2 New Alzheimer's Drugs Show Promise in Early Studies

2 New Alzheimer's Drugs Show Promise in Early Studies

Researchers say two new drugs for Alzheimer's disease have shown promise in early experiments and will likely progress to the next round of clinical trials.
One drug, called a BACE inhibitor, has been in development for more than 10 years. In very early tests, it dramatically reduced levels of beta amyloid, a sticky protein that forms plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
The second drug is thought to reduce damaging inflammation. Patients with mild mental impairment who took the drug for over a year saw significant improvements in some measures of memory and thinking.

Putting Off Retirement May Help Stave Off Alzheimer's

As Americans increasingly delay retirement, a new French study indicates this scenario may have a silver lining: a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers analyzing health and insurance records of more than 429,000 self-employed workers found a 3 percent reduction in dementia risk for each extra year at the age of retirement. Workers evaluated had been retired for an average of more than 12 years, and 2.65 percent of the group had dementia.

"There's increasing evidence that lifestyle factors such as exercise, mental activities, social engagement, positive outlook and a heart-healthy diet may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia," said Dr. James Galvin. "Now we can add staying in the workforce to this list of potential protective factors."

Galvin, director of the Pearl Barlow Center for Memory Evaluation and Treatment at the NYU Langone School of Medicine, was not involved with the new research.

The study, led by Carole Dufouil, director of research in neuroepidemiology at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, is scheduled to be presented Monday at an Alzheimer's Association conference in Boston. Research presented at scientific conferences typically has not been peer-reviewed or published and results are considered preliminary.

About 5.2 million Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, which is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

Americans are increasingly putting off retirement, especially those in the middle class. According to a 2012 Wells Fargo survey of 1,000 Americans earning less than $100,000 annually, almost one-third said they'd need to work until age 80 to live comfortably in retirement.

But Dufouil's research, which linked health and pension databases of self-employed workers who were retired as of 2010, puts a positive spin on that choice. In study background materials, she said the data is in line with the "use it or lose it" hypothesis of brain health. The study showed an association between higher retirement age and lower dementia risk, but not a cause-and-effect relationship.

One Alzheimer's disease expert was not surprised by the new findings.

"There seems to be growing evidence that staying cognitively [mentally] active is really important to reducing a person's risk, and perhaps professional activity may be one of those cognitive activities," said Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer's Association, based in Chicago. "What we know is that things that promote lifelong learning seem to be beneficial. But that may mean different things for different people . . . and exactly what that is, we can't define at this point in time."

For his part, Galvin noted several caveats to keep in mind when interpreting the study's meaning. First, he said, self-employed workers may be inherently different than company-employed workers, with differences in skill sets, work environment, stress and social mobility that might affect the study's results.

Also, the prevalence of dementia was based on a review of either an existing dementia diagnosis or prescription for dementia-related medication, he noted.

"There is no way of knowing about those individuals who did not seek medical attention, did not have access to health care or who were not properly diagnosed," Galvin added. "Nonetheless, the study supports the concept that keeping oneself mentally, physically and socially active over the span of a lifetime may have important effects on both physical and mental health."

Cancer, Chemo May Lower Alzheimer's Risk, Study Suggests

If battling a deadly disease can be said to have a silver lining, this might be it: Many forms of cancer appear to lower the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.

After sifting through the health records of nearly 3.5 million patients, investigators concluded that most kinds of cancer seem to confer some degree of protection against Alzheimer's, reducing risk of the age-related brain disorder by anywhere from 9 percent to 51 percent.

Why So Many People Fail In Affiliate Marketing

Why So Many People Fail In Affiliate Marketing

More and More people are lured into affiliate marketing and you might be one of them. Indeed, affiliate marketing is one of the most effective means of generating a full-time income through the Internet. It’s a fair deal between the merchandiser and his affiliates as both benefit from each sale materialized. Like in other kinds of business, a great deal of the profits in affiliate marketing depends on the affiliate’s advertising, promoting and selling strategies. Everyday, as affiliate marketing industry expands, competition heightens as well so an affiliate marketer must be creative enough to employ unique and effective ways to convince potential buyers to purchase or avail of the products and services offered.

Compared to traditional advertising practices, affiliate programs are more effective, risk-free and cost-efficient. But why do many people still fail in affiliate marketing?

Why Super Affiliates Start With People

Why Super Affiliates Start With People

The average affiliate marketer just goes out and finds a product... any product that has a high commission... and throws up a link and sits back and HOPES that someone will click on it and buy the product. DON’T BE AVERAGE!

When you’re deciding what product to add to your affiliate marketing business, you really shouldn’t be looking at products at all! Instead, like a true super affiliate, you should be looking at people!

Where Do I Find The Best Affiliate Programs?

Where Do I Find The Best Affiliate Programs?

Seasoned Vets and Newbies alike frequently ask the same question, What and where are the best affiliate programs?

My answer to this question will require answering the question with several questions.

First you'll want to ask yourself, what are you interested in?

Then, what do you know a little something about?