Alzheimers Disease Tips

The hippy generation might just be on their way back into their own zone. A 2006 article titled “A Molecular Link Between the Active Component of Marijuana and Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology,” is being distributed hailed in California as a battle cry from old hippies. The cause celebre’ brings tears to the eyes of an aging generation who always maintained that “weed” was more of a wholesome past time than a horrific addiction deplored by their parents.

The conscientious objectors of an age gone awry always insisted that marijuana should be legalized. This article promising a positive outcome from smoking “weed” may be just what old hippies need to stage a revived “smoke-in” at the State Capitol. From the date that the scientist at Scripps Institute published their findings online in August 2006, the legalize marijuana proponents have been busy distributing this pro-marijuana material.

The original members of the Hippie generation are now approaching the age when Alzheimer’s disease may become a threat. The odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease doubles every five years over age 65. By the age of 85, the odds of developing the disease are 1 in 2.

For the hippie generation to discover that their former nefarious activities may prove beneficial for this dreaded disease is one of those turn-about ironies of life. The study found that “The active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, inhibits the formation of amyloid plaque, the primary pathological marker for Alzheimer’s disease.”

It is not a far fetched theory since marijuana is used for other medicinal purposes. Marijuana is used for as a therapy for specific diseases like cancer, aids and glaucoma. However, before aging hippies flock to their doctor in droves requesting a prescription, the results of the findings will go through many stages of research.

The Scripp scientist who did the research were quick in offering a formal comment on their findings. “We’re not advocating smoking dope, but if we can make analogues of THC, it could play a role in treating Alzheimer’s,” said researcher Kim Janda, a chemist at Scripps. “It would be nice to do more animal studies along these lines.”

“An analogue of THC would be a derivative of a parent chemical compound that differs from the original by a single element.”

THC is the active ingredient in marijuana that has the positive effect on human brain tissues. It seems that in a laboratory experiments on rats, the THC reduced inflammation and prevented mental decline.

But the flip side of this debate emphasizes a contradictory medical fact that long-term, consistent use of marijuana can impair memory, impair a person’s ability to focus and make decisions. One popular “Just Say No” television commercial shows the stunted growth of a young man smoking marijuana in his parent’s basement.

The debate surrounding the merits of marijuana use is another of the ironies of life. The same chemical compound in marijuana that reduces cognitive abilities like memory or the ability to focus in the young enhances those same abilities in those individuals who are victims of an age related disease like Alzheimer’s.

The hippy generation might just be on their way back into their own zone. A 2006 article titled “A Molecular Link Between the Active Component of Marijuana and Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology,” is being distributed hailed in California as a battle cry from old hippies. The cause celebre’ brings tears to the eyes of an aging generation who always maintained that “weed” was more of a wholesome past time than a horrific addiction deplored by their parents.

The conscientious objectors of an age gone awry always insisted that marijuana should be legalized. This article promising a positive outcome from smoking “weed” may be just what old hippies need to stage a revived “smoke-in” at the State Capitol. From the date that the scientist at Scripps Institute published their findings online in August 2006, the legalize marijuana proponents have been busy distributing this pro-marijuana material.

The original members of the Hippie generation are now approaching the age when Alzheimer’s disease may become a threat. The odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease doubles every five years over age 65. By the age of 85, the odds of developing the disease are 1 in 2.

For the hippie generation to discover that their former nefarious activities may prove beneficial for this dreaded disease is one of those turn-about ironies of life. The study found that “The active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, inhibits the formation of amyloid plaque, the primary pathological marker for Alzheimer’s disease.”

It is not a far fetched theory since marijuana is used for other medicinal purposes. Marijuana is used for as a therapy for specific diseases like cancer, aids and glaucoma. However, before aging hippies flock to their doctor in droves requesting a prescription, the results of the findings will go through many stages of research.

The Scripp scientist who did the research were quick in offering a formal comment on their findings. “We’re not advocating smoking dope, but if we can make analogues of THC, it could play a role in treating Alzheimer’s,” said researcher Kim Janda, a chemist at Scripps. “It would be nice to do more animal studies along these lines.”

“An analogue of THC would be a derivative of a parent chemical compound that differs from the original by a single element.”

THC is the active ingredient in marijuana that has the positive effect on human brain tissues. It seems that in a laboratory experiments on rats, the THC reduced inflammation and prevented mental decline.

But the flip side of this debate emphasizes a contradictory medical fact that long-term, consistent use of marijuana can impair memory, impair a person’s ability to focus and make decisions. One popular “Just Say No” television commercial shows the stunted growth of a young man smoking marijuana in his parent’s basement.

The debate surrounding the merits of marijuana use is another of the ironies of life. The same chemical compound in marijuana that reduces cognitive abilities like memory or the ability to focus in the young enhances those same abilities in those individuals who are victims of an age related disease like Alzheimer’s.

Please note: If you have several of these symptoms, you should see a qualified physician for a complete examination as soon as possible. It may or may not be Alzheimer’s, but it is always best to seek early treatment.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease, which means that symptoms get worse as time progresses. How fast the disease progresses and what pattern the symptoms follow variable from person to person.

The 10 warning signs for Alzheimer’s include:

Memory loss: One of the most common early signs of dementia is forgetting recently learned information. While its normal to forget appointments, names or telephone numbers, those with dementia will forget such things more often and also they will not remember them later.

