An incurable degenerative disease of the central nervous system, characterized by the relentless progressive loss of mental capabilities. The risk of developing this disease increases after age 65.Symptoms:Failure to remember recent events and recognize familiar objects.Emotional distress.Loss of the sense of place.Seeming apathy to surroundings and activities.Delusions, hallucinations.Failure to recognize people, even relatives.Difficulty in walking.Deterioration and eventually the loss of the ability to think independently.Seizures, in some people.Complications:Concomitant infections. Death, due to infection, or accident.Causes:Destruction of a large number of nerve cells.Deficiency in the chemical needed in transmitting nerve impulses.Heredity.Toxic poisoning from metal compounds.... read more
Stockholm: Middle-aged people who drink moderate amounts of coffee significantly reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a study by Finnish and Swedish researchers showed Thursday.
"Middle-aged people who drank between three and five cups of coffee a day lowered their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease by between 60 percent and 65 percent later in life," said lead researcher on the project, Miia Kivipelto, a professor at the University of Kuopio in Finland and at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
The study, which was also conducted in cooperation with the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki and which was published... read more
Washington: Men who develop diabetes in middle age are at significantly increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life, according to a long-term study published recently.The study involved 2,269 men in Sweden who underwent testing at age 50 for diabetes, a disease caused by abnormal insulin levels.During a follow-up period averaging 32 years, 102 of the participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer's, 57 with vascular dementia, and 235 with other forms of dementia or cognitive impairment.The authors, writing in the medical journal Neurology, concluded that the men with low insulin levels at age 50 were nearly 1.5 times more likely... read more
Paris: Scientists recently reported that they had developed an experimental drug to combat Alzheimer's that employs a double-pronged attack against a rogue protein fingered for causing the disease.
The drug-still in clinical trials-is part of a class called gamma-secretase modulators (GSMs), but until now, very little was known as to why the molecule appears to work.
GSMs' target is the accumulation of amyloid beta protein, which forms plaques in the brain and eventually leads to the tragic mind-wrecking disease, symptomized by forgetfulness and dementia.
In a study published in the British journal Nature, a team of 29 US and European researchers found that... read more
The menstrual cycle is interrupted during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and stops after menopause or hysterectomy. Amenorrhea is the abnormal absence of periods that may affect fertility.Symptoms:Menstrual periods never start.Interrupted periods.Complications: Inability to get pregnant.Causes:PrimaryDelayed puberty due to : (a) Heredity factors; (b) Hormonal disorders; (3) Missing female sex chromosome.Congenital defects.A severe illness in childhood.SecondaryAfter stopping oral contraceptive pills.Emotional stress.Strenuous physical activity.Hormonal disorders.Severe weight loss, starvation.Obesity.Disorders of the reproductive organs.Diseases.Certain medicines.Consult a doctor if you have never menstruated by age 16 or you have suddenly stopped menstruating for no reason.... read more
