Contending with Alzheimer’s disease
Q: I just read that they’ve reversed Alzheimer’s disease symptoms with some kind of standard pain reliever. Can it cure my mom? — Sandy D., Lebanon, New Hampshire
A: The breakthrough you’re referring to happened in mice, not people. University of Manchester, U.K., researchers found that a monthlong IV dose of mefenamic acid, a common nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, given to mice with Alzheimer’s disease symptoms completely reversed their memory loss and brain inflammation. It seems the medication reduces an inflammatory process that contributes to the formation of amyloid tangles and AD. But we’re still a long way from having something that can reverse AD in people.
There’s a lot of ongoing research about preventing and managing symptoms of dementia and AD.
A study published in JAMA Neurology found that serum DHA levels were 23 percent lower in participants with cerebral amyloidosis (amyloid tangles) than in people without those indicators. In addition, study participants with the highest blood levels of DHA had greater brain volume in several subregions affected by AD, increased processing speed and did better on tests of nonverbal memory. You want 900 mg of DHA omega-3 daily.
Researchers found that workplace complexity and social interaction help people retain greater cognitive powers, even if they develop brain changes associated with AD.
Regular exercise protects the brain. A recent study looked at brain differences between identical twins, one of whom exercised regularly and one who did not: The active twin had much more gray matter (where info is processed) than the sedentary sibling.
Q: My daughter is going to graduate college with over $100,000 in debt. It’s making her anxious and is changing how she sees her future. We help as much as we can, but our resources are limited. What can we do to help her cope? — JoAnne D., Charlotte, North Carolina
A: Everyone’s talking about the pressures of college debt. That’s because it looks like a catch-22: You need to get a degree to get a good job so you can pay off your mountain of debt that you incurred to get your degree to get a good job.
Not surprisingly, a recent study out of the U.K. found that a student’s debt load could predict depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse and eating disorders. But the U.K. study also points out that mental-health problems of students could be attributed to their stress response to debt, not the debt itself. Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.