It can come as a surprise to know that having Down’s syndrome puts people at much higher risk of Alzheimer’s. In fact, the genetic rearrangement that causes Down’s syndrome is one of the greatest genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s. Sadly, everyone with Down’s syndrome will have developed the characteristic plaques and tangles of Alzheimer’s in […]
Our brains don’t exist in isolation, separate from the rest of the body, but are connected in a variety of ways. While dementia is caused by diseases of the brain, researchers are looking for answers in other parts of the body to understand how changes there could be impacting the brain. Here at the Alzheimer’s […]
When we think about future treatments for dementia our minds may immediately think of new drugs. From vaccines to antibiotics, aspirin to statins, drugs have had a revolutionary impact on our health and wellbeing. Developing new medicines is a major focus for the research you’re helping us to fund at Alzheimer’s Research UK and research […]
We often talk about brain health and dementia risk on this blog, and how it’s a complex mix of age, our genes and the lifestyles we lead. It’s also a highly active area of research, with scientists across the globe working to understand why some people develop dementia and others don’t. This week at the […]
In an announcement made today, Prime Minister Theresa May outlined a new focus on early diagnosis of disease under the Grand Challenge on Artificial Intelligence in the Industrial Strategy. The Prime Minister announced an aim to transform the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of a range of health conditions including dementia. In her speech, she […]
A couple of years ago, Alzheimer’s Research UK launched its first-ever awareness advertising campaign, with an arresting and urgent film designed to shake society by the lapels in how it thinks about dementia. This is a condition that is hamstrung by decades of sweeping under the carpet; seldom talked-about and frequently misunderstood. In recent years, we […]
A study of the US healthcare system released yesterday says the current structure is insufficient to quickly deliver future treatments for people living with dementia. Although the US and UK health systems are inherently different, this review of the American system is a reminder of the need within our own health system to prepare for […]
In his documentary programme Dementia, Football and Me, former footballer Alan Shearer investigates a potential link between playing football and the risk of a form of dementia related to head injuries. His documentary follows a small study we reported on earlier this year which pointed to the need for more research into an issue that […]
With each heartbeat, blood vessels deliver around 15% of your blood up into your brain. This energy-hungry organ can only keep going thanks to the constant supply of nutrients and oxygen that are carried to it in the blood. Hundreds of miles of arteries, veins and capillaries circulate blood around every inch of the brain. […]
If you ask someone to name a symptom of dementia, chances are they would mention becoming forgetful or problems with memory. While these are the most well-known symptoms of Alzheimer’s, which is the most common cause of dementia, there are some more varied and lesser known symptoms that can affect things like vision, speech, personality […]
