Cathy Locke</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-1'><small>^[1] </small> </a> </p><br /><br/><br /><div id='readability-footnotes'><br /><h3>References</h3><br /><ol id='readability-footnotes-list'><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-1'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' title='Read more articles by Cathy Locke' href='http://www.sacbee.com/search_results/?sf_pubsys_story_byline=Cathy%20Locke&link_location=bottom'>Read more articles by Cathy Locke</a> <small>(www.sacbee.com)</small> </li><br /></ol><br /></div><br /></div>

Help sought to find missing Elk Grove woman suffering from Alzheimer's - Sacramento Bee

Elk Grove police seek the public’s help in finding a missing 82-year-old woman who reportedly suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and is a dial...

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Vitamin E could slow Alzheimer's progression - KSHB

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease - the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage.</p><br /><p>In a study of more than 600 older veterans, high doses of the vitamin delayed the decline in daily living skills, such as making meals, getting dressed and holding a conversation, by about six months over a two-year period.</p><br /><p>The benefit was equivalent to keeping one major skill that otherwise would have been lost, such as being able to bathe without help. For some people, that could mean living independently rather than needing a nursing home.</p><br /><p>Vitamin E did not preserve thinking abilities, though, and it did no good for patients who took it with another Alzheimer's medication. But those taking vitamin E alone required less help from caregivers - about two fewer hours each day than some others in the study.</p><br /><p>"It's not a miracle or, obviously, a cure," said study leader Dr. Maurice Dysken of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. "The best we can do at this point is slow down the rate of progression."</p><br /><p>The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sponsored the study, published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.</p><br /><p>No one should rush out and buy vitamin E, several doctors warned. It failed to prevent healthy people from developing dementia or to help those with mild impairment ("pre-Alzheimer's") in other studies, and one suggested it might even be harmful.</p><br /><p>Still, many experts cheered the new results after so many recent flops of once-promising drugs.</p><br /><p>"This is truly a breakthrough paper and constitutes what we have been working toward for nearly three decades: the first truly disease-modifying intervention for Alzheimer's," said Dr. Sam Gandy of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. "I am very enthusiastic about the results."</p><br /><p>About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer's is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5 million have Alzheimer's. There is no cure and current medicines just temporarily ease symptoms.</p><br /><p>Researchers don't know how vitamin E might help, but it is an antioxidant, like those found in red wine, grapes and some teas. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage that can contribute to other diseases, says the federal Office on Dietary Supplements. Many foods contain vitamin E, such as nuts, seeds, grains, leafy greens and vegetable oils. There are many forms, and the study tested a synthetic version of one - alpha-tocopherol - at a pharmaceutical grade and strength, 2,000 international units a day.</p><br /><p>Years ago, another study found that the same form and dose helped people with more advanced Alzheimer's, and many were prescribed it. But vitamin E fell out of favor after a 2005 analysis of many studies found that those taking more than 400 units a day were more likely to die of any cause.</p><br /><p>The new study involved 613 veterans, nearly all male, 79 years old on average, with mild to moderate Alzheimer's, at 14 VA centers. All were already taking Aricept, Razadyne or Exelon - widely used, similar dementia medicines.</p><br /><p>Participants were placed in four groups and given either vitamin E, another dementia medicine called memantine (its brand name is Namenda), both pills or dummy pills.</p><br /><p>After a little more than two years of follow-up, those on vitamin E alone had a 19 percent lower annual rate of decline in daily living skills compared to the placebo group. Memantine made no difference, and vitamin E did not affect several tests of thinking skills.</p><br /><p>"It's a subtle effect but it's probably real," Dr. Ron Petersen, the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's research chief, said of the benefit on daily living from vitamin E. "That has to be weighed against the potential risks" seen in earlier studies, he said.</p><br /><p>Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer's Association, said the group's position is that "no one should take vitamin E for Alzheimer's disease or other memory issues except under the supervision of a physician," because it can interfere with blood thinners, cholesterol drugs and other medicines.</p><br /><p>The new results also need to be verified in a fresh study that includes more women and minorities, she said.</p><br /><div readability='10'><br /><p class='fontStyle10' id='copyrightStoryModule'>Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</p><br /></div><br /></div>

Vitamin E could slow Alzheimer's progression - KSHB

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease - the first time any treatment has been sho...

