HAVING A PARENT WITH DEMENTIA MAY AFFECT MEMORY IN MIDLIFE

If your mother or father has Alzheimer’s disease, you may be at increased risk of memory problems in middle age, according to a new report. The findings are to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle this spring.

Researchers at Boston University analzyed data from the Framingham Heart Study, a long-running study of people living in Massaschusetts. They gathered data on 715 children of the original study, looking at such factors as memory, thinking abilities, and brain volume. They also tested for a gene called APOE-E4, which is known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s late in life. Their average age was 59.

One group of 282 people had one or both parents with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. The parents of the remaining 433 did not have an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Among people who were carriers of the APOE-E4 gene, those who had parents with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia were at two- to three-fold risk of performing poorly on verbal and visual memory tests compared to those who did not have a parent with Alzheimer’s.

“This result in people with parents who have Alzheimer’s disease is equivalent to about 15 years of brain aging,” said study author Stephanie Debette, M.D., Ph.D., of Boston University. “The effect was largely limited to those who have the APOE-E4 gene, which supports the idea that the gene is probably at least partially responsible for the transmission of Alzheimer’s disease risk between generations.”

The authors noted that despite the low scores on some aspects of the memory test, all the individuals were functioning normally and not everyone with the APOE-E4 gene scored poorly. They called for further testing to determine to what extent a family history of dementia, coupled with the presence of the APOE-E4 gene, really affects memory in middle age, and whether such memory problems may result in an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease late in life.

(Source: http://www.alzinfo.org/newsarticle/templates/newstemplate.asp?articleid=343&zoneid=10)

EXERCISE CALMS AGITATION ASSOCIATED WITH DEMENTIA

In a pilot study, agitation and functioning improved in a group of elderly nursing home residents suffering from severe dementia when they engaged in just 30 minutes of supervised exercise three times a week.

Edris Aman, a second-year medical student at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri, who conducted the study, told Reuters Health: "Lots of people just assume that people with this kind of (severe) dementia cannot follow exercise instructions, but they can. It just takes more patience on the part of the exercise coordinator - me in this case."

Aman said his study is unique because it involved people suffering from severe dementia who were living in the "special needs" units of two nursing homes. The 50 study participants, whose average age was 79, performed 15 minutes of aerobic exercise and 15 minutes of weight lifting three times a week.

"Before and after" tests revealed that patients were far less agitated after completing the 3-week exercise program. They also showed significant improvement in their functional status - specifically, the distance they could walk in six minutes.

Aman, who presented his research at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society, said there didn't seem to be an improvement in depression with exercise; however, this was a "very low dose of exercise," he said, and "there are a lot of studies that are emerging" that do show a benefit of exercise on depression.

The take-home message is that, exercise benefits all; even those with severe dementia can reap the benefits of exercise if people are patient enough.

Aman's study is currently "in press" at the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.

(Source: Reuters Health, 30 April 2009)

23 MAY '09 (Saturday) Talk on “INTRODUCTION ON EXERCISE” by Physiotherapist, Ms Tracy Chan.

Dear Members,

ADFM KL-PJ Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group Committee, in conjunction with its support group monthly gathering, has arranged a Talk “INTRODUCTION ON EXERCISE” by Physiotherapist, Ms Tracy Chan.

The Committee welcome all Members and the Public to this Talk.

Details of the Talk:

DAY/DATE: SATURDAY, 23 MAY 2009
TIME: 2:30 PM
VENUE: ADFM Taman Seputeh Day Care Centre, 9A, Lorong Bukit Raja, Taman Seputeh, 58000 Kuala Lumpur

SYNOPSIS: “INTRODUCTION ON EXERCISE”

The aim of this session is to provide the older/geriatric population of society information on the benefits of exercise, especially for people with dementia and for the prevention of dementia.

