Highlights of the ICAD Conference

On July 16, 2009 more than 3,000 leading scientists convened to report and discuss the latest advances in research on treatments, risk factors, diagnosis and causes for the health epidemic of the 21st century - Alzheimer's disease - at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna, Austria.

"The cost of caring for people who have Alzheimer's, and those who will get it, will bankrupt the healthcare system and devastate Medicare and Medicaid," said William Thies, PhD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at the Alzheimer's Association. "Fortunately, the field is progressing and we may soon see changes in the landscape of Alzheimer's diagnosis, care, treatment, and prevention. How fast we get there depends completely on investment in research.  We must capitalize on the advances made in the last decade."

Conference highlights include:

DHA Drug Trials
Results from two large studies using DHA, an omega 3 fatty acid, were reported at ICAD 2009. An 18-month study in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) showed no evidence for benefit in the studied population.

A six month study was conducted by Martek Biosciences Corporation in healthy older people to see DHA's effect on “age related cognitive decline.” This trial showed a positive result on one test of memory and learning.

These two studies raise the possibility that treatments must be given early in Alzheimer's process for them to be truly effective. For that to happen, we need to get much better at early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's.

Phase III Alzheimer's Drug Raises Level of a Toxic Protein
Recent evidence suggests that the drug Dimebon may improve cognitive function in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. In a surprising result from ICAD 2009, researchers found that treatment with Dimebon caused an increase in a brain protein, known as beta amyloid, in animal models of Alzheimer's. Beta amyloid is a protein that is the main constituent of plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. This result is highly unexpected as most Alzheimer's drugs are tested for how much they can lower beta amyloid levels.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder May Raise Alzheimer's Risk; Moderate Alcohol May Lower It

Two studies looked at how post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol consumption may affect risk levels.

A study of more than 180,000 veterans aged 55 and older without dementia showed that there may be nearly two times higher Alzheimer's risk in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than those without it. With that knowledge we may be able to find ways to reduce the increased risk of dementia associated with PTSD.

A second study suggests lower Alzheimer's risk among adults who consume moderate amounts of alcohol, versus those who do not drink or who are heavy drinkers. However, this does not appear to be true for those who already have mild cognitive impairment.

The good news is that we now know there's a lot you can do to help keep your brain healthier as you age. These steps might also reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or another dementia. 

Heart Healthy Diet and Ongoing Moderate Exercise May Reduce Risk of Cognitive Decline

Scientists reported that following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet – or DASH diet – was associated with higher scores for cognitive functioning. The researchers found that four food categories from the diet plan – whole grains, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, nuts and beans – may offer benefits for cognition in late life. We need more research before we can confidently say how much of these foods to include in your diet to experience some benefit.

Two studies looked at physical activity and mental performance as we age.

•One study found that maintaining or increasing physical activity throughout life may slow cognitive decline as we age. Older adults who were sedentary throughout the study had the lowest levels of cognitive function at the beginning and had the fastest rate of decline.
•A second study in post-menopausal women found that moderate long-term physical activity may improve late life cognition; while long-term strenuous activity may actually increase risk of cognitive impairment.

Find out more about these and other studies visiting the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org.