Dark News on the Alzheimer's Front

Alzheimer's Disease is something very personal to me. I lost my beloved grandmother three years ago to his horrible disease. There isn't a day that goes by that I do not miss her and wish that she hadn't developed the horrible form of dementia. I watched her go from a vibrant, loving and active woman down to someone who couldn't care for herself, speak or even remember my name. Because of her struggle with the disease I make sure to keep myself informed of new developments in Alzheimer's research.

There is some new news on the disease that isn't quite as positive as I would have liked for it to be.

For years now we have heard that if we challenge our minds, exercise and eat the right kinds of foods and even take certain dietary supplements we could possibly prevent, or at the very least, slow down Alzheimer's Disease.

According to studies done by Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, this isn't the case. A group of medical experts poured over the dozens of studies of ways to possibly prevent Alzheimer's Disease and concluded that none of the ways we've long been told could help does anything to prevent the disease.

According to Dr. Martha Daviglus, chairwoman of an independent panel meeting at the National Institute of Health outside Washington D.C., most of the studies that have been done thus far show associations but none show cause and effect.

Alzheimer's Disease is an incurable disease and scientists currently do not completely understand how it works. Research continues to determine just how the disease develops and progresses. There are drugs that have been approved to treat Alzheimer's Disease but the effect they have on the disease is only temporary. They do not cure it.

The Alzheimer's Association says that as many as 5.3 million Americans have the disease and they estimate that as many as 16 million will be affected by the disease by 2050.

You can download and read the entire report here.

For more information on Alzheimer's Disease visit the Alzheimer's Association web site.