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Daily High-Dose Vitamin E Might Delay Alzheimer's - WebMD

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><h2>Daily High-Dose Vitamin E Might Delay Alzheimer's</h2><br /><p>Although study showed a small effect, experts note the nutrient doesn't attack underlying cause</p><br /><p><br/><br />WebMD News from HealthDay</p><br /><div class='art_thumb'><img alt="But predictive value of finding still needs to be" src="http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/article_thumbnails/news/healthday/2013/03/parkinsons.jpg"/> </div><br /><p>By Dennis Thompson</p><br /><p><em>HealthDay Reporter</em> </p><br /><p>TUESDAY, Dec. 31, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- There might be some good news in the fight against <a id='readabilityLink-1' name='readabilityLink-1' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' onclick='return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');' href='http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/default.htm'>Alzheimer's</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-1'><small>^[1] </small> </a> disease: A new study suggests that a large daily dose of vitamin E might help slow progression of the memory-robbing illness.</p><br /><p>Alzheimer's patients given a "pharmacological" dose of vitamin E experienced slower declines in thinking and memory and required less caregiver time than those taking a <a id='readabilityLink-2' name='readabilityLink-2' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' onclick='return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');' href='http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/what-is-the-placebo-effect'>placebo</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-2'><small>^[2] </small> </a>, said Dr. Maurice Dysken, lead author of a new study published Dec. 31 in the <em>Journal of the American Medical Association</em>.</p><br /><p>"We found vitamin E significantly slowed the rate of progression versus placebo," said Dysken, who is with the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System.</p><br /><p>Experts stressed, however, that vitamin E does not seem to fight the underlying cause of Alzheimer's and is in no way a cure.</p><br /><p>The study involved more than 600 patients at 14 VA medical centers with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. Researchers split the group into quarters, with each receiving a different therapy.</p><br /><p>One-quarter received a daily dose of 2,000 international units (IU) of alpha tocopherol, a form of vitamin E. That's a relatively large dose; by comparison, a daily multivitamin contains only about 100 IUs of vitamin E, Dysken said.</p><br /><p>The other sets of patients were given the Alzheimer's medication memantine, a combination of vitamin E and memantine, or a placebo.</p><br /><p>People who took vitamin E alone experienced a 19 percent reduction in their annual rate of decline compared to a placebo during the study's average 2.3 years of follow-up, the researchers said.</p><br /><p>In practical terms, this means the vitamin E group enjoyed a more than six-month delay in the progression of Alzheimer's, the researchers said.</p><br /><p>This delay could mean a lot to patients, the researchers said, noting that the decline experienced by the placebo group could translate into the complete loss of the ability to dress or bathe independently.</p><br /><p>The researchers also found that people in the vitamin E group needed about two fewer hours of care each day.</p><br /><p>Neither memantine nor the combination of vitamin E plus memantine showed clinical benefits in this trial.</p><br /><p>Therapy with vitamin E also appears to be safe, with no increased risk of illness or death, the researchers found. The annual death rate was 7.3 percent for people in the vitamin E group and 9.4 percent for those on placebo.</p><br /><p>People should keep in mind, however, that vitamin E taken at such large doses can have an effect on other medications, said Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer's Association.</p><br /><p>"We know there might be some interactions with other medications that people might be taking, including blood thinners or cholesterol medications," Snyder said. That means that people who want to take vitamin E to treat Alzheimer's should do so under the supervision of their doctor, Dysken and Snyder said.</p><br /><div id='readability-footnotes'><br /><h3>References</h3><br /><ol id='readability-footnotes-list'><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-1'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' onclick='return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');' href='http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/default.htm'>Alzheimer's</a> <small>(www.webmd.com)</small> </li><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-2'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-2' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-2' onclick='return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');' href='http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/what-is-the-placebo-effect'>placebo</a> <small>(www.webmd.com)</small> </li><br /></ol><br /></div><br /></div>

Daily High-Dose Vitamin E Might Delay Alzheimer's - WebMD

Daily High-Dose Vitamin E Might Delay Alzheimer's Although study showed a small effect, experts note the nutrient doesn't attack und...

