alzheimers news-diagnose before any symptoms

ALZHEIMERS NEWS-DIAGNOSE BEFORE ANY SYMPTOMS

this is world alzheimers month
its the 6th leading cause of death in the us
some think its number 4
in the county we are living in it is the 4th leading cause
of death here
there are 5,000,000 folks with the disease in the us
by 2050 there will be 16,000,000 folks in the us with this disease

i read this article from the wall street journal titled
an alzheimers diagnosis-before any symptoms

now i found the article interesting
if you want to know about getting diagnosed earlier
for yourself or your family
you should read this article
heres the link to it

now i didnt need to read this article to learn about
all of this
as
i have lived this the last 7 years

as i have meandered through the private neurology world
then the alzheimers research world as a patient

as i have written this blog researching what i write about

as i have given lectures on alzheimers disease

as i have answered questions from folks at q and a sessions

i have learned all this stuff thats in the article
first hand i must add

i read today about a new research study thats starting up
it will run for 8 years at usc and other universities
folks who are diagnosed with

prealzheimers disease-folks with  no symptoms but with positive tests
or
mild cognitive impairment due to alzheimers disease-folks with mild
symptoms but with positive tests

will be given one of these
an infusion of a vaccine like the one i am getting now at ucla
or
a pill that prevents the bad amyloid from being produced and
deposited in the brain
or
those unlucky ones will get that placebo thing

the question of whether identifying folks before they get symptoms
or when they get early early symptoms
then giving them treatment long term
will it make a difference
we will find out in 8 years

although
studies like the aducanumab study i am in or the crenezumab study thats
on going now will partially answer that question in 5 years

we are on the brink
of finding an answer

in this article all the testing they write about
has oozed over from the research world into the private medical world
such that these tests may get done by a private neurologist
seeing you or a loved one for the workup for memory loss

so in 2010 if you could fast forward that to 2017
if when i went to the neurologist
even before i had a memory test done

i could have had
memory tests which would have showed short term memory issues

genetic blood tests for the early onset or dominantly inherited gene
and for the late onset alzheimers gene the apoe 4 gene

spinal tap analysis for the beta amyloid and tau
these levels become abnormal as the disease progresses

an amyloid pet scan that would show if the beta amyloid was present
if you have even early alzheimers it will be positive
if it is negative you probably dont have alzheimers

we are almost there now to be able to identify if you have it
before symptoms start
these studies like the ones i have been involved in will show
if this is true

now
a lot of thought and preplanning needs to be done
before you have these done
especially if you are in the prealzheimers state

it can be i must say quite overwhelming to get the results
i liken it to finding out
that you have huntington disease
or
that you have a terminal cancer

it requires a lot of soul searching and contemplation
to get these diagnoses
the end result is the same
all ending in death from the disease
some quicker than others

this may be the limitation of folks having the testing
for alzheimers
they might not be ready to know

organizations like the alzheimers texas and alzheimers association
and us against alzheimers can help with the process

you
can take care of your health
can get involved in the support of research and education
by
volunteering with these groups
helping us with our walks to raise money to help the fight

go to the alzheimers texas site www.txalz.org to find the central texas
location of their walks

go to the alzheimers association site www.alz.org to find their walks
located all across the us

we cant do it without your help

my walks


alzheimers texas williamson county walk september 23rd


santa barbara walk to end alzheimers october 28th

the organicgreen doctor

what is alzheimers

WHAT IS ALZHEIMERS

or
click here for the link to the video

this is a question i get asked a lot
what is alzheimers disease

please watch
the video above as its is the best video ive seen on      what this disease is

words to know
beta amyloid-the proteins that stick together to cause alzheimers disease
tau protein-the protein that gets destroyed as the process proceeds
hippocampus-the undersurface of the brain where this all starts
acetylcholine-the level drops in alzheimers patients
           aricept (donnepezil) increases that level and helps the symptoms
                for awhile
alzheimers vaccines-under study now in several large studies
           antibodies will bind up beta amyloid in the brain and remove it
                and if we are all lucky it will work to slow down the disease or
                prevent it

if i do have alzheimers which i think i do based on
changes in short term memory on serial memory tests
strong strong family history-mother father brother grandmothers
multiple aunts and uncles
apoe4 gentoype double version that increases risk 10-20 times
positive or abnormal levels of the bad stuff beta amyloid and tau protein
in my spinal fluid
soon to be done beta amyloid pet scan of the brain called amyvid

then i hope to benefit from new treatment studies coming available
using the alzheimers vaccine and using nasal insulin
hoping not to get put in the placebo group

also if i have it i will already have those changes going on
in my hippocampus thats well described in this video
they just havent advanced far enough yet so that they can
be seen on regular mri but would on the amyvid pet scan

but
sorry to say even if i have those plaques forming there they cant
be undone
for you see
thats this cruelty of this disease
once the disease manifests itself early early it may be to far gone
to be treated
so
treatment when it becomes available will have to be started years and
years earlier
in those of you who read this blog who are in your 30s and 40s

lets find a cure please
do the walk to end alzheimers in your area to show your support
contact your congress persons-its election year and they do listen
support any caregiver that you know

the organicgreen doctor

trim, alzheimers answers maybe

TRIM
yesterday i blogged on trimming time
here is a link to the blog from central texas gardener for more
on pruning and trimming with links
on what to trim and when

