How to Talk to Your Friends About Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Disease

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If you’ve been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD), you’ve at least begun the process of understanding what that will mean for you and your loved ones, both now and in the future. 

Sharing your diagnosis with friends may feel like a scary point of no return in your Alzheimer’s journey, but it can also help you move forward. Telling trusted friends will make it easier to stay connected and stop feeling as if you’re carrying a secret alone. 

While you can’t control other people’s reactions to your diagnosis, some approaches can make the conversation easier and give you and your friend a chance to process what this means for you and your relationship.

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Bill Ritter Reveals the First Signs of Alzheimer’s He Noticed 2 Years Before Diagnosis: ‘I Was Scared’

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  • Bill Ritter has retired from his regular anchoring duties on ABC 7 New York after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s
  • The veteran journalist said on Good Morning America he first noticed memory issues two years ago and initially blamed his demanding work schedule
  • Ritter plans to continue working with ABC 7 to advocate for Alzheimer’s awareness and support others affected by the disease

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Millions Take This Joint Supplement but Scientists Found a Concerning Alzheimer’s Link

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A widely used supplement marketed for joint pain relief may be linked to faster progression of Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research from University of Florida scientists.

The study found that people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who reported taking glucosamine were more likely to develop dementia than those who did not use the supplement. The findings come from a large analysis of patient records, along with brain imaging studies in both human tissue and mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.

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Age-Related Mutations in Brain Immune Cells Linked to Alzheimer’s Inflammation

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Researchers have uncovered evidence that age-related genetic mutations commonly associated with cancer and blood disorders may also contribute to the chronic brain inflammation characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.

In a study published in Cell, investigators from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Boston Children’s Hospital identified somatic mutations in brain immune cells from patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The findings suggest that genetic alterations acquired during aging may reshape the behavior of these cells, driving inflammatory processes linked to neurodegeneration.

The work introduces a potential new biological mechanism connecting aging, immune dysfunction, and Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that affects millions of people worldwide and remains one of the leading causes of dementia.

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Correlation Between Dental Health and Alzheimer’s

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June is Alzheimers & Brain Awareness Month. Dr. Nevin Mathai, Dental Director and spokesperson for Delta Dental of Missouri and DeltaVision drops by StudioSTL to tell us about the link between oral and vision health and the debilitating disease. Research continues to show that oral health, vision health, and brain health are closely connected. Gum disease creates chronic inflammation and allows harmful bacteria to enter the bloodstream, which may reach the brain and accelerate the progression of Alzheimers disease. People with gum disease are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer`s compared to those with healthy gums. There is also a connection between deteriorating eye health and an increased risk of cognitive decline. For individuals living with cognitive decline, maintaining good vision and oral health can become more difficult. Find out what you can do to help protect your brain and how Delta Dental and Vision can help.

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Magic mushrooms and Alzheimer’s: what one remarkable case can tell us

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Magic mushrooms are better known for producing hallucinations and altering people’s sense of reality than for treating brain diseases. Most people associate them with tripping, rather than Alzheimer’s disease.

But a report on an individual patient has prompted scientists to ask whether psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, could have unexpected effects on the ageing brain.

The report describes changes observed in a Japanese-American woman in her 80s with advanced Alzheimer’s disease after she received psilocybin-containing mushrooms. Dementia is a broad term for symptoms that affect memory, thinking and everyday independence. Alzheimer’s disease is its most common cause.

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