Americans rate Alzheimer’s disease as their second most-feared illness, following cancer. Currently, there are five million people living with this disease in the U.S. Recent research suggests that diet may play an important role in the cause and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, indicating that there may be something each of us can do to stave off this devastating illness.

For the past two years, Senior Living Residences (SLR), a leading Boston-based company providing Alzheimer’s care to New England seniors, has been implementing a cognitively protective diet and nutrition program at its independent and assisted living communities. Following a research-based model of treatment and care and placing a strong emphasis on innovation, SLR is the first assisted living company in the nation to offer the Memory Preservation Nutrition program in its communities.

The Memory Preservation Nutrition program, developed by and implemented in conjunction with internationally recognized expert Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Ph.D., adjunct research assistant professor of neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine and president of Health Care Insights, LLC, is a unique, evidence-based program incorporating foods and spices specifically selected for their nutrient-rich properties and scientifically linked to improve overall brain health. Integrating information from hundreds of studies, the Memory Preservation Nutrition program seeks to improve brain function, decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease for an individual who has already been diagnosed.

In August, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported findings from a compelling study describing a direct connection between diet and cognitive health. One of the most comprehensive studies on diet and cognition to date, researchers found that individuals who follow a “Mediterranean-type diet” have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In the study, individuals who adhered to a Mediterranean diet had a 32-40 percent decreased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. In the same study, adherence to the diet combined with physical activity resulted in a 61-67 percent risk reduction for developing the disease.

Robert Larkin, president of Senior Living Residences, said, “This major study reinforces what we have been working on for the last two years in providing our residents with the health benefits of the Memory Preservation Nutrition program. Our program implementation, which is truly ahead of the curve, includes all of the basic elements of the well-known and well-documented Mediterranean diet and goes well beyond it with its cognitive health protective factors.”

Senior Living Residences

Since 1990, Senior Living Residences of Boston, MA has created service-enriched housing and care options for seniors in New England. Fervently adhering to its “Right Values”–Resident Quality of Life, Valued Associates, Integrity and Innovation–SLR is a trusted leader in the communities it serves through innovative programs and services, which exceed industry standards, as well as its high staff retention. Partnering with equally committed organizations, such as the Boston University School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center, SLR remains at the forefront of research-based care for seniors, especially those living with Alzheimer’s disease. www.SeniorLivingResidences.com


Working in collaboration with Kiel University, researchers at the Kiel- based Collagen Research Institute (CRI) have demonstrated the stimulating effect of special bioactive collagen peptides (FORTIGEL(R)) in the context of cell experiments.

Last weekend the CRI presented its research findings at the congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) in Montreal. The investigations of the CRI provide an explanation for the findings of a joint clinical trial carried out by Harvard Medical School and Tufts Medical Center – likewise presented at the congress. With the aid of special imaging (MRI) techniques this clinical trial demonstrated that FORTIGEL(R) stimulated cell metabolism in the knee-joint cartilage and promotes the regeneration of cartilage tissue.

In cooperation with Kiel University the CRI researchers applied molecular-biology and protein-chemistry analysis methods directly to the cells in order to demonstrate the stimulating effect of FORTIGEL(R). Developed by GELITA AG, this product contains a special combination of high-purity bioactive collagen peptides. “In our investigations we showed that – alongside the synthesis of Type II collagen – FORTIGEL(R) induces the increased production of aggrecan, a special proteoglycan which is of central importance to the cartilage function,” explains Dr. Steffen Oesser, Director of the CRI. This provides experimental proof that the application of bioactive collagen peptides stimulates the renewed synthesis of the extracellular cartilage matrix.

Cell experiment underpins the Harvard/Tufts clinical study

The cell-based experiments of the CRI confirm the findings of a clinical trial conducted by the Harvard Medical School and the Tufts Medical Center. The CRI has clearly demonstrated at the cellular level that FORTIGEL(R) brings about an increase in proteoglycan. Previously, the Harvard/Tufts clinical trial had proved the regenerative effect of FORTIGEL(R) on the knee-joint cartilage using an objective imaging technique. These two investigations complement each other.

The double-blinded, placebo-controlled Harvard/Tufts trial involved 30 patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee and revealed a significant regeneration of the cartilage tissue in the FORTIGEL(R) group. In the placebo group cartilage degeneration progressed as before.

To analyze the structural changes in the cartilage tissue the Harvard/Tufts researchers deployed a special imaging technique (dGEMRIC). Following the injection of a special dye into the patient’s knee joint it is possible to determine the proteoglycan density in the cartilage with a high degree of accuracy. The results of this clinical trial indicate a significant increase in proteoglycan after the application of FORTIGEL(R). This delivers clinical confirmation for the experimental findings of the CRI.

Treatment of osteoarthritis

“The targeted manipulation of the cartilage metabolism opens up new possibilities for the treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis,” emphasizes Dr. Oesser. Unlike analgesic and antirheumatic drugs, which merely alleviate the symptoms and effects, FORTIGEL(R) now offers the potential for an alimentary, causal therapy.