The benefits of exercise have been recognized by all in the medical and para medical professions. These benefits range from reduced risks/incidences of various diseases like colon, breast, prostate and rectal cancers, type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, coronary artery disease, osteoporotic fractures and falls to improvements in cardio vascular functions, lipid profiles, mental functions etc.. It also has been shown to reduce the risk of developing dementia, delay the onset of dementia and slow down its progression.

There are different types of exercise for different purposes. Exercise could be vigorous, moderate or light. There are aerobic exercises as well as strengthening exercises. In order to avoid injury, it is recommended that one undergoes warming up before any exercise and cooling down after the exercise.

Although exercise is good for most of the older / geriatric population, precautions have to be taken by those having heart problems, uncontrolled metabolic disease, and uncontrolled hypertension for example and those with chronic problems like joint replacements, stroke, heart surgery arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

SPEAKER’S PROFILE: MS TRACY CHAN

This session on Exercise is presented by MsTracy Chan, a physiotherapist. Tracy obtained her Bachelor of Allied Health Sciences (Physiotherapy) from the University of Sydney, her Graduate Certificate in Orthopaedic Manual Therapy from Curtin University and her Graduate Diploma in Neurological Rehabilitation from the University of Western Australia. She has worked in various private hospitals for 5 years and thereafter on her own and for various NGO’s.

Registration:

kindly confirm your attendance to:

ADFM Secretariat, Katherine Leong /Janet Low at Tel: 603 – 7956 2008 / 7958 3008 OR Email to: adfmsec@streamyx.com

OR you can register online with the ADFM National Alzheimer's Caregivers Online Network (NACON) at: adfmcaregivers@gmail.com

Welcome you to join our National Alzheimer's Caregivers Online Network (NACON) if you are not a Member yet. To join, click at: http://admalaysia.ning.com/main/authorization/signUp

From: KL-PJ Alzheimer's Caregivers Support Group Committee &
National Alzheimer's Caregivers Online Network (NACON)

STUDY : PAINKILLERS DO NOT PREVENT ALZHEIMER'S

Anti-inflammatory pain relievers such as Ibupofren (Advil, Motril) and naproxen (Aleve) may delay the onset of Alzheimer's but do not prevent it, according to a new medical study.

Earlier studies indicated that such nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include aspirin, could protect against Alzheimer's, a degenerative disease linked to inflammation in the brain.

The new research, published in the April 22 online issue of Neurology, the Jurnal of the American Academy of Neurology, has shown the opposite effect, with NSAIDs increasing the risk of Alzheimer's by 66 percent.

The study involved 2,736 subjects with an average age of 75 who did not suffer dementia when enrolled. Followed over a period of 12 years, the group included 351 heavy users of ibuprofen or naproxen prior to enrollment, and 107 who became heavy users during the study.

At the end of the research, 476 patients had developed Alzheimer's or some form of dementia.

Researchers determined that heavy NSAIDs users had 66 percent greater chance of developing Alzheimer's or dementia than those with little or no NSAID use.

"A key difference between this study and most of those done earlier is that our participants were older," said study author John Breitner, of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the University of Washington in Seattle.

"It has been argued for some time that NSAID use delays the onset of Alzheimer's disease. It would follow that studies looking at younger people who use NSAIDs would show fewer cases of Alzheimer's, while in groups of older people there might be more cases, including those that would have occurred earlier if they had not been delayed," he added.

"This is one interpretation of the results, but other explanations are possible," Breitner cautioned, adding that further research was needed to understand why NSAIDs increased the risk of dementia.

Characterized by forgetfulness, agitation and dementia, Alzheimer's is caused by a massive loss of cells in several regions of the brain, driven by a buildup of plaques of amyloid protein. The disease occurs most frequently in old age.

An estimated 37 million people worldwide, including 5.3 million in the United States, live with dementia, with Alzheimer's disease causing the majority of cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

With the aging of populations, this figure is projected to increase rapidly over the next 20 years.

(Source: AFP, 22 April 2009)

LOW BLOOD SUGAR A DEMENTIA RISK FOR DIABETICS

Older diabetics whose blood sugar drops to dangerously low levels have a higher risk of developing dementia, latest study from U.S. Researchers.

