Free Republic

The NFL believes that nearly three in 10 former players will develop debilitating brain conditions, and that they will be stricken earlier and twice as often as the general population. The disclosure Friday comes in data the league prepared for its proposed $765 million settlement of thousands of concussion lawsuits. Both the league and players' lawyers estimate that 28 percent of the retirees will develop Alzheimer's disease, moderate dementia or more serious neurological problems. That would represent nearly 6,000 of the 19,000 living former players. Dozens of them could develop Lou Gehrig's or Parkinson's disease.

Extremely low levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active compound in marijuana, may offer a novel and viable treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD), preliminary research suggests. Investigators at the University of South Florida in Tampa found that THC both decreases the production of amyloid beta (Aβ) and inhibits its aggregation in cell cultures. In addition, it does so at extremely safe doses. These observations have implications for a potentially new therapeutic approach to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as researchers suggest. "Our group believes that amyloid aggregation is the initiator of AD, so we wanted to see if THC can...

Two years of research by a Nigerian scientist has shown that sufferers of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease could be helped by punicalagin, a compound extracted from pomegranates. Olumayokun Olajide from the University of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire showed how punicalagin could inhibit inflammation in specialised brain cells known as micrologia. He also found the painful inflammation that accompanies illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson's disease could be reduced using the same drug. "We do know that regular consumption of pomegranate has a lot of health benefits, including prevention of neuro-inflammation related to dementia," Olajide added.

Denver Broncos team owner Pat Bowlen is steeping down from day-to-day operations because he is battling Alzheimer's Disease ... The Broncos said Bowlen had already been reducing his role in recent years while he was, "courageously and privately battling Alzheimer’s disease." "The Broncos are very saddened that Mr. Bowlen is no longer able to be part of the team’s daily operations due to his condition," the team said on its website. "We continue to offer our full support, compassion and respect to ‘Mr. B,’ who has faced Alzheimer’s disease with such dignity and strength." Team president Joe Ellis will assume...

Now, researchers from the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, CA, and the University of California-San Francisco reveal they have successfully reversed learning and memory deficits in mouse models of Alzheimer's through transplantation of healthy brain cells. The team transplanted inhibitory neuron progenitors - early-stage brain cells that can change into mature inhibitory regulator cells - into the hippocampus of two mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. One mouse model possessed the apoE4 gene, while the other had the apoE4 gene alongside a build-up of amyloid-beta - a protein also believed to play a role in Alzheimer's development. The researchers found that...

Scientists at Oxford University and Kings College London develop blood test which can predict the onset of Alzheimer's so that drugs could target the disease before symptoms appear A blood test has been developed to predict if someone will develop Alzheimer’s within a year, raising hopes that the disease could become preventable. After a decade of research, scientists at Oxford University and King’s College London are confident they have found 10 proteins which show the disease is imminent. Clinical trials will start on people who have not yet developed Alzheimer’s to find out which drugs halt its onset. The blood...

Many Baby Boomers already dread “the talk” –- suggesting their aging parents surrender car keys –- but now two geriatric experts say another thorny, family question must be asked of some elderly folks. Is it time to give up your gun? In a recently published paper, the two physicians offer a five-point checklist meant to help caregivers assess whether firearms remain safe in the hands and homes of older Americans, particularly if the gun owners are exhibiting unclear thinking or depression. “Just like with some (older) people, it’s not if you should stop driving, but when,” said Dr. Ellen M....

And this week, on the same day, Cochran seemed confused by two questions about the race. At a stop in Hattiesburg, Dan Balz asked Cochran about the Affordable Care Act. "I think we need to monitor any federal programs that provide services and assistance to people who need help, and this is an example of an important effort by the federal government to help make health care available, accessible and affordable," said the senator. Afterwards, as Balz reported, the Cochran campaign called him to say the senator thought the question was about the VA. When I talked to Cochran, I...

Remembering 60 years back is hard for anyone, but for Melvyn Amrine, it's especially challenging. Melvyn was diagnosed with Alzheimer's three years ago. For his wife, Doris, it's been hard to watch. But she says something happened recently to remind her that the man she fell in love with is still here. "It's special, because even though the mind doesn't remember everything, the heart remembers," Doris says. It happened the day before Mother's Day, when Melvyn, who normally needs help just walking around the block, turned up missing. Police dispatch in Little Rock, Arkansas, put out the call. They eventually...