ALZHEIMERS ANSWERS MAYBE
the theory of alzheimers is that beta amyloid accumulates in
the brain
this accumulation is what causes the spiraling destruction
of alzheimers disease

if you can stop the beta amyloid production and stop its accumulation
and remove it if its accumulated
maybe just maybe you can prevent or treat alzheimers

if you wait too long and allow destruction to occur then it may be too late

you know me
at least some of you do
i seem a normal healthy person
few can detect i have a problem
heck yesterday i had to convince a social security worker that
i could handle my own financial affairs
i did
my wife she was happy about that

i carry the double gene apoe4 and have short term memory loss
my parents and younger brother had alzheimers disease
so the odds are i have it also
i am on aricept (donepezil) for this possibility

but
i may be too late for this treatment since if i have alzheimers disease
as i may be too far along this path

my wife she and i went to the alzheimers research center at ut southwestern
last weekend to a brunch where they discussed research that was
being done

three new studies that are being started nationally will be done there
as one of the studies sites

the a4 study
basically they will be doing neuropsych tests on folks who have no
issues
do the beta amyloid pet scans called amyvid
and
do spinal taps for beta amyloid and tau proteins those two proteins that
become abnormal in the spinal fluid in alzheimers disease
all three of these tests become abnormal before the disease is noticed

then those who are positive will be placed in a study using one of the
new alzheimers vaccines called solanezumab
the vaccine uses antibodies that attach itself to the beta amyloid and
removes it from the brain
thus preventing the development of alzheimers disease
thats the theory and hope

the study subjects will be placed either in the antibody group
or a placebo
no placebo for me
there is a 50% chance that i would be in a treatment group
i already know my beta amyloid levels in my spinal fluid are abnormal

my problem is that the study requires you be 65 and im not quite there yet
dang it

if you are kin to be and are 65 or older you are a good candidate for this
study
or if you are worried or at high risk
they need people to volunteer for the study
the center serves folks from oklahoma arkansas louisiana and texas

you have to have intial scans neuropsych tests to see if you are at risk
if accepted
you will get monthly infusions of the new alzheimers vaccine or get placebo
if you are in the vaccine group
and
if this vaccine works
and
if you are
getting alzheimers you will not get alzheimers disease or the progression
will be slowed
the study is programmed for i think two years
if it works this drug may be on the market in 4 years

i personally want to be in this study bad but  im one year too young

but there are other studies coming up using this same new vaccine
but not until next year

time is of the essence

you may contact the alzheimers research center at ut southwestern at
214-648-9343
ask for kathy koch
or
go to www.alz.org to find a study in your area


there is another study starting up at the alzheimers research center
using the same vaccine in folks who have early alzheimers disease
my problem on that one is that i am not far enough along in the
disease process to qualify


then another study they will be doing is called the sniff study
using nasal insulin
sniff it up the right nostril it goes to the right brain
sniff it up the left nostril it goes to the left brain
it manages to go right to the smeller nerve the olfactory nerve
and travel bypassing that blood brain barrier to get directly to
the hippocampas where alzheimers disease starts

it raises the insulin level there and forces more glucose into the
brain cells
slowing down the disease and maybe preventing it

my spinal tap guy
the one i jokely accuse of rupturing my disk last time he did mine
is the head study person for the study
no thats not what caused my ruptured disk
that was years in the making

my spinal taps i know they sound bad didnt hurt
actually i didnt feel anything
but i did when they drew my blood

so these three studies are available in this area
you again can call the alzheimers research center at
214-648-9343
ask for kathy koch
or
check the clinical trials section of www.alz.org
for your local centers at
the alzheimers association website

we need you help
your kids nieces nephews and the future generations
need your help

we wont know if this works unless you and i volunteer
please help us

remember
saying i dont want to know may not be a valid excuse anymore
as
maybe in the future you will want to know so you can be treated


when you call them tell them i sent you
dr nash
the
organicgreen doctor

bbb bace

BBB BACE

faculty.washington.edu

bbb for those not in the medical field
means blood brain barrier
its a protective barrier that keeps drugs medicines
viruses bacteria parasites and chemicals from reaching
the brain and causing havoc

a protective mechanism that has evolved to protect the brain

it also prevents however medicines sometimes from reaching
the brain that may be helpful eg in preventing and treating
alzheimers disease

in a study at the university of pennsylvania they used ctb (cholera toxin b)
that easily goes across the bbb
they then attached mbp (myelin basic protein) to the ctb
mbp degrades beta amyloid