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Study: Vitamin E Could Slow Progression Of Alzheimer's Disease - CBS Local

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div readability='32'><img alt="Vitamin E could slow the progression of moderate Alzheimer's disease, a study found. (credit: CBS 2)" class="article-headline-image wp-post-image" height="349" src="http://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/alzh.jpg?w=620&h=349&crop=1" width="620"/><br /><div readability='9' class='wp-caption'><br /><p>Vitamin E could slow the progression of moderate Alzheimer’s disease, a study found. (credit: CBS 2)</p><br /></div><br /></div><br /><div readability='78.0290205562'><br /><p><strong>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)</strong> — Vitamin E has already been credited with helping to keep skin looking youthful and preventing strokes. Now there’s evidence it could help slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.</p><br /><p>As CBS 2′s Dr. Max Gomez reported, if true, the finding could be important for not just patients, but also for the family caregivers who provide more than 17 billion hours of unpaid care a year, putting untold financial and emotional stress on them.</p><br /><p>Both Vitamin E and memantine, an FDA-approved drug, have been shown to slow the rate of progression of moderately severe Alzheimer’s.</p><br /><p>But Veterans Aministration researchers across the country wanted to know if Vitamin E and memantine could also slow the rate of Alzheimer’s progression in patients with mild to moderate forms of the disease. Different patient groups received Vitamin E alone, memantine alone, a combination of the two or a placebo pill daily.</p><br /><p>“Patients had to have a caregiver present who could manage the medications,” explained Dr. Maurice Dysken, a geriatric phsychiatrist at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System.</p><br /><p>Caregivers also answered questionnaires about how ordinary activities were affected by the patients’ illness, including using the telelphine, shopping, cooking, dressing and bathing.</p><br /><p>“Vitamin E slowed the rate of progression of Alzheimer’s disease on this measure of functional impairment and resulted in a delay of about six months over an average of two years,” Dysken said.</p><br /><p>The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, also found that Vitamin E alone was better than memantine alone — and it was better even when the two were combined.</p><br /><p>Initially, caregivers spent about six to seven hours a day caring for their patients, which increased during the study. But as the patients worsened, Vitamin E slowed the process, saving about two hours of caregiving time each day.</p><br /><p>“For people who are in the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, I think any delay in the rate of progression is meaningful and important,” Dysken said.</p><br /><p><strong>You May Also Be Interested In These Stories</strong><br/> </p><br /></div><br /></div>

Study: Vitamin E Could Slow Progression Of Alzheimer's Disease - CBS Local

Vitamin E could slow the progression of moderate Alzheimer’s disease, a study found. (credit: CBS 2) NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Vitamin E has ...

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Vitamin E may slow Alzheimer's progression - Dallas Morning News

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease - the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage.</p><br /><p>In a study of more than 600 older veterans, high doses of the vitamin delayed the decline in daily living skills, such as making meals, getting dressed and holding a conversation, by about six months over a two-year period.</p><br /><p>The benefit was equivalent to keeping one major skill that otherwise would have been lost, such as being able to bathe without help. For some people, that could mean living independently rather than needing a nursing home.</p><br /><p>Vitamin E did not preserve thinking abilities, though, and it did no good for patients who took it with another Alzheimer's medication. But those taking vitamin E alone required less help from caregivers - about two fewer hours each day than some others in the study.</p><br /><p>"It's not a miracle or, obviously, a cure," said study leader Dr. Maurice Dysken of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. "The best we can do at this point is slow down the rate of progression."</p><br /><p>The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sponsored the study, published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.</p><br /><p>No one should rush out and buy vitamin E, several doctors warned. It failed to prevent healthy people from developing dementia or to help those with mild impairment ("pre-Alzheimer's") in other studies, and one suggested it might even be harmful.</p><br /><p>Still, many experts cheered the new results after so many recent flops of once-promising drugs.</p><br /><p>"This is truly a breakthrough paper and constitutes what we have been working toward for nearly three decades: the first truly disease-modifying intervention for Alzheimer's," said Dr. Sam Gandy of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. "I am very enthusiastic about the results."</p><br /><p>About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer's is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5 million have Alzheimer's. There is no cure and current medicines just temporarily ease symptoms.</p><br /><p>Researchers don't know how vitamin E might help, but it is an antioxidant, like those found in red wine, grapes and some teas. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage that can contribute to other diseases, says the federal Office on Dietary Supplements. Many foods contain vitamin E, such as nuts, seeds, grains, leafy greens and vegetable oils. There are many forms, and the study tested a synthetic version of one - alpha-tocopherol - at a pharmaceutical grade and strength, 2,000 international units a day.</p><br /><p>Years ago, another study found that the same form and dose helped people with more advanced Alzheimer's, and many were prescribed it. But vitamin E fell out of favor after a 2005 analysis of many studies found that those taking more than 400 units a day were more likely to die of any cause.</p><br /><p>The new study involved 613 veterans, nearly all male, 79 years old on average, with mild to moderate Alzheimer's, at 14 VA centers. All were already taking Aricept, Razadyne or Exelon - widely used, similar dementia medicines.</p><br /><p>Participants were placed in four groups and given either vitamin E, another dementia medicine called memantine (its brand name is Namenda), both pills or dummy pills.</p><br /><p>After a little more than two years of follow-up, those on vitamin E alone had a 19 percent lower annual rate of decline in daily living skills compared to the placebo group. Memantine made no difference, and vitamin E did not affect several tests of thinking skills.</p><br /><p>"It's a subtle effect but it's probably real," Dr. Ron Petersen, the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's research chief, said of the benefit on daily living from vitamin E. "That has to be weighed against the potential risks" seen in earlier studies, he said.</p><br /><p>Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer's Association, said the group's position is that "no one should take vitamin E for Alzheimer's disease or other memory issues except under the supervision of a physician," because it can interfere with blood thinners, cholesterol drugs and other medicines.</p><br /><p>The new results also need to be verified in a fresh study that includes more women and minorities, she said.</p><br /></div>

