Alzheimer's

Gene Hackman died of heart disease after wife succumbed to hantavirus

Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. Mr Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease, Jarrell said. He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death. Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered February 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was February 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighbourhood that .

Loneliness increases risk of dementia by over 30%, studies review suggests

Loneliness is a major risk factor that increases the risk of dementia by over 30 per cent, regardless of age or gender, a review of 21 long-term studies involving over six lakh participants worldwide has found. Loneliness, which involves one feeling dissatisfied with their social relationships, was also linked with symptoms preceding the stage of being diagnosed with dementia, such as cognitive impairment or decline. Both conditions affect decision-making, memory and thought process. However, dementia's symptoms are severe enough to interfere with one's daily functioning. The psychological state of feeling disconnected from society is now widely regarded as a risk factor for ill-health, even though studies have shown that loneliness cannot directly cause the disease. "Dementia is spectrum, with neuropathological changes that start decades before clinical onset. It is important to continue studying the link of loneliness with different cognitive outcomes or symptoms across this ...

USFDA approves second Alzheimer's drug that can modestly slow disease

U.S. officials have approved another Alzheimer's drug that can modestly slow the disease, providing a new option for patients in the early stages of the incurable, memory-destroying ailment. The Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly's Kisunla on Tuesday for mild or early cases of dementia caused by Alzheimer's. It's only the second drug that's been convincingly shown to delay cognitive decline in patients, following last year's approval of a similar drug from Japanese drugmaker Eisai. The delay seen with both drugs amounts to a matter of months about seven months, in the case of Lilly's drug. Patients and their families will have to weigh that benefit against the downsides, including regular IV infusions and potentially dangerous side effects like brain swelling. Physicians who treat Alzheimer's say the approval is an important step after decades of failed experimental treatments. I'm thrilled to have different options to help my patients, said Dr. Suzanne Schindler, a .

Climate change could lead to spread, worsening of mental conditions: Study

"In order to work properly, the brain has to be maintained within a relatively narrow temperature range," said Sanjay Sisodiya, a professor at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology

Espresso coffee may prevent Alzheimer's symptoms, lab study finds

Compounds in espresso coffee may inhibit a process that is believed to be involved in the onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to early findings of a study conducted in lab. To make espresso coffee, hot water is forced through finely ground coffee beans, creating a concentrated extract. This is often used as a base for other drinks, including the trendy espresso martini. Recent research has suggested that coffee could also have beneficial effects against certain neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. In healthy people, tau proteins help stabilise structures in the brain, but when certain diseases develop, the proteins can clump together into fibrils -- a process that is believed to be involved in the onset of Alzheimer's. The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, nalaysed if compounds in espresso could prevent tau aggregation in vitro. Researchers from the University of Verona in Italy pulled espresso shots from store-bought bea

Eli Lilly's drug donanemab seen as a turning point in dementia fight

Drug slows Alzheimer's by 60% for mildly impaired patients in trial

Found a cocktail of drugs that reverses ageing, claim Harvard researchers

The team discovered six chemical cocktails which reversed the ageing process in both human and mice skin cells 'by several years'

Eisai Alzheimer's drug gets full US approval, widening access to therapy

The broader clearance from the Food and Drug Administration marks a milestone for treatment of the dementia that afflicts some 6 million Americans

Intermittent fasting helps protect the brain from diseases like Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is an increasingly urgent global issue. The World Health Organization predicts that the number of people with the condition will triple by 2050

Link between retinal changes and Alzheimer's allows early tracking, therapy

Macquarie University study finds protein markers in the eye that mirror changes in the brain, confirming researchers' long-standing suspicion about the existence of such a link

More diagnostic tools for early detection of Alzheimer's underway: Report

With advancements in medical technology, novel diagnostic tools are emerging to facilitate early and accurate detection of Alzheimer's disease, according to a report on Friday

Traffic-related air pollution can cause Alzheimer's disease: Research

Memory loss, cognitive decline, and the activation of neural pathways linked to the start of Alzheimer's disease were shown to be caused by exposure to air pollution caused by traffic in Irvine

Women are more likely to get Alzheimer's disease, find researchers

Scientists discover a clue to molecular origin of Alzheimer's disease, which may explain why women are more susceptible to the condition

Alzheimer's drug trial shown to slow cognitive decline, says report

A new drug, lecanemab, has been found to slow down cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients, according to a study that could lead to new treatments for the neurodegenerative disease. The study results were presented at the 15th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) Conference in San Francisco, US, on November 29. The study is also published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Amyloid-clearing and cognitive decline-slowing drug lecanemab, which is poised for FDA approval early next year, will be a positive step in the treatment of Alzheimer's, the study said. Alzheimer's is a complex disease with multiple underlying causes tied to the biology of aging, therefore, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) has long held that a combination drug approach is needed, the study said. Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer's disease. "Today's results show that lecanema

World's most expensive drug approved to treat hemophilia at $3.5 mn a dose

CSL Behring's Hemgenix, administered just once, cut the number of bleeding events expected over the course of a year by 54%, a key study of the therapy found

Chris Hemsworth to take break from acting, at risk of getting Alzheimer's

Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth says he will take "time off" from acting after learning he has a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease. The Australian actor, who is currently promoting his Disney+ docu-series "Limitless", told the Vanity Fair magazine that after doing an episode on death and mortality, he realised the importance of spending time with his family. "I want to sit and be in this space with a greater sense of stillness and gratitude. And then you start talking about kids and family and going, 'Oh my God, they're getting older, they're growing up, and I keep slapping another movie on top of another movie.' "Before you know it, they're 18, and they've moved out of the house, and I missed the window. It really triggered something in me to want to take some time off. And since we finished the show, I've been completing the things I was already contracted to do," Hemsworth said. The 39-year-old actor shares daughter India, 10, and eight-year-old twin sons Tristan and

Suven starts Phase 3 trial for first home-grown Alzheimer's drug

Clinical trial randomisation is the process of assigning patients by chance to groups that receive different treatments

The woes of ageing India and rising Alzheimer's cases

Alzheimer's-related deaths in India increased 5 times in 30 years

Lancet study: Alzheimer's and other dementias claimed 129,000 lives in 2019

India's Alzheimer's burden is growing, but treatment still out of reach

Doctors say there is no national-level policy programme for Alzheimer's and the bulk of the family expenditure on health is on people in their productive ages