Moms Most Likely to Pass Heart Disease on to Kids - Forbes.com:
" Mothers pass on much that is good to their children, but a new study shows there's one gift most would rather not receive -- heart disease...."

PLEASE HELP!!!

Date: Wednesday - April 26th and Thursday April 27th
Time: 8:00 am to 1:00pm
Location: Barrow Neurological Institute Lobby
Contact Information: www.Bloodhero.com [Sponsor Code: "stjoes"]

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reduces Risk of Death in Heart Disease :
[American College of Cardiology 55th annual meeting]
"In an observational study that involved more than 30,000 people, the risk of mortality was significantly reduced for those who had been taking omega-3 fatty oil supplements, researchers reported at the 55th annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.

'It looks as it grandma was right, that cod liver oil might have been the best thing you ever ate,' said Vinod Raxwal, M.D., a cardiology fellow at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. 'We found that if people were not taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements they had a 2.96 times risk of dying compared with people who were taking the supplements....'"

Protein Found that Prevents Key Alzheimer's Pathology :
[Abstract: MedpageToday - [Source reference: Chen F et al "TMP21 Is A Presenilin Complex Component That Modulates γ- But Not ε-Secretase Activity" Nature 440;7088.]

"A better understanding of the insidious forces that culminate in Alzheimer's disease was revealed here today. The process of protein slicing that leads to the development and accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients appears to cut both ways, reported Peter St. George-Hyslop, M.D., D.Sc., director of the Center for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease at the University of Toronto, and colleagues, in the April 27 issue of Nature.

A lowly 'cargo transporter' protein called TMP21 seems to play a key role in preventing the abnormal cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) into beta-amyloid fragments, they found. At the same time, TMP21 does not interfere with a different form of protein cleavage essential for normal cell signaling processes, they said. The discovery could lead the way to new therapies for preventing or treating Alzheimer's, perhaps an analog of TMP21 that targets the abnormal cleavage while leaving other protein slicing functions intact."

Protein splits key to Alzheimers -- study:
[United Press International]
"Researchers said Wednesday they may have found yet another key to the puzzle of how Alzheimer's disease occurs.

Scientists at Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the University of Toronto said they have identified a protein that 'reins in the rogue activity of the molecules that make amyloid-beta peptides,' the suspected culprits in preventing normal brain function in Alzheimer's disease patients..."

Brain Images Link Strokes to Heart Damage :
[Abstract - National Institutes of Health]
"Ischemic strokes in two specific area of the brain appear to send shockwaves through the sympathetic nervous system to cause myocardial injury. Magnetic resonance imaging studies of patients who had new evidence of myocardial damage following an ischemic stroke indicated that infarctions occurring in the right insula and right inferior parietal lobule regions of the brain might be to blame, researchers here reported in an early online release in Neurology.

'The link between the brain and the heart in stroke patients is fascinating,' said A. Gregory Sorensen, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital. 'For instance, most patients with acute stroke have elevated blood pressure that returns to baseline over three to seven days. The connection is believed to be through the autonomic nervous system, but what the mechanism is has been unclear...."

When Implanted Heart Device Fails, Removal is Risky:
[Abstract - Medscape]
"If implanted cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) malfunction, replacement is neither simple nor risk free. Data suggest that ICDs malfunction at a rate 20-fold higher than the pacemaker malfunction rate, which implies that these devices are more likely to be candidates for replacement, according to findings of a survey reported in the April 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association...."

Diet and Exercise Reverse Frailty in Older Obese Patients :
[Abstract - National Library of Medicine]
"Even those of advancing age who are frail and obese can improve their health by diet and exercise, according to a study here.

A small pilot study showed that six months of a reduced-calorie diet combined with behavioral therapy and regular exercise resulted in significant weight loss and improved physical function for these patients, said Dennis T. Villareal, M.D., of the Washington University School of Medicine here."

New Analysis Questions Antipsychotics' Stroke Risk [Psychiatric News]:
"Off-label use of antipsychotic drugs in older patients with dementia is associated with higher risk of strokes, but higher baseline risk or mis-classification of events may account for the difference. ..."

Abstract: Pharmacological Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Dementia: A Review of the Evidence, : "ConclusionsPharmacological therapies are not particularly effective for management of neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia. Of the agents reviewed, the atypical antipsychotics risperidone and olanzapine currently have the best evidence for efficacy. However, the effects are modest and further complicated by an increased risk of stroke. Additional trials of cholinesterase inhibitors enrolling patients with high levels of neuropsychiatric symptoms may be warranted. " [Journal of American Medical Association

Abatacept: A new drug for rheumatoid arthritis treatment - MayoClinic.com:
"Abatacept (Orencia) belongs to a new class of drugs called costimulation modulators. Find out how Abatacept can help people with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis."