Vitamin E may slow Alzheimer's progression - Dallas Morning News

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease - the first time any treatment has been sho...

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Researchers say Vitamin E may slow spread of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's - Fox News

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease — the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage.</p><br /><p>In a study of more than 600 older veterans, high doses of the vitamin delayed the decline in daily living skills, such as making meals, getting dressed and holding a conversation, by about six months over a two-year period.</p><br /><p>The benefit was equivalent to keeping one major skill that otherwise would have been lost, such as being able to bathe without help. For some people, that could mean living independently rather than needing a nursing home.</p><br /><p>Vitamin E did not preserve thinking abilities, though, and it did no good for patients who took it with another Alzheimer's medication. But those taking vitamin E alone required less help from caregivers — about two fewer hours each day than some others in the study.</p><br /><p>"It's not a miracle or, obviously, a cure," said study leader Dr. Maurice Dysken of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. "The best we can do at this point is slow down the rate of progression."</p><br /><p>The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sponsored the study, published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.</p><br /><p>No one should rush out and buy vitamin E, several doctors warned. It failed to prevent healthy people from developing dementia or to help those with mild impairment ("pre-Alzheimer's") in other studies, and one suggested it might even be harmful.</p><br /><p>Still, many experts cheered the new results after so many recent flops of once-promising drugs.</p><br /><p>"This is truly a breakthrough paper and constitutes what we have been working toward for nearly three decades: the first truly disease-modifying intervention for Alzheimer's," said Dr. Sam Gandy of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. "I am very enthusiastic about the results."</p><br /><p>About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer's is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5 million have Alzheimer's. There is no cure and current medicines just temporarily ease symptoms.</p><br /><p>Researchers don't know how vitamin E might help, but it is an antioxidant, like those found in red wine, grapes and some teas. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage that can contribute to other diseases, says the federal Office on Dietary Supplements. Many foods contain vitamin E, such as nuts, seeds, grains, leafy greens and vegetable oils. There are many forms, and the study tested a synthetic version of one — alpha-tocopherol — at a pharmaceutical grade and strength, 2,000 international units a day.</p><br /><p>Years ago, another study found that the same form and dose helped people with more advanced Alzheimer's, and many were prescribed it. But vitamin E fell out of favor after a 2005 analysis of many studies found that those taking more than 400 units a day were more likely to die of any cause.</p><br /><p>The new study involved 613 veterans, nearly all male, 79 years old on average, with mild to moderate Alzheimer's, at 14 VA centers. All were already taking Aricept, Razadyne or Exelon — widely used, similar dementia medicines.</p><br /><p>Participants were placed in four groups and given either vitamin E, another dementia medicine called memantine (its brand name is Namenda), both pills or dummy pills.</p><br /><p>After a little more than two years of follow-up, those on vitamin E alone had a 19 percent lower annual rate of decline in daily living skills compared to the placebo group. Memantine made no difference, and vitamin E did not affect several tests of thinking skills.</p><br /><p>"It's a subtle effect but it's probably real," Dr. Ron Petersen, the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's research chief, said of the benefit on daily living from vitamin E. "That has to be weighed against the potential risks" seen in earlier studies, he said.</p><br /><p>Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer's Association, said the group's position is that "no one should take vitamin E for Alzheimer's disease or other memory issues except under the supervision of a physician," because it can interfere with blood thinners, cholesterol drugs and other medicines.</p><br /><p>The new results also need to be verified in a fresh study that includes more women and minorities, she said.</p><br /></div>

Researchers say Vitamin E may slow spread of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's - Fox News

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease — the first time any treatment has been sho...

