Early genetic markers of Alzheimer's risk identified

[BlueGin]

Genetic markers that could help highlight who is at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease have been identified by US scientists.

The research in Neuron identifies mutations that affect the build-up of certain proteins in the brain.

High levels of these tau proteins increase the chance of having the disease.

UK experts said the study could help understand the changes that occur in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

Tangles of a kind of tau called phosphorylated tau (ptau) are a hallmark of the disease.

One of the new gene variants identified by the Washington University School of Medicine team was also shown to be linked to a small increased risk of developing Alzheimer's and a greater risk of cognitive decline.

The team used genetic information from more than 1,200 people, significantly larger than previous studies in this area.

Dr Alison Goate, who led the study, said: "We anticipate that knowledge about the role of these genes in Alzheimer's disease may lead to the identification of new targets from therapies or new animal or cellular models of the disease.

BBC News - Early genetic markers of Alzheimer's risk identified

 

[waltky]

Aluminum Useful, but Could Be Dangerous...

New Documentary Explores Aluminum's 'Dark Side'
April 29, 2013 - Aluminum is everywhere. From airplanes to cooking pans, this versatile, light-weight metal has been around for generations. And its many benefits have made life easier and more convenient for millions of people. But a new documentary portrays what the filmmaker describes as the "dark side" of aluminum.

It’s in the cans we drink out of and in the products we like to cook with. Aluminum is everywhere, including in products that make us feel better, safer and cleaner. Like antacids, sunscreen and antiperspirants. But Austrian filmmaker Bert Ehgartner says there’s another side to aluminum. “It has a lot of good plus[es]. But there is also a dark side of this metal," he said. Ehgartner explores that alleged "dark side" in his new film, The Age of Aluminum. The documentary shows the mining and production of aluminum and its resulting impact on the environment.

One sees the mining of bauxite, an ore that contains a large amount of aluminum hydroxide, from a rainforest in Brazil. The film shows how large areas of rain forest have to be dug up in order to reach the bauxite. The toxic waste from aluminum production is then discarded over vast areas. And according to the film, the mining waste is apparently causing health problems for the nearby inhabitants who swim in the water, drink it and cook with it. The children complain of itchy skin and have developed blisters. The film also includes footage of a 2010 accident at a Hungarian aluminum factory.

Ehgartner says aluminum is also making people sick, in other ways - through the very products that make life more convenient, and safer, for so many. “I was surprised, for example, when I found it in vaccines or when I found it in certain kinds of cosmetics and antiperspirants, even in foods. You find it everywhere," he said. Scientists in the film link aluminum found in those products to a wide variety of modern diseases, including breast cancer, Alzheimer’s, allergies and Autism.

Neuroscientist Dr. Christopher Shaw is particularly concerned about the link between aluminum, which can be found in drinking water and antacid medication, and Alzheimer’s, a fatal brain-wasting disease. “Many researchers are beginning to accept that aluminum has some sort of role to play in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Whether it does in others is still an open question, but Alzheimer’s is really coming into focus and it's fairly clear that the body burden of aluminum from all the sources to which humans are exposed may be contributing to Alzheimer's Disease," he said.

MORE

 

[Mr. H.]

It amazes me that for all the babbies we're able to suction from the womb, why are the stupidest fucks left to survive?

Think about it - millions of abortions each year, yet so many dumb fuck mongoloids born into society. We are markering the wrong disease. Don't wean the physically weak, wean the mentally stooped.

If you insist upon destroying our progeny, please weed out the ignorant mother fucking baby raping father stabbing sons of bitching ass holes of society.

 

[BlueGin]

Aluminum Useful, but Could Be Dangerous...

New Documentary Explores Aluminum's 'Dark Side'
April 29, 2013 - Aluminum is everywhere. From airplanes to cooking pans, this versatile, light-weight metal has been around for generations. And its many benefits have made life easier and more convenient for millions of people. But a new documentary portrays what the filmmaker describes as the "dark side" of aluminum.

It’s in the cans we drink out of and in the products we like to cook with. Aluminum is everywhere, including in products that make us feel better, safer and cleaner. Like antacids, sunscreen and antiperspirants. But Austrian filmmaker Bert Ehgartner says there’s another side to aluminum. “It has a lot of good plus[es]. But there is also a dark side of this metal," he said. Ehgartner explores that alleged "dark side" in his new film, The Age of Aluminum. The documentary shows the mining and production of aluminum and its resulting impact on the environment.

One sees the mining of bauxite, an ore that contains a large amount of aluminum hydroxide, from a rainforest in Brazil. The film shows how large areas of rain forest have to be dug up in order to reach the bauxite. The toxic waste from aluminum production is then discarded over vast areas. And according to the film, the mining waste is apparently causing health problems for the nearby inhabitants who swim in the water, drink it and cook with it. The children complain of itchy skin and have developed blisters. The film also includes footage of a 2010 accident at a Hungarian aluminum factory.