More than 5 million people in the US have Alzheimer's disease, and this number is estimated to rise to 16 million by 2050. Such figures emphasize the importance of finding new treatments for the condition, and new research from Saint Louis University in Missouri could provide just that. In a mouse study, researchers were able to reverse symptoms of Alzheimer's using a newly created molecular compound. The Saint Louis team, led by Susan Farr, PhD, a professor of geriatrics at the university, developed a compound called antisense oligonucleotide (OL-1). When tested on mouse models with Alzheimer's disease, they found the...

An antidepressant drug appears to deter the formation of amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published today (May 14) in Science Translational Medicine. A team led by Yvette Sheline of the University of Pennsylvania studied the effects of citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), on mice and a small group of people.Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles can be found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, but it’s not clear if the plaques are precursors to neurodegenerative problems or an effect of them. Citalopram, which is marketed as Celexa and Cipramil, is typically used to treat...

Hi All , We're moving my mother home from a nursing home and am in the process if hiring care for her. We need 24 hour live in, though mom sleeps through the night. She is immobile, hoyer lift needed. In talking with willing applicants, it seems they need to shift her every 2 hours. Because of that, the care required is more involved. The quote I'm getting is $375 a day. That adds up to $136k per year?! Does that seem right? Any thoughts from my Freeper friends much appreciated.

Country music icon Glen Campbell will probably never perform again, according to his wife. Kim Woolen claims the Wichita Lineman hitmaker's Alzheimer's disease symptoms have robbed Campbell of his ability to recall lyrics and play the guitar.

Jimmy Ellis, a heavyweight champion who sparred with an up-and-coming Muhammad Ali and later fought some of the era's best boxers, died Tuesday. He was 74. Ellis died at a Louisville hospital, brother Jerry Ellis said. Jimmy Ellis had Alzheimer's disease in recent years.

It may seem the stuff of gothic horror novels, but transfusions of young blood could reverse the ageing process and even cure Alzheimer’s Disease, scientists believe. Throughout history, cultures across the globe have extolled the properties of youthful blood, with children sacrificed and the blood of young warriors drunk by the victors. It was even rumoured that the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il injected himself with blood from healthy young virgins to slow the ageing process. Now scientists have found that young blood actually ‘recharges’ the brain, forms new blood vessels and improves memory and learning. In parallel research, scientists...

Surprise benefits of humble coconut oil - Reversing Dementia.

Former Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole said Monday that the U.S. should send weapons, including tanks, to Ukraine to help it resist Russia's moves on its territory and to send Russian President Vladimir Putin a strong message. The 90-year-old Republican Party icon and former U.S. Senate majority leader said Putin "has sort of sized up" Democratic President Barack Obama and "concluded that he's not a strong leader." Dole's comments came as Vice President Joe Biden began a high-profile visit to Ukraine and only days after an announcement in Geneva that talks between Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the European...

Glen Campbell has been moved into a care facility three years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, People.com reports. "He was moved to an Alzheimer's facility last week," a family friend told the title. "I'm not sure what the permanent plan is for him yet. We'll know more next week." The singer, whose "Rhinestone Cowboy" topped the charts in 1975, had been suffering from short-term memory loss in recent years. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in early 2011. The 78-year-old Grammy winner and his wife Kim initially shared the news of his illness back in 2011 because he’d hoped...

The simple blood test could give early warning within three years The test could speed the search for new drugs that delay or prevent disease Experts are pleased, but it could bring health concerns if no cure is found A simple blood test has been developed that gives healthy elderly people precious early warning they may get Alzheimer’s within the next three years. It is hoped the test, the first to predict accurately who will become ill, could speed the search for new drugs that can delay or even prevent the devastating brain disease. It could eventually lead to widespread...

Actor and comedian Seth Rogen has called out senators for not sticking around during his testimony in a hearing on Alzheimer’s disease research, saying it sent a poor message on how seriously they view the issue. Mr. Rogen’s mother-in-law suffers from early-onset Alzheimer’s, and he set up an Alzheimer’s disease charity. He was in town to testify in front of a Senate Appropriation subcommittee on the disease and and give an emotional appeal for more funding for research — while also featuring some lighter material. “Yes, I am aware that this has nothing to do with the legalization of marijuana,”...