High Cholesterol in 40s Tied to Dementia Later

Aging populations drive increase; developing world will be hit hard

(NEWSER) - Rising life expectancy in the developing world will lead to a dramatic increase in the number of people stricken by Alzheimer’s disease, HealthDay News reports. The number of dementia cases worldwide will reach 35.6 million in 2010, a 10% increase over the total in 2005. That number is expected to nearly double every 20 years, reaching 115.4 million in 2050, according to a new report by Alzheimer’s Disease International. More»

(NEWSER) - The Alzheimer’s patient had forgotten nearly everything, including his own name, but the sound of Frank Sinatra moved him to grab his wife and dance. The phenomenon demonstrates how deep-seated music is in the human brain, Sara Davidson writes for the New York Times’ New Old Age blog. “If someone sang to you as a baby, before you even knew words, you’ll respond to music after words are gone.” More»

Daily caffeine helps protect the brain from damaging cholesterol

(NEWSER) - A daily fix of caffeine helps shield the brain from the damaging effects of cholesterol, which is apparently the way coffee helps reduce the risk of dementia, new research suggests. The "blood-brain barrier" protects the brain from toxins in the bloodstream, but scientists have discovered that cholesterol makes it leaky. The strength of the barrier was boosted in rabbits given the caffeine equivalent of a daily cup of joe, reports the BBC. More»

Alzheimer's will afflict 1 in 8 baby boomers, report projects

(NEWSER) - Cognitive problems ranging from forgetting what day it is to full-blown dementia are affecting one-third of the nation's seniors, reports a new study by the National Institute on Aging. The report says 22% of those over 71 have mild impairment, added to 16% suffering dementia, the Washington Post reports. An Alzheimer's Association report out today estimates that 1 in 8 baby boomers will have the disease in their lifetime, Bloomberg reports. More»

Treatment removed damaging protein from blood, brains of patients

(NEWSER) - British researchers believe a new drug has the potential to stop Alzheimer's disease in its tracks, reports the BBC. Testing found that the drug, called CPHPC, removed a protein thought to play a key role in Alzheimer's from the blood and, unexpectedly, the brain, in five patients treated for 3 months. The research—still in its early stages—was hailed by experts as grounds for “cautious optimism." More»