Several studies have suggested that certain types of blood-pressure-lowering drugs, such as angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBS), might hold Alzheimer’s at bay. Having a better understanding of the relationship between the two diseases would help physicians treat the risk factors that could affect their progression, especially in people aged 75 and over, said Black. Traditionally, stroke and Alzheimer’s experts have resisted working together - a divide that is only starting to narrow. “Especially since (these diseases) will be epidemic in this century, we urgently need to understand how they develop, how some elders can resist them and how they interact so that we can better treat and prevent them,” Black said. About 500,000 live with Alzheimer’s, or a related dementia - a figure that’s expected to double in the next two decades, according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Stroke and Alzheimer’s are leading causes of disability among Canadian seniors and are responsible for $10.5 billion annually in direct health-care costs.Įach year, an estimated 50,000 Canadians suffer a stroke, and another 315,000 live with its effects. What’s more, the sisters with brain abnormalities characteristic of Alzheimer’s were more likely to have symptoms of dementia if they also had strokes or clogged brain arteries. These autopsies confirmed a striking relationship between the presence in the brain of vascular disease and symptoms caused by damage related to Alzheimer’s. All the nuns had similar eating and exercise habits, and all agreed to allow their brains to be studied after death. The most solid evidence comes from a study of 700 U.S. In fact, it’s the minor, difficult-to-detect strokes, rather than the signature plaques and tangles responsible for Alzheimer’s, that speed cognitive decline and destroy a person’s ability to reason, communicate and carry out normal day-to-day activities, said Black. Likewise, a brain injury caused by small, “silent” strokes can accelerate memory and learning problems in people who already are developing Alzheimer’s, but show no symptoms. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receipt.
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