A recent study at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago has shown that intake of certain foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, lower intake of meat, moderate wine consumption and non-refined grains (found in the Mediterranean diet) is associated with less mental decline with age.

http://www.alzheimersbeacon.com/2010/06/09/mediterranean-diet-associated-with-reduced-cognitive-decline/

This just in! The Alzheimer’s Association’s “2010 Facts and Figures Report” presents a thorough and comprehensible breakdown of the information that is currently available regarding Alzheimer’s and dementia in the US. It touches on all the major topics, including the suspected causes and available treatments of the disease, prevalence and risk estimates, care-giving and mortality and the costs and effects on individuals and society as a whole.

Basically, the report states what experts have been saying for some time now – that we are at the brink of an epidemic that needs to be addressed, and measures need to be set in place so that we as a nation can be better prepared to deal with the impending circumstances as they arrive. Some of the most pressing facts that the report states are:

-         One in eight people over the age of 65 (13 percent) have Alzheimer’s disease.

-         In 2000, there were an estimated 411,000 new (incident) cases of Alzheimer’s disease. For 2010, that number is projected to be 454,000 new cases; by 2030, 615,000; and by 2050, 959,000.

-         An estimated 3.5 million additional formally trained healthcare providers will be needed by 2030 – more than a 35% increase in the current ratio of providers to the total population – just to maintain current levels of staffing.

The numbers are out there. It is time to take action and start preparing for the future needs of our population. I am proud to be part of an organization that has recognized this issue and is actively doing their part to help. SLR and the BU School of Medicine Alzheimer’s Disease Center continue to work together to develop a state-of-the-art research-based senior living environment to care for individuals with Alzheimer’s and work towards creating a brighter future for those currently affected by the disease and the generations yet to come.

Science Daily, recently reported on new findings regarding neuroimaging and an increased ability to ‘see’ Alzheimer’s disease at its earliest stage. As you’ve read here before, earlier diagnosis will ultimately to improved treatment, possibly slowing the progression of the disease.

Researches at UCLA followed 169 study participants diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), the stage between the cognitive decline associated with normal aging and the more serious changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Over a three year period, they took pictures of the brains of the individuals in the study, using sophisticated imaging and noting subtle changes over time.

After three years, the researches observed that the individuals who converted from MCI to Alzheimer’s disease showed changes in the hippocampus of the brain, specifically a 10-30 percent atrophy. The early changes noted in the brain imaging appeared before participants reported any decrease in functional ability related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Lianna Apostolova, senior author, of the study’s related paper and a member of the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging stated, ““We feel this is an important finding because it is in living humans.” She went on to say, “Now we have a sensitive technique that shows the ‘invisible’ – this is, the progression of a disease before symptoms appear.”

Close to 3000 researchers and scientists convened in Vienna, Austria for the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD) this month. The meetings, workshops, and presentation highlighted the latest research results in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and focused on new diagnostic tools, prevention methods and treatment options.

Sponsored by National Alzheimer’s Association, the conference brings together the best and brightest in the field. For a full listing of news releases and research findings announced this year, go to www.alz.org/icad.

Noting the expected increase in the number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease, the Alzheimer’s Association has recently increased the frequency of the meeting from every other year, to an annual meeting. Currently, over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. If a preventative treatment or a cure is not found by 2050, that number is expected to exceed 15 million creating a massive public health crisis.

While people with Alzheimer’s disease, their family members, and friend wait for answers about this disease, the change to an annual meeting is timely giving researches and scientists more time for collaboration as they try to understand Alzheimer’s disease, its prevention, treatment and ultimate cure.