Worldwide approximately 135 million people suffer from osteoarthritis. Experts predict a rapid rise in this figure – above all in the industrialized nations. The prevention of arthritic diseases enjoys top priority, due not least to the high costs incurred by the healthcare systems.

Source: Collagen Research Institute


Artificial Intelligence helps diagnose cardiac infections

Mayo Clinic researchers say that “teachable software” designed to mimic the human brain may help them diagnose cardiac infections without an invasive exam. Those findings was presented  at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in San Francisco.

Endocarditis — an infection involving the valves and sometimes chambers of the heart — can be a problem in patients with implanted medical devices. It is serious and can be deadly. The mortality rate can be as high as one in five, even with aggressive treatment and removal of the device. With additional complications, the mortality could be over 60 percent. Diagnosis usually requires transesophageal echocardiography, an invasive procedure that also has risks. It involves use of an endoscope and insertion of a probe down the esophagus.

The software program is called an “artificial neural network” (ANN) because it mimics the brain’s cognitive function and reacts differently to situations depending on its accumulated knowledge. That knowledge or training is provided by researchers, similar to how a person would “train” a computer to play chess, by introducing it to as many situations as possible. In this case, the ANN underwent three separate “trainings” to learn how to evaluate the symptoms it would be considering.

“If, through this novel method, we can help determine a percentage of endocarditis diagnoses with a high rate of accuracy, we hope to save a significant number of patients from the discomfort, risk and expense of the standard diagnostic procedure,” says M. Rizwan Sohail, M.D., a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist and leader of the study.

The team studied 189 Mayo patients with device-related endocarditis diagnosed between 1991 and 2003. The ANN was tested retrospectively on the data from these cases. When tested on cases with known diagnosis of endocarditis, the best-trained ANN was correct most of the time (72 of 73 implant-related infections and 12 of 13 endocarditis cases) with a confidence level greater than 99 percent.

Researchers say that, when used on an overall sample that included both known and unknown cases, the ANN accurately excluded endocarditis in at least half of the cases, thus eliminating half the cohort from a needless invasive procedure.

The research team included Loai Saadah, Pharm.D.; Tawam-Johns Hopkins Medicine, United Arab Emirates; and Daniel Uslan, M.D.; Paul Friedman, M.D.; David Hayes, M.D.; Walter Wilson, M.D.; James Steckelberg, M.D.; and Larry Baddour, M.D.; all of Mayo Clinic. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Mayo Clinic


A Mayo Clinic study has found that two genes in mice were associated with good central nervous system repair in multiple sclerosis (MS). These findings give researchers new hope for developing more effective therapies for patients with MS and for predicting MS patients’ outcomes. This study was presented at the Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Dusseldorf, Germany, on Sept. 11, 2009.

“Most MS genetic studies have looked at disease susceptibility — or why some people get MS and others do not,” says Allan Bieber, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic neuroscientist and author of this study. “This study asked, among those who have MS, why do some do well with the disease while others do poorly, and what might be the genetic determinants of this difference in outcome.”

Mayo Clinic provides care for nearly 2,500 patients with MS each year. MS is a disease of the central nervous system that includes the brain, spinal cord and nerves. MS is called a demyelinating disease because it results from damage to myelin, the insulating covering of nerves. It occurs most commonly in those between the ages of 20 and 40, and is the most frequent neurological disorder in young adults in North America and Europe. Approximately 330,000 people in the United States have MS. Symptoms include loss of muscle coordination, strength, vision, balance and cognition.

Dr. Bieber and a team of Mayo Clinic researchers used two different strains of mice with a chronic, progressive MS-like disease. One strain progressed to paralysis and death. The other underwent the initial damage induction phase of the disease and then spontaneously repaired the damage to the central nervous system and retained most neurologic function. Using the powerful genetic mapping techniques that are available for mice, the team mapped two strong genetic determinants of good disease outcome.

“It’s possible that the identification of these genes may provide the first important clue as to why some patients with MS do well, while others do not,” says Dr. Bieber. “The genetic data indicates that good central nervous system repair results from stimulation of one genetic pathway and inhibition of another genetic pathway. While we’re still in the early stages of this research, it could eventually lead to the development of useful therapies that stimulate or inhibit these genetic pathways in patients with MS.”

According to Dr. Bieber, the research suggests that there may be a small number of strong genetic determinants for central nervous system repair following demyelinating disease, rather than a larger number of weak determinants.

“If that’s true, it may be possible to map the most important genetic determinants of central nervous system repair in patients with MS and define a reparative genotype that could predict patients’ outcomes,” says Moses Rodriguez, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Central Nervous System Demyelinating Diseases Research and Therapeutics. “Such a diagnostic tool would be a great benefit to patients with MS and is consistent with the concepts of ‘individualized medicine.”

Also on the Mayo Clinic research team was Kanitta Suwansrinon, M.D.

Source: Mayo Clinic


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