Alzheimer’s Roundup

Here’s a roundup of some of the latest findings on Alzheimer’s disease from the annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Washington D.C. In clinical trials, a new drug called solanezumab, reduced memory loss and cognitive decline by more than 30 percent in patients with early stage Alzheimer’s. If the drug is approved, it would be the first therapy meant to stop the progression of the disease rather than merely managing symptoms of memory loss and cognitive decline.

Meanwhile another study found that women with mild cognitive impairment, suffer a swifter mental decline than men with the same condition, which can lead to Alzheimer’s. After studying a group for eight years, researchers found that women’s cognitive abilities declined twice as fast as those of men, judging by mental tests taken each year. But more work is needed to figure out why.

In the meantime, three studies showed that regular exercise may be the best medicine for people facing the onset of dementia. Physical activity improved mood, memory and ability to think for participants in all three trials.

One study found that intense aerobic exercise improves blood flow to key areas of the brain, and appears to reduce the tau protein tangles that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.