Mental Decline Seen Earlier When Epilepsy Present, Study Suggests

Mental Decline Seen Earlier When Epilepsy Present, Study Suggests

People with epilepsy appear to show signs of mild memory problems or Alzheimer's disease earlier than those without epilepsy, according to a new study.

"Careful identification and treatment of epilepsy in such patients may improve their clinical course," concluded Dr. Keith Vossel, of the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease in San Francisco, and colleagues.

The researchers evaluated data on 54 patients and found that those with mild memory problems

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.