Ehgartner says aluminum is also making people sick, in other ways - through the very products that make life more convenient, and safer, for so many. “I was surprised, for example, when I found it in vaccines or when I found it in certain kinds of cosmetics and antiperspirants, even in foods. You find it everywhere," he said. Scientists in the film link aluminum found in those products to a wide variety of modern diseases, including breast cancer, Alzheimer’s, allergies and Autism.

Neuroscientist Dr. Christopher Shaw is particularly concerned about the link between aluminum, which can be found in drinking water and antacid medication, and Alzheimer’s, a fatal brain-wasting disease. “Many researchers are beginning to accept that aluminum has some sort of role to play in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Whether it does in others is still an open question, but Alzheimer’s is really coming into focus and it's fairly clear that the body burden of aluminum from all the sources to which humans are exposed may be contributing to Alzheimer's Disease," he said.

MORE

My ex used to tell me this all the time...and would tell you to read the labels on products like deodorant to avoid aluminum that could be penetrated through the skin. Thanks for posting this article.

 

[waltky]

Why we lose early memories...

Neuron growth in children 'leaves no room for memories'
24 May 2013 - The reason we struggle to recall memories from our early childhood is down to high levels of neuron production during the first years of life, say Canadian researchers.

The formation of new brain cells increases the capacity for learning but also clears the mind of old memories. The findings were presented to the Canadian Association of Neuroscience. An expert at City University in London said the mouse study called into question some psychological theories. Neurogenesis, or the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus - a region of the brain known to be important for learning and remembering, reaches its peak before and after birth. It then declines steadily during childhood and adulthood. Dr Paul Frankland and Dr Sheena Josselyn, from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the University of Toronto, wanted to find out how the process of new neuron generation impacted on memory storage. They carried out their research on younger and older mice in the lab.

Early amnesia

In adult mice, they found that increasing neurogenesis after memory formation was enough to bring about forgetting. In infant mice, they discovered that decreasing neurogenesis after memory formation meant that the normal forgetting observed at this age did not occur. Their research suggests a direct link between a reduction in neuron growth and increased memory recall. They found the opposite to be true also - a decreased ability to remember when neurogenesis is increased (as happens during infancy). The researchers said this provided an explanation for the absence of long-term memory events from early childhood, known as infantile amnesia. Previous studies have shown that although young children can remember events in the short term, these memories do not persist.

Dr Frankland, senior scientist in neuroscience and mental health, at the hospital, said: "Why infantile amnesia exists has long been a mystery. "We think our new studies begin to explain why we have no memories from our earliest years. "Before the ages of four or five, we have a highly dynamic hippocampus which can't stably store information. "As new neurons are generated, memory may be compromised by that process."

Dr Bettina Forster, from the cognitive neuroscience research unit at City University in London, said the research showed a clear link. "This is a very interesting and elegantly executed study which shows a direct link between neurogenesis and memory formation. "The results questions the long assumed link between verbal development and infantile amnesia and calls into question some psychological and psychotherapeutic theories on this topic."

BBC News - Neuron growth in children 'leaves no room for memories'

 

[Mr. H.]

I remember an amazing amount of detail even from infancy.
When I was a tiny chitlin', momma took me to the doctor because my head was so freakin' big. She thought something had to be wrong.

Doc told her that I just had more brains, and to go home and stop worrying.

 

[BlueGin]

I remember an amazing amount of detail even from infancy.
When I was a tiny chitlin', momma took me to the doctor because my head was so freakin' big. She thought something had to be wrong.

Doc told her that I just had more brains, and to go home and stop worrying.

Me too. I vividly remember the first time I tasted Ice Cream. My mom swears I can't because I was a baby. But I do.

 

[waltky]

First parts of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease discovered...

First brain region affected by Alzheimer's disease identified
Feb. 17, 2016 - The locus coeruleus is among the first parts of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers found the part of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease first, and think engaging in mentally challenging activities could help prevent its development. The locus coeruleus was found by researchers at the University of Southern California to be susceptible to the disease first because of its job regulating blood vessel activity in the brain and interconnectedness to the entire organ. Previous research has shown that both cognitive and physical activity can help slow or prevent the build-up of fats and proteins that disrupt brain and memory function in people with dementia-type diseases.

Researchers at USC found in a review of previous research that the locus coeruleus, highlighted above in blue, is the first part of the brain to be affected by Alzheimer's Disease.​

For the new study, published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences, researchers reviewed previous studies on cognitive aging and the development of related diseases such as Alzheimer's. They found the locus coeruleus, a small part of the brain that releases norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating heart rate, attention, memory and cognition, is among the first parts of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease. Part of the reason, they said, is its location and branch-like axons that extend through much of the brain, making it more susceptible to toxins and infections in other parts of the organ. The researchers report that autopsy results show tau pathology, the spreading of proteins known to be a sign of Alzheimer's, can be found in early adulthood. Although tau pathology spreads slowly over most people's lifetimes as part of aging, only some end up with the disease.

