Antioxidant supplements ineffective against Alzheimer’s, study shows

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For years, doctors have touted an antioxidant-rich diet to help stave off memory loss and dementia. A new study says antioxidants may not do much for preventing Alzheimer’s after all.

An antioxidant cocktail of vitamin E, vitamin C, and lipoic acid had no effect on reducing the physical signs and cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer’s disease, the study found.

Antioxidants are found in apples, blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates, strawberries and other types of fruit. Earlier research suggests a diet rich in antioxidants boosts memory and prevent age-related memory loss. They’re thought to work by protecting cells against free radicals, which are single molecules that latch onto a cell and cause damage. Antioxidants are also thought to have a protective benefit against cancer and heart disease.

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What If It’s Alzheimer’s?

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More than five million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. It takes an average of 30 months from the time family members notice the first symptoms of dementia until the person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. There are several reasons for this, but one of the principal ones is that family members hesitate to take their loved one to a doctor, fearing that the diagnosis will in fact turn out to be Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s is, above all, an insidious illness. It begins with very mild symptoms — things we all do from time to time, such as forgetting to turn off the stove, temporarily forgetting an acquaintance’s name, or misplacing the car keys. But for the person with dementia, these events will become more frequent, and with time more serious symptoms will appear.

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A Bold New Attack on the Alzheimer’s Scourge

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What if a preeminent global health authority declared there’s a public health “time bomb” among us? What if he were the person most responsible for leading the coalition that turned HIV/AIDS from a certain death sentence into a manageable illness? And what if this expert also warned that this crisis was a scourge that, due to the tragic and cruel torture it inflicts on its victims, also demanded, on ethical grounds, to be elevated to a human rights issue?

And what if −- as we already know −- this health crisis was poised to become the fiscal nightmare of the 21st century?

Last week in London, Dr. Peter Piot made each of these declarations at the Alzheimer’s Disease International global meeting.

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Is it Alzheimer’s or depression?

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Because symptoms of Alzheimer’s and depression are very similar, a wrong diagnosis can be costly.

“Chronic depression can cause a structure in your brain to shrink, and that structure is called the hippocampus and that structure is responsible for new learning and remembering,” said psychologist Dr. Shannon Gould.

While depression can be treated and often cured, Alzheimer’s can only be managed. An early diagnosis means early treatment. Neuropsychological evaluations can help determine if it’s dementia or depression.

“We are looking at attention, concentration, processing speed. I may have my patients read a short story and recall as much of that story as they can,” said Dr. Gould.

Depression is not always common in Alzheimer’s patients, but a deficit in their daily living is.

“Difficulty taking medication, maybe they are missing a dosage of medication here, or let’s say a person has always managed the finances, was impeccable with balancing the check book, now suddenly they have difficulty writing out a check properly,” said Dr. Gould.

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Researchers find way to predict disease in people with a rare form

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Remembering family members who can’t remember themselves, Alexandra looks through pictures of several relatives struck with an aggressive form of Alzheimer’s disease.

The 35-year-old woman, who will be identified as Alexandra to protect her identity, lost her mother to familial Alzheimer’s. Her mother was diagnosed with the disease at age 42 and died in her early 50s.

“It’s sad, and the sadder part about it is she didn’t have a life that she should have deserved,” Alexandra said.

Like other relatives, Alexandra’s mother died from familial Alzheimer’s in her early 50s. Doctors say having the specific gene mutations predict with 100 percent certainty the carrier will develop the disease. While familial Alzheimer’s disease, or FAD, accounts for less than 2 percent of total cases, the disease process is similar to common forms.

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‘Game plan’ key for Alzheimer’s patients to manage illness

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Pat Summitt talked about her “game plan,” one of those fundamental phrases from Coaching 101 class.

Summitt was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease last summer and revealed it during interviews in August.

This week, Summitt will lead the Tennessee Lady Vols into the NCAA Tournament, something she has done every year since 1982. She has won eight national titles. The Lady Vols won the SEC tournament for the third- straight time.

As one of the country’s most visible Alzheimer’s victims, the awareness Summitt has brought has been invaluable.

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