Article in the KC Star on early detection of Alzheimers. Just another medical scam?

[leftyladyfrommo]

Geez. I don't trust anyone any more.

This article was saying that they are coming up with new tests to predict Alzheimers way before there are any symptoms.

Of course - there would be a ton more people getting tested. So someone would be making a mint off the testing.

And the drug companies would make a mint by selling new products to this whole new market.

But its being touted as a major breakthrough.

[DURHAM D]

1. Do you have a link to the story? nt

[leftyladyfrommo]

3. let me see if I can figure out how to put it over here.

I'm pretty computer stupid. It was this morning's paper.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Why the hell would anyone want this? That's what I can't figure out.

They can't stop it or cure it. Drugs only help with symptoms for a while. I wouldn't want to know in advance if I was doomed until there was a way to stop or reverse the condition.

[leftyladyfrommo]

4. That's what I wondered. There aren't any drugs that really help are there?

You would just spend years worrying about it. And we all know just how accurate those medical tests tend to be.

[TwilightGardener]

5. You would spend what may be your last GOOD years worrying about it--

instead of living life blissfully unaware of what lies ahead, which is probably better for most people.

[leftyladyfrommo]

6. I found one article from yesterday about how new drugs are needed.

That's not news.

What good are expensive brain scans and fluid tests and whatever if they do no good?

[Celebration]

7. there actually are some early intervention strategies, even now

Not much testing on them, but having an early diagnosis could get people to change some habits.

Someone just posted about Vitamin D, exercise and drinking tea being associated with less dementia

http://www.suntimes.com/health/2492560,CST-NWS-dementia13.article

There are some other studies on supplements as well.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20622013 (turmeric and amyloid plaques)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20388079 (using simple choline agents as anti-Alzheimers agests)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20396634 (possible use of fish oil along with other diet modification in early Alzheimer's)

etc., etc.

I am not suggesting that there is ONE magic bullet. But there are some pretty good strategies that, used EARLY and in concert with each other, could prove anywhere from mildly to moderately successful.

[leftyladyfrommo]

8. I was just talking to a man this morning whose mother has just been diagnosed.

She is only 58. Was a nurse all of her life. He and his father are just having a horrible time trying to reconcile themselves to this.

It is such an awful disease.

[Celebration]

9. I do think they are diagnosing it earlier now

At least informally. I have a good friend who was forgetting conversations she had with me less than fifteen minutes earlier. She did this in the presence of her husband, who realized it, I am sure. I never needed to say anything. After that she mentioned that she started taking two teaspoonfuls of fish oil per day, plus some other supplements. I have not noticed anything remotely related to memory loss since then. It might have been cod liver oil that she was taking, I forget. Whatever it was, it was a rather large amount. It may have been two tablespoons a day. One capsule would not cut it, I don't think.

And turmeric!! Awesome all around anti inflammatory agent...............

[Warpy]

10. It's a "maybe, kinda, sorta, in 3 years" test

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1292386/The-holy-grail-test-gives-early-warning-Alzheimers.html

Right now, the only diagnosis is by cognitive testing and CT scan, the latter showing non specific atrophy and enlarged ventricles in the brain.

Until then, I like my own criteria: forgetting your keys or somebody's name is normal; forgetting what you had for breakfast 3 hours ago is worrisome; going out for the morning paper and forgetting which house you live in is Alzheimer's.