Medical Discovery News
Science permeates everyday life. Yet the understanding of advances in biomedical science is limited at best. Few people make the connection that biomedical science is medicine and that biomedical scientists are working today for the medicine of tomorrow. Our weekly five-hundred-word newspaper column (http://www.illuminascicom.com/) and two-minute radio show provide insights into a broad range of biomedical science topics. Medical Discovery News is dedicated to explaining discoveries in biomedical research and their promise for the future of medicine. Each release is designed to stimulate listeners to think, question and appreciate how science affects their health as well as that of the rest of the world. We also delve into significant biomedical discoveries and portray how science (or the lack of it) has impacted health throughout history.
Medical Discovery News
Preventing Dementia
949 Preventing Dementia
Welcome to Medical Discovery News. I’m Dr. David Niesel
And I’m Dr. Norbert Herzog.
Even though one out of ten Americans aged sixty-five and older has dementia, a new study shows that half of dementia cases can be delayed or are preventable!
That’s like heart disease where a person can greatly reduce their risk by managing factors such as weight, LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.
Most dementia is Alzheimer’s disease where the brain has an accumulation of amyloid plaques and twisted versions of the protein, tau. It damages brain cells and keeps them from communicating with other cells.
And family members start to see the impact when the damage is to parts of the brain involved in memory, judgment, or motor skills.
Only three treatments are approved for dementia and none are cures. One is a specialized antibody that removes amyloid plaques and slows cognitive decline. Non-drug therapies can also slow decline.
The new study follows fourteen risk factors that help in other chronic diseases. Drink less alcohol, don’t smoke, watch your weight, exercise and control blood sugar.
It’s also important to avoid social isolation which involves correcting vision or hearing loss. Limit exposure to air pollution. Traumatic brain injury and low educational attainment are also risk factors.
By two thousand fifty, the population of people over sixty-five will grow to eighty million which means there will be more of us with dementia. Most will be women. In total, dementia will be a major cost to society and families.
We are Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog, at UTMB and Quinnipiac University, where biomedical discoveries shape the future of medicine. For much more and our disclaimer go to medicaldiscoverynews.com or subscribe to our podcast. Sign up for expanded print episodes at www.illuminascicom.com
