More Alzheimer’s Vaccines Enter Clinical Trials
News outlets say that recent breakthrough Alzheimer's treatments have triggered a renewed vigor among Alzheimer's research into vaccines: Trials have begun for at least seven vaccines. Separately, a study found belly fat inflammation may be linked to Alzheimer's disease long before symptoms begin.
Associated Press:
Several Alzheimer’s Vaccines Enter Clinical Trials Amid Breakthrough Treatments’ Success
Breakthrough Alzheimer’s treatments that remove toxic proteins from the brain have revived interest in vaccines to treat the memory-robbing disease, potentially offering a cheaper, easy-to-administer option for millions of people, according to interviews with 10 scientists and company executives. Clinical trials are underway or completed for at least seven Alzheimer’s vaccines designed to harness the immune system to rid the brain of the disease-related proteins beta amyloid or tau, a review of the U.S. government’s ClinicalTrials.gov database found. More are on the way. (11/20)
Reuters:
Researchers Return To Alzheimer's Vaccines, Buoyed By Recent Drug Success
Breakthrough Alzheimer’s treatments that remove toxic proteins from the brain have revived interest in vaccines to treat the memory-robbing disease, potentially offering a cheaper, easy-to-administer option for millions of people, according to interviews with 10 scientists and company executives. Clinical trials are underway or completed for at least seven Alzheimer’s vaccines designed to harness the immune system to rid the brain of the disease-related proteins beta amyloid or tau, a review of the U.S. government’s ClinicalTrials.gov database found. More are on the way. (Steenhuysen, 11/20)
CNN:
Bigger Belly In 40s And 50s Linked To Early Signs Of Alzheimer’s Disease
Inflammation from belly fat may be linked to the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease decades before symptoms begin, new research has found. “We’ve known for a while that as the belly size gets larger, the memory centers in the brain get smaller,” said Alzheimer’s disease researcher Dr. Richard Isaacson, a preventive neurologist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Florida. (LaMotte, 11/20)
NPR:
Friends Can Boost Your Health, Longevity — And Share Vices Too
The study, published Wednesday in the journal Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, found that friendships in older adults were associated with some instances of better physical health and health behaviors, as well as better mental health across the board. ... While many previous studies have connected having good friends with particular health benefits, this is the largest and most comprehensive study done to date, according to study co-author William Chopik, an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University. (Mertens, 11/20)
Axios:
How Dogs Boost Our Mental Health And Recovery, According To Science
We've long said that dogs are man's best friend — but studies finally back it up. At a time when loneliness has become a serious health concern, recent research suggests there's something special about the way canine buddies boost our mood and longevity. (Mallenbaum, 11/20)
Also, scientists look into cognitive (and heart) risks from lead exposure —
NPR:
New Accounting Of Lead's Effects Underlines Cardiovascular And Cognitive Risks
According to a new study in the journal Lancet Planetary Health, an estimated 5.455 million adults worldwide died in 2019 from cardiovascular disease (CVD) attributable to lead exposure — a toll more than six times higher than a previous estimate. The study goes on to provide what its authors say are the first monetary estimates of the total global cost of these lead-attributable deaths, along with the magnitude and cost of IQ loss in children under 5 years old. (Estvanik Taylor, 11/20)