Studies with rats and mice have shown norepinephrine can protect neurons from inflammation and excessive stimulation that contributes to Alzheimer's disease, leading them to suggest that increasing the amount of norepinephrine could help prevent the disease's causes. "Education and engaging careers produce late-life 'cognitive reserve,' or effective brain performance, despite encroaching pathology," Mara Mather, a professor at the University of Southern California, said in a press release. "Activation of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system by novelty and mental challenge throughout one's life may contribute to cognitive reserve."

First brain region affected by Alzheimer's disease identified

See also:

Older people at higher risk for injury after cancer surgery
Feb. 17, 2016 - Nearly one in ten people over age 55 have some sort of health complication after cancer surgery

Older patients who have cancer surgery are more likely to be injured or have health issues than younger patients, according to recent study. Post-surgery complications, falls, and bed sores are among health issues older patients encounter after cancer surgeries, which researchers say leads to higher costs and more deaths.

Researchers wrote in the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, that the potential for health issues after surgery should be addressed beforehand in order to reduce older patients' potential for injuries and morbidity. "Even now, these events affect approximately one in 10 patients over the age of 54 undergoing cancer surgery in the United States," Dr. Hung-Jul Tan, a researcher in urologic oncology at the University of Southern California, said in a press release. "With even higher rates observed among the very old, patients 75 and older -- the fastest-growing segment of the population -- geriatric events during cancer-related surgery are likely to become even more prevalent."

Researchers analyzed data collected between 2009 and 2011 for the Nationwide Inpatient Sample on 939,150 cancer surgery patients, split into two groups: people between the ages of 55 and 64, and those 65 and older. Overall, 9.2 percent of the entire group had a health event following surgery for cancer. Events were found most often for patients older than 75, the rates highest among people who had surgery for bladder, ovarian, colorectal, pancreatic and stomach cancers.

Patients who had a health event of some type also had higher rates for concurrent conditions, spent more time in the hospital, incurred higher costs, were discharged to a care facility or somewhere other than their home, and died more often before recovery. "The findings highlight the importance for older patients to discuss these potential events with their doctors as they prepare for surgery," Tan said. "Now that the prevalence of such events is known, treatment approaches that keep these age-related health concerns in mind may be better applied in the future to better assist these patients."

Older people at higher risk for injury after cancer surgery

 

[waltky]

Gum disease link with Alzheimer's...

Gum disease link to Alzheimer's, research suggests
Thu, 10 Mar 2016 - Gum disease is linked with a greater rate of cognitive decline for people with Alzheimer's Disease, research suggests.

The small study, published in PLOS ONE, looked at 59 people who were all deemed to have mild to moderate dementia. It is thought the body's response to gum inflammation may be hastening the brain's decline. The Alzheimer's Society said if the link was proven to be true, then good oral health may help slow dementia. The body's response to inflammatory conditions was cited as a possible reason for the quicker decline. Inflammation causes immune cells to swell and has long been associated with Alzheimer's. Researchers believe their findings add weight to evidence that inflammation in the brain is what drives the disease.

'Six-fold increase'

The study, jointly led by the University of Southampton and King's College London, cognitively assessed the participants, and took blood samples to measure inflammatory markers in their blood. Their oral health was also assessed by a dental hygienist who was unaware of the cognitive outcomes. Of the sample group, 22 were found to have considerable gum disease while for the remaining 37 patients the disease was much less apparent. The average age of the group with gum disease was 75, and in the other group it was 79. A majority of participants - 52 - were followed up at six months, and all assessments were repeated. The presence of gum disease - or periodontitis as it is known - was associated with a six-fold increase in the rate of cognitive decline, the study suggested.

'Quite scary'

Dentist Dr Mark Ide from King's College London told the BBC News website he was "surprised" by the rate of decline, and said that as patients with gum disease chew on their teeth they were effectively giving themselves "mini-injections" of bacteria into their bloodstream. "In just six months you could see the patients going downhill - it's really quite scary," he said. Higher levels of antibodies to periodontal bacteria are associated with an increase in levels of inflammatory molecules elsewhere in the body - which in turn have been linked to greater rates of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease.

Prof Clive Holmes, senior author from the University of Southampton, said the results were "very interesting" and proved that this study needed to be carried out again but using a larger number of participants. "However, if there is a direct relationship between periodontitis and cognitive decline, as this current study suggests, then treatment of gum disease might be a possible treatment option for Alzheimer's," he said. He also said his researchers had taken into account the fact that gum disease may become more common in those people with Alzheimer's, because of a reduced ability to take care of oral hygiene as the disease progresses.

Cause or effect?

 

[shadow355]

At work sometimes - I for some reason am a "Zombie" ; I get mixed up , forget and get absent minded .

Shadow 355

 

[waltky]

shado wrote: At work sometimes - I for some reason am a "Zombie" ; I get mixed up , forget and get absent minded .

Granny says get ye to a doctor...

... ya might have dat old timer's disease.