A recent study has found that Alzheimer's patients suffering from problems like high blood pressure, chest pains or irregular heart beat often tend to loose their memories faster in comparison to those with only the disease.
The study, which was conducted at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. involved 135 elderly people with newly diagnosed Alzheimer's disease who had annual cognitive tests for an average of three years.
Alzheimers Disease
Alzheimer''s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting memory and thinking and making the person increasingly dependent on others.
Advertisement
At the beginning of the study, 62 percent of the participants reported one or more of the following vascular factors: irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, chest pains, coronary artery bypass surgery, heart attack, diabetes, use of medications to treat high blood pressure, and stroke.
According to the study cognitive decline accelerate twice as fast among patients who reported high blood pressure at the time of the Alzheimer's diagnosis as compared to those Alzheimer's patients who did not have high blood pressure. Irregular heartbeats and chest pains due to a lack of blood supply in the heart were also associated with a more rapid decline on cognitive tests.
![Chest Pain]( "Chest Pain")
Ask any one who has experienced intense chest pain and they will vouch for the fact that it was the most frightening experience of their life!
The researchers also revealed that the Alzheimer's patients who had a history of heart bypass surgery, diabetes, or taking medications to treat high blood pressure had a slower rate of cognitive decline. "The good news is that vascular factors can be modified, so these results may suggest strategies for slowing the progression of Alzheimer's," said study author Michelle Mielke, PhD, with The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD.
"Many studies suggest that vascular factors are associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease; these findings suggest that vascular factors also affect rate of cognitive and functional decline after a diagnosis and further research is clearly warranted. He further said: "Our findings further suggest that medications used to treat high blood pressure may be important in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's once a person is diagnosed.
"However, the findings that show heart bypass surgery and diabetes are associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline are counterintuitive and more research is clearly needed before recommendations can be made."
The study is published in the November 6, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology
Source: ANI
LIN/C
Chest Pain
Ask any one who has experienced intense chest pain and they will vouch for the fact that it was the most frightening experience of their life!
Advertisement
The researchers also revealed that the Alzheimer's patients who had a history of heart bypass surgery, diabetes, or taking medications to treat high blood pressure had a slower rate of cognitive decline. "The good news is that vascular factors can be modified, so these results may suggest strategies for slowing the progression of Alzheimer's," said study author Michelle Mielke, PhD, with The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD.
"Many studies suggest that vascular factors are associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease; these findings suggest that vascular factors also affect rate of cognitive and functional decline after a diagnosis and further research is clearly warranted. He further said: "Our findings further suggest that medications used to treat high blood pressure may be important in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's once a person is diagnosed.
"However, the findings that show heart bypass surgery and diabetes are associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline are counterintuitive and more research is clearly needed before recommendations can be made."
The study is published in the November 6, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology
Source: ANI
LIN/C
Anti-hypertensive Drugs may Work for Alzheimer's too
A new study has discovered that drugs prescribed for the treatment of hypertension is also capable of preventing Alzheimer's disease and cognitive deterioration.
Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Senior Health News
An elevated presence of thyroid hormones, known as thyrotoxicosis, has been associated with a higher likelihood of cognitive disorders in older adults.
Elderly transgenders face a higher risk of suicide due to socio-economic factors with 25% of them giving serious thought to taking their own lives.
A decrease of 1% in deep sleep annually for individuals aged 60 and above results in a 27% higher dementia risk.
In seniors, engaging in a single session of either 18 holes of golf, 6 km of Nordic walking, or 6 km of regular walking was observed to boost cognitive functions.
Higher triglycerides linked to slower cognitive decline in various aspects, incl. global function, memory, & more over time.