The guidelines for Alzheimer's
(defining the earlier phases)
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The first new U.S. diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer's disease released in 27 years paint the disorder as a disease that occurs gradually over many years, starting with changes in the brain, then mild memory problems and finally progressing to full-blown dementia.
Released on Tuesday by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association, the guidelines officially recognize mild cognitive impairment or MCI -- first described more than a decade ago -- as a precursor to the disease.
And they add a new research category known as preclinical Alzheimer's, the earliest stage of the disease when clumps of a protein called amyloid are just beginning to form in the brains of people who are otherwise healthy.
This preclinical stage about 10 years before dementia sets in is seen as the best place to intervene in the disease. It is why new imaging agents for PET scans, spinal fluid tests and other so-called biomarkers that predict Alzheimer's are becoming so important to researchers and drug companies.
The notion of different stages of the disease marks a stark contrast from the last set of guidelines published by government researchers in 1984, which only recognized the dementia phase of Alzheimer's -- in which people lose their memories and the ability to care for themselves. Read more: thestarphoenix.com
9 foods that help to save your memory
Healthy eating lowers your risk of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, but it's not yet clear if that's true for Alzheimer’s disease as well. Read more: health.com
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