Researchers publish guide for examining Alzheimer's prevalence among women

Women entering their twilight years face an increased risk of a handful of ailments, including osteoporosis, for which they can buy Actonel or buy Fosamax from Canadian and online pharmacies. The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that more than half of women over the age of 50 will experience a bone fracture due to osteoporosis during their lifetime.

Alzheimer's, like osteoporosis, is a major health problem for aging women. According to a paper published in the Journal of Women's Health, women are twice as likely to be afflicted with the neurodegenerative disease. However, the authors suspect that this could be partially because women's life expectancy is longer.

"There are still major gaps in our knowledge of the role of sex and gender in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and these recommendations will provide a useful guide for future research in this area,” said Susan G. Kornstein, MD, Journal of Women's Health editor-in-chief.

To set guidelines for future research into the issue, the authors recommend that scientists look into the connection between gender and Alzeimer's, and consider its impact on data analysis of risk, early diagnosis and the invention of new drugs.

Alzheimer's-related plaque curtailed in mice

It appears that some studies on Alzheimer's - which affects more than five million Americans - have shown success. Scientists affiliated with Ohio State University say that by genetically removing a specific enzyme from laboratory mice they were able to get rid of 90 percent of the brain plaque associated with the condition.

"These mice are models for the most aggressive form of Alzheimer's disease and produce the highest amount of A-beta peptides. This 90 percent reduction is the biggest drop in A-beta levels that has been reported so far by treating animal models with drugs or genetic manipulations," said Sung Ok Yoon, associate professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry.

According to their study, getting rid of the enzyme jnk3 stopped the creation of A-beta peptides, which gather together to form brain plaque. The presence of peptides in the mice was down 90 percent six months into the study, and 70 percent after a year. However, the mice's overall cognitive function was 40 percent below the average, and their number of neurons had decreased to 74 percent of what is normal. Yoon said he's planning to find out whether small-molecule jnk3 inhibitors can enhance cognitive capacity in mice with Alzheimer's.