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Vitamin E May Slow Alzheimer's Disease Progression - ABC News

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div class='media_empty'> </div><br /><div class='partnerlogo' id='wirelogo'><img alt="Associated Press" border="0" src="http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/logo/AP_logo_update_20130709.gif"/> </div><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'> </p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease — the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>In a study of more than 600 older veterans, high doses of the vitamin delayed the decline in daily living skills, such as making meals, getting dressed and holding a conversation, by about six months over a two-year period.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>The benefit was equivalent to keeping one major skill that otherwise would have been lost, such as being able to bathe without help. For some people, that could mean living independently rather than needing a nursing home.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>Vitamin E did not preserve thinking abilities, though, and it did no good for patients who took it with another Alzheimer's medication. But those taking vitamin E alone required less help from caregivers — about two fewer hours each day than some others in the study.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>"It's not a miracle or, obviously, a cure," said study leader Dr. Maurice Dysken of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. "The best we can do at this point is slow down the rate of progression."</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sponsored the study, published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>No one should rush out and buy vitamin E, several doctors warned. It failed to prevent healthy people from developing dementia or to help those with mild impairment ("pre-Alzheimer's") in other studies, and one suggested it might even be harmful.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>Still, many experts cheered the new results after so many recent flops of once-promising drugs.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>"This is truly a breakthrough paper and constitutes what we have been working toward for nearly three decades: the first truly disease-modifying intervention for Alzheimer's," said Dr. Sam Gandy of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. "I am very enthusiastic about the results."</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer's is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5 million have Alzheimer's. There is no cure and current medicines just temporarily ease symptoms.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>Researchers don't know how vitamin E might help, but it is an antioxidant, like those found in red wine, grapes and some teas. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage that can contribute to other diseases, says the federal Office on Dietary Supplements. Many foods contain vitamin E, such as nuts, seeds, grains, leafy greens and vegetable oils. There are many forms, and the study tested a synthetic version of one — alpha-tocopherol — at a pharmaceutical grade and strength, 2,000 international units a day.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>Years ago, another study found that the same form and dose helped people with more advanced Alzheimer's, and many were prescribed it. But vitamin E fell out of favor after a 2005 analysis of many studies found that those taking more than 400 units a day were more likely to die of any cause.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>The new study involved 613 veterans, nearly all male, 79 years old on average, with mild to moderate Alzheimer's, at 14 VA centers. All were already taking Aricept, Razadyne or Exelon — widely used, similar dementia medicines.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>Participants were placed in four groups and given either vitamin E, another dementia medicine called memantine (its brand name is Namenda), both pills or dummy pills.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>After a little more than two years of follow-up, those on vitamin E alone had a 19 percent lower annual rate of decline in daily living skills compared to the placebo group. Memantine made no difference, and vitamin E did not affect several tests of thinking skills.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>"It's a subtle effect but it's probably real," Dr. Ron Petersen, the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's research chief, said of the benefit on daily living from vitamin E. "That has to be weighed against the potential risks" seen in earlier studies, he said.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer's Association, said the group's position is that "no one should take vitamin E for Alzheimer's disease or other memory issues except under the supervision of a physician," because it can interfere with blood thinners, cholesterol drugs and other medicines.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>The new results also need to be verified in a fresh study that includes more women and minorities, she said.</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>———</p><br /><p itemprop='articleBody'>Follow Marilynn Marchione on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP</p><br /><div class='clearboth'> </div><br /></div>

Vitamin E May Slow Alzheimer's Disease Progression - ABC News

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease — the first time any treatment has been ...