they then attached fluorescence to the ctb-mbp and the
mbp appeared in the brain as seen by the fluorescence in the brain
and the level of that awful beta amyloid that is thought to be the
cause of alzheimers as it accumulates or the end result of
whatever the process is that causes alzheimers
went down as the mbp degraded the beta amyloid

so you could take a chemical that treats alzheimers and
attach it to ctb
give it to a patient by mouth
the drug would then cross the bbb and slow down the production
of the amyloid that may cause alzheimers disease

this was done in rats of course
next stop hopefully is humans


bace is the abbreviation for beta site app cleaving enzyme
the bace enzyme breaks off the protein that may be the culprit
in alzheimers disease
the beta amyloid protein
people who have a defect or mutation in the gene that makes
bace
have a lower instance of alzheimers disease

in comes the drug companies
they have made eg merk a compound called mk-8931
that inhibits this bace enzyme

its an oral drug that has already gone through phase 1 studies
and is now entering phase 2 and phase 3 studies in patients
with mild to moderate alzheimers disease
the drug will lower the levels of beta amyloid in the brain and hopefully
by doing this will slow down or prevent alzheimers disease
thats the theory

now the mk-8931 will be used in prodromal or prealzheimers or
amnestic mild cognitive impairment in patients who may have
a positive beta amyloid pet scan and abnormal levels of beta
amyloid in the spinal fluids
two positive tests that are seen in alzheimers disease

hum that sounds familiar
oh wait thats me
i have all those things except i dont have my beta amyloid pet scan
yet but i will soon
the thinking is to attack this early on in the  process before
things get worse

if i qualify for this study then i would take this mk-8931 for a
period of time and they would follow cognitive tests and spinal
fluid levels of beta amyloid and pet scans of the brain for
beta amyloid
or
i would be in the placebo group
that would suck wouldnt it to be in the placebo group


there is progress being made it seems
there is this light in the end of the tunnel that is faint
but its starting to get a little brighter




the organicgreen doctor

what if

WHAT IF
for those of us who follow the alzheimers research
there are two things that we know about and are anxiously awaiting
the results

a4 study
colombian study

in both these studies
people in the a4 study who have
positive beta amyloid in the brain on scans called
amyvid pet scans and abnormal levels of beta amyloid and
tau levels in the spinal fluid
and in the case of the colombian study
family members who carry the gene for alzheimers that
means you will get the disease will also have these
two tests done

no one in either group have any symptoms yet

both studies will have regular amyvid pet scans and spinal
fluid analysis for the beta amyloid and tau
both imply if positive that the patient will get or will have
alzheimers disease

however

the study subjects will also be given one of the new alzheimers vaccines
which will induce or produce antibodies against
the beta amyloid and remove it from the brain

over time we will know if giving this vaccine early on
will prevent the development of alzheimers disease
which it will if the beta amyloid theory is correct

how does this affect me
the ogd

this last week i had my regular yearly visit with my neurologist
for follow up for
my early mild cognitive impairment amnestic type
that may turn out to be from alzheimers disease
diagnosed almost 3 years ago

i have been stable over this period of time except for some
mild problems with short term memory that only i notice

i presently take aricept (donepezil) 10 mg for the possibility
of having alzheimers dsease
its used when the diagnosis is first made or in my case
strongly suspected

i take care of my health
especially my blood pressure and cholesterol
2 of the 3 most important to control to prevent or slow down
alzheimers diesease
the third is diabetes which i dont have
more about this later

what i am looking for in research studies now

im in the alzheimers disease neuroimaging initiative now
its not a treatment study but its the most important one ever done
on alzheimers disease
the information from this study has provided the basis for the
a4 and colombian studies

i want to get treatment now while im so early no one notices anything
these two studies would be what im looking for

the colombian study is restricted to family members in colombia
that carry that awful gene which means they will get it
i know that i dont have that gene since ive been tested

the a4 does not
if i qualify i will get the beta amyloid scan amyvid and yes have
to get that dang spinal tap again and again
but i might receive one of those new alzheimers vaccine
that if it works would slow down the process at least while
i was on the study
unless of course i would get put in the control group
which i dont want to be in

if i dont qualify for that one
i will get in a nasal insulin study for 6 months
the nasal insulin increase the glucose into the nerve cells
in the brain where alzheimers starts as the insulin travels up the
olfactory nerve the smeller nerve i call it
which may slow down but wont prevent the disease
this may be my fall back study

then in 2014 or 2015 there is a study that will start in arizona

where those who carry the apoe4/apoe4 double gene like i have
which increases your chance of getting alzheimers disease significantly
will be given either a new research drug or one of the new
alzheimers vaccines
and
will be followed over a period of time monitoring the
beta amyloid scans and levels and the tau levels to see if they decrease
and to see if it prevents the development of the disease

the budget cuts and sequester had shut this study down
but the nih scrapped up funds to get it going

i am on the contact list for that study when it starts
i will do it if i qualify
but
please on please dont put me in the control group

the organicgreen doctor