LIVING 50 PLUS
DECEMBER 2019 D3
THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
SENIOR LIVING | HEALTH
5 Important Things Learned About Alzheimer’s Disease in 2019
increase dementia risk. Most older adults experience some form of vision and/or hearing loss later in life. New research suggests these sensory impair- ments may increase risk for cognitive decline and Alzhei- mer’s, especially if you experi- ence both. Sensory impairment screening may help identify older adults at higher risk of de- veloping dementia, thereby en- couraging early detection. This new knowledge opens the pos- sibility that preventing or cor- recting sensory impairments may reduce dementia risk. 5. Researchers are looking at new drug targets. Researchers are taking a fresh look at the possible causes for dementia and how drugs might be used to stop the disease in its tracks. More than 500 new candidate drug targets have been iden- tified that address everything from reducing inflammation in the brain to protecting nerve cell health. The Alzheimer’s Association’s Part the Cloud awards help fund this type of out-of-the-box research and move findings from the labora- tory, through trials, into possi- ble therapies for people. Researchers are poised to un- cover even more in 2020 and beyond. Increased funding for research from the federal gov- ernment and nonprofit orga- nizations is driving the rapidly growing body of knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
(StatePoint) In 2019, research- ers discovered meaningful insights into the causes, risk factors and treatment of Alz- heimer’s disease and other de- mentias. Here are five of their important discoveries: 1. Lifestyle may play a major role in reducing risk. We’re told that eating a healthy diet and exercising are good for overall health, but did you know that these habits may also reduce one’s risk for cognitive decline and dementia? Research re- ported at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Con- ference suggested that making
multiple healthy lifestyle choic- es -- including eating a low-fat, high vegetable diet, not smok- ing, getting regular exercise and engaging in cognitive stimula- tion -- may decrease dementia risk and may even offset in- creased risk caused by genes or exposure to air pollution. This year, researchers also learned that intensive high blood pres- sure treatment can significantly reduce the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment, which often leads to dementia. 2. A blood test is on the hori- zon. Researchers are working at full speed to develop a simple
blood test that can detect signs of Alzheimer’s early and accu- rately. Blood tests are cheaper, easier to administer, less inva- sive and more accessible than many advanced technologies currently available for Alzhei- mer’s research and diagnosis. Once these tests become avail- able in doctors’ offices, they may also play a role in early detection of dementia, giving individuals and families more time to plan for the future and get needed care and support services, and potentially in- crease their chances of partici- pating in clinical trials.
3. Alzheimer’s is different in men and women. Two-thirds of people living with Alzhei- mer’s disease in the U.S. are women, but scientists aren’t exactly sure why. This year, re- searchers learned about a num- ber of differences in progres- sion and risk between women and men, including newly iden- tified sex-specific risk genes, sex-based differences in how Alzheimer’s may spread in the brain and cognitive benefits for women who participate in the paid workforce.
4. Vision and hearing loss may
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