Difficulty performing familiar tasks: People with dementia often find it difficult to complete mundane, everyday tasks that are so familiar to us that we usually do not think about how to do them. For example, a person with Alzheimer’s may not know the steps for preparing a meal, using a household appliance, driving a car, or participating in their lifelong hobbies.

Problems with language: Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes, but a person with Alzheimer’s often forgets simple words or substitutes unusual words, making his or her speech or writing hard to understand. If a person with Alzheimer’s is unable to find his or her toothbrush, for example, the individual may ask for that thing for my mouth, because they may not remember what a toothbrush is called.

Disorientation to time and place: Its normal to forget the day of the week, the current date, or where you are going. However, people with Alzheimer’s can become lost, even in the street that they have lived in for many years. They can forget where they are and how they got there, and they may not know how to get back home.

Poor or decreased judgment: No one has perfect judgment all of the time. However, those with Alzheimer’s may dress without regard for the weather, wearing several shirts or blouses on a hot day or very little clothing in cold weather. People with dementia often show poor judgment about money, giving away large amounts of money to telemarketers or strangers, or paying for home repairs or products that they don’t need.

Problems with abstract thinking: Balancing a checkbook or checking your credit card statement or phone bill can be difficult for all of us at times. However, someone with Alzheimer’s could completely forget what numbers mean or how to add up.

Misplacing things: Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or keys. However, a person with Alzheimer’s may put things in unusual places. For example, they may put the toaster in the freezer, or their keys in the vegetable draw of a fridge.

Changes in mood or behavior: Everyone can become sad, angry, or moody from time to time, especially in today’s world. Indeed, it is the people who never become sad or moody that you really need to watch out for ! However, a person with Alzheimer’s can show rapid mood swings from calm to tears to anger for no apparent reason.

Changes in personality: A person’s personality may gradually change as they age. However, the personality of a person with Alzheimer’s can change a great deal very quickly. For example, they may become extremely confused, suspicious, fearful or dependent on a family member.

Loss of initiative: It is perfectly normal for people to occasionally tire of housework, business activities, or social obligations. However, a person with Alzheimer’s may become very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual or not wanting to do their usual or favorite activities.

Many times, Alzheimer’s disease goes undiagnosed until it gets to more advanced stages because the early stage of Alzheimer’s may mimic simple signs of old age. Many families that take care of older loved ones have missed the signs of Alzheimer’s disease and thought that they were just signs of getting older. Since the symptoms during the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease are very mild, it can be difficult to know when old age is causing a problem or when Alzheimer’s may be a concern. The most important thing a relative can do is have his or her loved one seen by a doctor when the first little signs start to appear.

At first, during the early stage of Alzheimer’s, it may just seem like a person is having mental lapses and forgetting things, which can be a sign of getting older, but, with many people, these signs may be more than just forgetting. Often, the simple times of forgetting something may be pointing to a more serious problem. It is important that caregivers and family members learn how to differentiate between simple forgetfulness and problems that may point to the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease.

Usually, a person that is merely growing older may forget simple things but will remember them again later. If your loved one has a problem forgetting things for many days or forgetting whole portions of his or her life it may be time to get concerned. Usually, the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease will have forgetfulness combined with disorientation on the part of the patient. You may also see the personality of the person change and he or she may be more prone to outbursts as well. All of these symptoms together should clue you in that this is more than just an incident of forgetfulness.

If you can catch patients when they are in the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, it can make it easier to treat. Not only will treatment be easier, but you can put your mind to rest, knowing what the problem really is. New treatments are being developed and the earlier that the disease is discovered, the better the chance is of keeping the progression of the disease at bay. If your loved one is starting to forget things and has other symptoms, as well, be sure that he or she is checked out as soon as possible because it may be more than a lapse of memory.

Alzheimer’s disease is a very devastating disease that affects many older people. Since a cure has yet to be found, there are many new and developing Alzheimer’s disease treatment options that are being studied and tested. Some are new drugs that are being developed and others are alternative treatments that are being tried to help slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. It is the hope of many that one of these new Alzheimer’s disease treatment options will ultimately lead to a cure for the disease.

One Alzheimer’s disease treatment option that is being studied closely is the use of vaccines. These vaccines are not used on people that do not have the disease, but are used on Alzheimer’s patients that currently have been diagnosed with the disease. One vaccine that was tried had to be stopped because a few of the people that it was tested on developed encephalitis, although, long term, it did seem to help some of those who took the vaccine. Currently, researchers are working on vaccines to be used in a similar way that are less dangerous and have fewer side effects. It is believed that the progression of the disease may be slowed down or even stopped with some of these vaccines.

New drugs have been developed and are being tested as Alzheimer’s disease treatment options. Xaliproden, Tramiprosate, R-flurbiprofen and Leuprolide are all drugs that are being tested to be used on Alzheimer’s patients. There are also a variety of alternative Alzheimer’s disease treatment options that have been explored as well. There are a variety of herbs and supplements that are being used that seem to help Alzheimer’s patients. Vitamin E is one Vitamin that has been found to have links to helping prevent and even help patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Ginko Biloba is an herb that is being studied to see if it really will help Alzheimer’s patients as many claim it will.

There are a variety of new treatments that are being studied and tested to help patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists are continually working to find new Alzheimer’s disease treatment options that are effective for patients suffering from this disease. The developing treatments and new drugs being found give hope to those that suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and to their families, as well.