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Vitamin E may slow early Alzheimer's decline: study - Reuters

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><span id='articleText'><span id='midArticle_start'> </span> <span id='midArticle_0'> </span> </span><br /><p><span class='focusParagraph'>(Reuters Health) - Taking vitamin E during the early stages of Alzheimer's disease slowed declines in patients' ability to perform basic tasks by about six months in a new study.</span> </p><br /><span id='midArticle_1'> </span><br /><p>"It will be very interesting to see to what extent this will change practice," Dr. Maurice Dysken said. "I think it will, but we'll have to see how people in the field such as providers view the findings and patients too."</p><br /><span id='midArticle_2'> </span><br /><p>Dysken is the study's lead author and former director of the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center at the Minneapolis VA Healthcare System.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_3'> </span><br /><p>Researchers have studied vitamin E for possible benefits in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's, but those studies have yielded mixed results.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_4'> </span><br /><p>For example, the researchers write in JAMA, past research has found the vitamin slowed disease progression in people with moderately severe Alzheimer's. But the vitamin was not effective at slowing the transition to Alzheimer's for people with so-called mild cognitive impairment, which typically precedes Alzheimer's.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_5'> </span><br /><p>To see whether vitamin E - or a combination of the vitamin with memantine, a drug approved in the U.S. to treat Alzheimer's - would slow the rate of decline in people with mild to moderate forms of the disease, the researchers recruited 613 trial participants from 14 Veterans Affairs medical centers.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_6'> </span><br /><p>The patients were recruited between August 2007 and March 2012. People taking blood thinning drugs were excluded from the study because those drugs are tied to an increased risk of bleeding when combined with vitamin E.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_7'> </span><br /><p>At the start of the study, the participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_8'> </span><br /><p>One group received 2,000 International Units (IU) of vitamin E every day. That's a considerably larger dose than the 30 IU typically found in multivitamins. A second group received the drug memantine. A third group took both vitamin E and memantine and the final group took inert pills for comparison.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_9'> </span><br /><p>The researchers used a scale to measure the participants' ability to perform tasks of daily life.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_10'> </span><br /><p>After an average of about 2.3 years, Dysken and his colleagues found that only the group taking vitamin E alone had a significantly slower decline in the ability to perform daily tasks, compared to the participants taking the inert pills.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_11'> </span><br /><p>The difference represented a delay in functional decline of about six months. In practical terms, the difference could represent a person's ability to dress or bathe themselves for that much longer.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_12'> </span><br /><p>People who took care of the study participants taking vitamin E alone also reported a smaller increase in the amount of time the patients needed assistance, compared to the other groups.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_13'> </span><br /><p>"I think it's a well done study, but I think the results are modest," Dr. Ronald Petersen, who was not involved in the new work, said.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_14'> </span><br /><p>Petersen is director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_15'> </span><br /><p>He noted that the benefits need to be weighed against potential risks - for example, a previous study showed an increased risk of death among people taking vitamin E. The current study didn't detect any such increase.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_0'> </span><br /><p>"Nevertheless, it's out there and it's published," he said. "You have to let people know it could be a small risk."</p><br /><span id='midArticle_1'> </span><br /><p>Both Petersen and Dysken cautioned that the study doesn't suggest people should take vitamin E to prevent or stop Alzheimer's disease.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_2'> </span><br /><p>"This is not a prevention trial," Dysken said. "We were enrolling patients with a diagnosis and what we're looking at is slowing the rate of progression. It does not stop it."</p><br /><span id='midArticle_3'> </span><br /><p>In an editorial accompanying the new study, Dr. Denis Evans of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago agreed that the results show a modest effect on treating symptoms of Alzheimer's.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_4'> </span><br /><p>"Considering the difficulties inherent in trying to treat rather than prevent very high-prevalence diseases and the limitations thus far of the therapeutic efforts for people with AD, shifting to more emphasis on prevention seems warranted," he wrote.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_5'> </span><br /><p>While a lot of research is being focused on prevention of the disease itself, rather than of its progression, Petersen said the new study shows researchers are not abandoning people who already have Alzheimer's.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_6'> </span><br /><p>"I think this is an example that we're really doing research across the entire spectrum of the disease," he said.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_7'> </span><br /><p>He added that the new findings will probably not cause him to treat patients differently, but he said it's something he would mention if they asked if there's anything else that can be done.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_8'> </span><br /><p>"I think a six-month delay will be meaningful for many - if not most - patients," Dysken said. "But it really does depend on the conversation that needs to be had between patient and primary care provider."</p><br /><span id='midArticle_9'> </span><br /><p>SOURCE: <a id='readabilityLink-1' name='readabilityLink-1' style='color: inherit; text-decoration: none;' href='http://bit.ly/JOTmp1'>bit.ly/JOTmp1</a><a style='color: inherit;' class='readability-DoNotFootnote' href='#readabilityFootnoteLink-1'><small>^[1] </small> </a> JAMA, online December 31, 2013.</p><br /><span id='midArticle_10'> </span><br /><div id='readability-footnotes'><br /><h3>References</h3><br /><ol id='readability-footnotes-list'><br /><li><small>^{<a title='Jump to Link in Article' href='#readabilityLink-1'>^</a>} </small> <a id='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' name='readabilityFootnoteLink-1' href='http://bit.ly/JOTmp1'>bit.ly/JOTmp1</a> <small>(bit.ly)</small> </li><br /></ol><br /></div><br /></div>

