As the largest resource of information specific to women's brain health, we are sure you will find what you are looking for, and promise that you will discover new information.
Published on: January 31, 2016
by Stephen Feller for UPI:
The blood pressure drug candesartan, sold as Atacand, was shown to reduce cell damage linked to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.
Angiotensin receptor blockers such as Atacand are one of several drugs used to control blood pressure. Previous studies have shown patients with high blood pressure treated with several drugs were at lower risk to develop Alzheimer’s or to develop it more slowly.
“Our findings make sense in many ways,” said Dr. Juan Saavedra, a researcher at Georgetown University, in a press release. “Hypertension reduces blood flow throughout the body and brain and is a risk factor of Alzheimer’s disease. Previous epidemiological studies found that Alzheimer’s progression is delayed in hypertensive patients treated with ARBs.”
For the study, published in Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy, the researchers exposed neuronal cultures excessive glutamate, an injury factor that causes neurons to die, and treated them with candesartan. The drug prevented glutamate from killing the neurons.
In later analysis, the researchers found the drug prevented inflammation and other processes that contribute to neuronal death, including changes to amyloid metabolism — important becauase the build-up of amyloid plaques plays a role in the progress of Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers also compared their lab results with autopsy samples from Alzheimer’s patients, finding the expression of genes altered by excess glutamate matched damage in the patients’ brains.
“We hypothesize that candesartan, or other members of the ARB group, may not only slow progression of Alzheimer’s but also prevent or delay its development,” Saavedra said of the drug with is already approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, making the path to clinical trials for the use easier and faster.
Source: http://bit.ly/1m7dRU1
A recent study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) revealed that regular tea drinkers have better organised brain regions — and this is associated with healthy cognitive function — compared to non-tea drinkers....
German researchers have found that physical fitness can actually improve brain structure and brain functioning in young people, according to a study presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress in Copenhagen. Prior research has...
On October 10th, World Mental Health Day 2019, hear a 360-degree perspective on how to achieve and maintain good mental health. Year of the Mind is a one-of-a-kind event focused on mental wealth, built for...
The material presented through the Think Tank feature on this website is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner. WBHI strongly advises all questioners and viewers using this feature with health problems to consult a qualified physician, especially before starting any treatment. The materials provided on this website cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. The materials are not exhaustive and cannot always respect all the most recent research in all areas of medicine.