The study by Researchers at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California, suggests that aggressive blood sugar control resulting in blood sugar so low it requires a trip to the hospital may increase dementia risks in older adults with type 2 diabetes.

"We know that having blood sugar that is too high is not good," said Rachel Whitmer, a Kaiser research scientist whose study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"You want to keep that blood sugar at a good level, but you don't want to go too low," she said.

Several studies have found that diabetics have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The most common form of dementia - than do the general population. And others have shown that diabetics who take insulin and pills to help control their disease have a lower Alzheimer's risk.

The very current issue here is balance of blood sugar control.

A number of things such as a missed meal can cause severe low blood sugar in diabetics, but the chief cause is too much insulin, which can happen in people who take insulin injections or with oral diabetes drugs such as sulfanylureas or glimepiride that cause the body to make more insulin.

The research study looked at more that two decades of data in more than 16,600 patients with type 2 diabetes.

The Research Team checked to see if prior episodes of low blood sugar that were severe enough to require a trip to the hospital were associated with a higher risk of dementia.

They found that compared with people who had no severe bouts of low blood sugar, diabetics with single or multiple episodes had higher dementia risks, and risk levels rose depending on the number of severe hypoglycemic episodes.

The study said in older patients with a history of one episode, they had a 26 percent greater risk of dementia. Patients with two episodes had a 115 percent greater risk of dementia. And patients with three or more episodes had a 160 percent greater risk of dementia.

The study offers more evidence that aggressive measures to control blood sugar can cause harm in elderly diabetics.

It follows three recent trials that found tight glycemic control could cause heart disease and death in some elderly diabetics.

The Research Team plan to look at dementia risks for people in the study who took glitazones - a class of drugs that help diabetics use insulin better. Drugs in this class include GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia or rosiglitazone and Takeda Pharmaceutical's Actos or pioglitazone.

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia among older people, affecting 5.2 million people in the United States, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Some 23.6 million Americans have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

(Source: Reuters, 14 April 2009)

27 JUNE '09 - TALK ON “GENETIC TESTS FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND LATEST RESEARCH”

Dear All,

ADFM KL-PJ AD Caregivers Support Group Committee, in conjunction with our monthly gathering, is organizing a talk on:

TALK: “GENETIC TESTS FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND LATEST RESEARCH”
SPEAKER: BY DR AZLINA AHMAD ANNUAR
DAY/DATE: SATURDAY, 27 JUNE 2009
TIME: 2:30 PM
VENUE: RUMAH ALZHEIMER’S, PJ DAY CARE CENTRE, NO. 6, LORONG 11/8E, SECTION 11, 46200 PETALING JAYA

Registration begins at 2:00pm

SYNOPSIS: 'GENETIC TESTS FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND LATEST RESEARCH'

Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disease that typically affects older adults from the age of 65 onwards. The causes for this disease can be multi-factorial, meaning it can be due to many different factors including genetics and environmental influence. It is known that there are some genes which are thought to give you a risk factor for developing AD in later life.

AD can also be inherited and usually these family members develop AD at a much earlier age (before 50 years of age). In these families, there is a strong genetic component and some of the genes have been identified.

Current research into AD is focused on trying to understand the influence of genes in the development of the disease, and how we can interfere with the progression of the disease.

This talk will try to explain the current research into AD and what it means for the future treatment of this devastating disorder.

SPEAKER'S PROFILE: DR AZLINA AHMAD ANNUAR

Dr Azlina is a Lecturer at the University Malaya. She is also doing some research on the brain, and is interested in how memory works.

Dr Azlina used to be involved with the KL-PJ AD Support Group between the years 1999-2000 before she left for her PhD in UK. She always had fond memory of the loving, fighting spirit of the caregivers as they face this disease with their loved ones.

MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC ARE WELCOME TO THE FREE TALK

Kindly confirm your attendance to:

ADFM Secretariat, Kath Leong /Janet Low at Tel: 603 – 7956 2008 / 7958 3008 OR Email to: adfmsec@streamyx.com

OR you can register online with the ADFM National Alzheimer's Caregivers Online Network (NACON) at: adfmcaregivers@gmail.com


Welcome you to join our National Alzheimer's Caregivers Online Network (NACON) if you are not a Member yet. To join, click at: http://admalaysia.ning.com/main/authorization/signUp

From: KL-PJ Alzheimer's Caregivers Support Group Committee &
National Alzheimer's Caregivers Online Network (NACON)

HEALTH WORRIES MAY KEEP AGING ADULTS ON THE COUCH

Older adults who worry about their health often opt out of physical activity and as a result, they may have greater trouble walking and getting around as they age, new research suggests.

A key component to avoid walking difficulty in older adults is to resolve health worry issues earlier in life, the Researchers from the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science at Oregon State University in Corvallis suggest in the current issue of Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, where their research is published.

Some studies have suggested that “health worry” may motivate people to exercise regularly and engage in other healthy behaviors. The current study, however, suggests that’s not always the case.

Among a representative sample of 7,527 adults aged 70 and older participating in the Longitudinal Study of Aging, people with a high degree of health worry engaged in less physical activity than those who worried less about their health.

Furthermore, people who participated in less physical activity were more likely than their more active counterparts to report having trouble walking 6 years later.

Because physical function decreases with age and safety concerns arise, older adults may not choose physical activity as a response to health worry.

They also note that health professionals, the media, fitness instructors and family and friends may use warnings of illness or premature death to try to motivate aging couch potatoes to exercise or at least become more physically active. However, the current study suggests that this may be counterproductive; aging adults may become so fearful of their health that they will avoid physical activity.

Study shows using threats and fear-tactics to encourage physical activity in older adults will not work.

The current study suggests a more productive approach in dealing with health concerns in the aging population is to provide health-related information and screening tools prior to beginning a physical activity routine to help cope with health worries. This might ease health concerns and promote participation in physical activity.

The simple message from this study is that people should be encouraged to walk. To encourage walking, people should avoid fear-raising tactics. Rather, the emphasis should be on walking for fun, for health and for transportation.

The study warned that fear-inducing strategies often cause older adults to worry about things like falling and that diminishes their desire to walk, which in turn diminishes their ability to walk.

(Source: Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, March 2009.)

03 MAY '09 (SUNDAY), 2:30 PM, PENANG - FREE PUBLIC TALKS ON "DEMENTIA-DUTY TO CARE" & "CARING FOR THE CARE-GIVER"

The Alzheimer's Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM) Penang AD Support Group cordially invites YOU to their Public Talks on:

Date: Sunday, 3 May 2009
Time: 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Venue: Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang
(Seminar Room 4, Caring Society Complex), Jalan Utama, Penang

Registration begins at 2.30 p.m.

Agenda:
3.00pm - Welcome Address by Mr Tan Yeow Joo, Chairman, ADFM Penang AD Support Group

3.10pm - Opening Address by Dr P Srinivas, Consultant Geriatrician and Advisor, ADFM Penang AD Support Group

3.20pm - “Dementia – Duty to CARE”
By Mr Willie Kwa, Mental Health Practitioner for the Elderly in UK

3.50pm - “Caring for the Care-Giver”
By Ms Margarita Malayapillay, President Penang Association of Counselling and Psychology

4.10pm - Questions and Answers

4.30pm - Refreshment

For reservation, kindly contact:
Tel: 604-6564537 / Fax: 6573202 or call Chairman, Mr YJ Tan at: 604-6565291 or Email: besil1954@yahoo.com

FREE ADMISSION, ALL ARE WELCOME

A Community Project organized by Penang AD Support Group & supported by Novartis.