Vitamin E may slow early Alzheimer's decline: study - Reuters

(Reuters Health) - Taking vitamin E during the early stages of Alzheimer's disease slowed declines in patients' ability to perfo...

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Vitamin E slows Alzheimer's progression - Los Angeles Times

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease were able to care for themselves longer and needed less help performing everyday chores when they took a daily capsule containing 200 IUs of alpha tocopherol, or vitamin E, a study has found.</p><br /><p>Compared with subjects who took placebo pills, those who took daily supplements of the antioxidant vitamin E and were followed for an average of two years and three months delayed their loss of function by a little over six months on average, a 19% improvement. And the vitamin E group's increased need for caregiver help was the lowest of several groups, including those taking the Alzheimer's drug memantine, those taking memantine and vitamin E, and those taking a placebo pill.</p><br /><p>The new research, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. (JAMA), also cast doubt on earlier findings suggesting that vitamin E supplements hastened death in those with Alzheimer's. The study found that subjects taking vitamin E were no more likely to die of any cause during the study period than those taking memantine or a placebo.</p><br /><p>The findings offer a slim ray of hope that the progressive memory loss and mental confusion that characterizes Alzheimer's can at least be slowed by an agent that is inexpensive and easily accessible. Far more expensive drugs that come with greater risks and more side effects have failed to do as well in altering the trajectory of the disease.</p><br /><p>The authors of the study called the outcomes seen among those who took vitamin E "a meaningful treatment effect" that was on a par with those seen in clinical trials of prescription drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration. They expressed surprise that those taking memantine along with vitamin E did not show a delay in functional loss. Possibly, the researchers noted, memantine may disrupt or hinder the metabolism or absorption of vitamin E.</p><br /><p>"For people who are in the early stage of Alzheimer's disease, I think any delay in the rate of progression is meaningful and important," said Maurice W. Dysken, the study's lead author.</p><br /><p>While memantine has shown itself effective in slowing loss of function among patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's, its effectiveness in earlier stages of the disease has been less well explored.</p><br /><p>In an accompanying editorial in JAMA, Dr. Denis A. Evans, a neurologist at Rush University Medical Center, called the effects of vitamin E "modest" in that it appeared to ameliorate symptoms rather than disrupt or reverse the inexorable march of the disease. Given the expected swelling numbers of those at risk and the discouraging record of progress in finding therapies that could reverse or cure Alzheimer's, Evans wrote, a shift in emphasis toward the prevention "seems warranted."</p><br /><p>The study is one of the largest and longest to track participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. It followed 561 patients, 97% of them men, from 14 Veterans Affairs medical centers around the country. Researchers tracked each subject for as little as six months and as long as four years after diagnosis with possible or probable Alzheimer's disease of mild to moderate severity.</p><br /><p>Subjects were assigned randomly to one of four groups: 139 subjects got a hard-gelatin, liquid-filled capsule of 200 IUs of DL-alpha-tocopherol acetate ("synthetic" vitamin E) and a maintenance dose of 10 mg. of memantine; 140 got the vitamin E capsule and a memantine placebo; 142 got a placebo vitamin E capsule and memantine; and 140 got placebo vitamin E and placebo memantine.</p><br /><p>Using a 78-point inventory of "activities of daily living," researchers evaluated subjects' function every six months, and asked caregivers to report on dementia-related behavioral problems and how much assistance the subjects needed in six major areas of activity. They also assessed subjects' memory, language, gait and general mental function.</p><br /><p>While subjects on memantine and those on the placebo required increased caregiver assistance ranging from 2.2% to 2.43% annually, caregivers of those taking vitamin E reported their time spent assisting the patient increased annually by 1.48%.</p><br /></div>

Vitamin E slows Alzheimer's progression - Los Angeles Times

Patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease were able to care for themselves longer and needed less help performing everyday chor...

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