Dementia: Not always Alzheimer's -.com:
"Many disorders, some curable, can cause dementia. Don't assume it's always Alzheimer's." Mayo Clinic]

Triple-Drug Therapy Reduces Stroke Severity: "When ischemic strokes occur, patients who happen to be taking ACE inhibitors, antiplatelet agents, and statins may have reduced the severity. In a record review of 210 patients who arrived at the hospital within 24 hours of stroke onset, those who had been on the triple therapy had lower National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores and smaller lesions on imaging than patients who were on either two of the three agents, antiplatelet therapy alone, or no therapy......Patients on triple therapy were also more likely to have a shorter length of stay and better functional status on discharge...Magdy Selim, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center here reported in the April 25 issue of Neurology."
[Abstract - medpagetoday]

Neurochem Presents an Update on Tramiprosate (Alzhemed) Program for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease at 9th International Geneva/Springfield Symposium on Advances in Alzheimer Therapy :
"Paul S. Aisen, M.D., Professor of Neurology and Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, and principal investigator in the United States of the ongoing Phase III clinical trial for tramiprosate (Alzhemed%u2122) presented an update on Neurochem's investigational product candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The presentation by Dr. Aisen took place on April 22, in Geneva, Switzerland, at the 9th International Geneva/Springfield Symposium on Advances in Alzheimer Therapy."
[PharmaLive]

What's Good for the Heart Is Good for the Head - The New York Times :
Healthy habits may prevent more than heart disease and possibly some cancers: they may protect the brain too.
[Free registration to read on NYTimes.com.]

Leuprolide Acetate Stabilises Cognitive Decline in Women With Alzheimer's Disease: "Leuprolide acetate, a drug that is commonly used to treat prostate cancer, appears to produce a significant stabilisation of cognitive function in women with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD)....According to a substudy analysis of a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised, phase 2 clinical trial, the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist leuprolide acetate can significantly stabilise cognitive and global functions in women with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) who are on concomitant cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs)...."
[Abstract - National Institutes of Health]

Art and Alzheimer's.
MoMA offers special program to patients and caregivers

Review examines immunotherapy for Alzheimer disease.
Researchers review immunotherapy for Alzheimer disease and other dementias in a recent issue of Current Opinion in Neurology.
According to the review from England, "The aim of this article is to review the role of immunotherapy in the removal of proteins which accumulate abnormally in neurodegenerative disorders associated with dementia, in particular amyloid-beta accumulation in Alzheimer disease...."

Brain games aim to boost your IQ

Phenserine Tartrate Shows Good Safety and Efficacy for Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease: Presented at AAT: "The cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) phenserine tartrate (PhT) shows significant improvements in cognitive function in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to an evaluation of 2 combined placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised trials.

Lawrence T. Friedhoff, MD, PhD, co-investigator and president, Pharmaceutical Special Projects Group, LCC, a drug development consulting company in New Jersey, presented the findings here April 22nd at the 9th International Geneva/Springfield Symposium on Advances in Alzheimer Therapy (AAT)."

Sticky Brains Don't Dull Memories :
"Plaque on the brain doesn't sound good, but the condition may not be as crippling as once thought. Mice with the gummy deposits-- usually a symptom of Alzheimer's disease--can still have normal memories, according to a new study. The findings suggest a novel target for Alzheimer's drugs and a new way of understanding how the disease ravages the brain, say the researchers."

Buck Institute scientists stop spread of disease in mice:
"Researchers at the Buck Institute today reported a breakthrough in the understanding of how Alzheimer's disease develops in the brain, a discovery that could lead to new therapies for the often devastating affliction.Buck Institute scientists discovered that the act of blocking a newly discovered molecular pathway that may be critical in the development of Alzheimer's can effectively stop memory loss in laboratory mice. The breakthrough appeared today on the online site of the National Academy of Sciences"

John Hopkins researchers say that Viagra reduces the stimulatory effects of hormonal stress on the heart by half
"Viagra – Miracle Drug for Heart Disease – Sidenafil Citrate Can Be Used To Treat Heart Failure and Enlargement...."

The ravages of Alzheimer's - OPINION: "Five patients were sitting in their wheelchairs, grouped around a table. The big man with his back to me had his right arm raised in the air as if he were leading the conversation. Two women leaned forward and seemed to be listening closely. My mother, on the far side, was also talking. I could see her smile and gesture with her hands. The second man was sideways to me. His head was moving, as if he were nodding in agreement.

It looked like five friends preparing for a card game perhaps, or just chatting about the morning news.

As I approached the table, however, I realized that the two women were asleep. The man with his back to me also had his eyes closed. His raised right arm was rigid, except for the fist that is clenching and unclenching. The other man was muttering, 'Engineer. Bridges' over and over again. From previous visits, I know that he was once a prominent engineer......"

Merck found liable in man's fatal heart attack
A state jury found Merck & Co. liable Friday for the death of a 71-year-old man who had a fatal heart attack within a month of taking its painkiller Vioxx, which has since been withdrawn, and ordered the company to pay $32 million. Merck said it would appeal.