25 APRIL 2009 - TALK ON "HOW TO EXERCISE THE BRAIN" BY DR AZLINA ANNUAR

Dear All,

TALK ON: "HOW TO EXERCISE THE BRAIN" BY DR AZLINA ANNUAR
DAY/DATE: SATURDAY, 25 APRIL 2009
TIME: 2:30 PM
VENUE: RUMAH ALZHEIMER’S, PJ DAY CARE CENTRE, NO. 6, LORONG 11/8E, SECTION 11, 46200 PETALING JAYA

The KL-PJ Alzheimer's Caregivers Support Group Committee WELCOME ALL MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC to attend the above Talk in conjunction with our monthly gathering.

Synopsis: “How To Exercise The Brain”

Do you find it difficult to remember things? Do you easily forget someone's name or often forget where you parked the car? Everyone loses their memory from time to time, it is a part of normal life.

People often want to know how to improve their memory, and one way to do this is by exercising your brain! The brain is similar to muscle- the more you use it, the stronger it gets. To improve your memory, you can focus on certain tasks to exercise the brain.

This talk will introduce the structures in the brain involved in memory and also briefly explain how the brain records the information. We'll see why people with Alzheimer's disease have a specific type of memory loss and how this impacts on their behaviour.

We will then discuss some practical ideas on how to get the most of your own memory.

Speaker's Profile: Dr Azlina Ahmad Annuar

Dr Azlina is a Lecturer at the University Malaya. She is also doing some research on the brain, and is interested in how memory works.

Dr Azlina used to be involved with the KL-PJ AD Support Group between the years 1999-2000 before she left for her PhD in UK. She always had fond memory of the loving, fighting spirit of the caregivers as they face this disease with their loved ones.

Registration:

kindly confirm your attendance to:

ADFM Secretariat, Katherine Leong /Janet Low at Tel: 603 – 7956 2008 / 7958 3008 OR Email to: adfmsec@streamyx.com

OR you can register online with the ADFM National Alzheimer's Caregivers Online Network (NACON) at: adfmcaregivers@gmail.com

Welcome you to join our National Alzheimer's Caregivers Online Network (NACON) if you are not a Member yet. To join, click at: http://admalaysia.ning.com/main/authorization/signUp

From: KL-PJ Alzheimer's Caregivers Support Group Committee &
National Alzheimer's Caregivers Online Network (NACON)

FORGET BRAIN EXERCISE

Healthy older people shouldn't bother spending money on computer games and websites promising to ward off mental decline, according to the author of a review of scientific evidence for the benefits of these "Brain Exercise" Programmes.

"These marketed products don't confer any additional benefit over and above being socially and intellectually active in one's normal daily life," said Dr Peter J. Snyder of Lifespan Affiliated Hospitals in Rhode Island in the United States.

"There are somethings that we could be doing that have much more rigorous data to support their application."

Types of "Brain Training" are known to help people with memory problems function better, but their benefit for those who don't have measurable cognitive impairment isn't clear, Synder and his Team noted.

Meanwhile in an interview, Synder said the market for these products has swelled from US$2 million (RM) in 2005 to an estimated US$225 million this year.

To review evidence on the benefits of cognitive training for healthy older people, Snyder and his colleagues analyzed 10 randomized controlled trials of a variety of approaches, ranging from a popular computer-based programme to individualized piano lessons.

While there was some evidence that brain training helped people's immediate performance on tasks related to the training, there was no evidence that the effects could be generalized to other areas of mental function. Further, just half of the studies included extended follow-up, so evidence for long term benefits was slim.

The findings don't mean that brain training isn't helpful for people who have memory problems, nor are they definitive proof that brain exercise can't help keep healthy people's wits sharp.

But social and intellectual engagement in day-to-day life, from reading to grandchildren to doing crossword puzzles, is "probably just as effective or more effective" than any formal brain exercise programme, he said. Further, these activities are free.

Also, there is strong scientific evidence that being physically active every day preserves cognitive function. Because cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes are both known to contribute to mental decline, exercising and taking other steps to maintain heart health and a healthy weight will help keep the brain healthy too.

(Source: NST, 12 April 2009 from Reuters)