By Karla Sullivan
“As I wandered aimlessly around my backyard with my puppy scampering about but when I called out to pull him close, I had to search the tangled disconnected wiring in my brain, I couldn’t recall his name. Lately, my frequent loss of memory had become more than troubling; it was frightening, ” an Alzheimer s patient describes in the early stages of the disease.
The World Health Organization suggests that Alzheimer’s may become the biggest epidemic in this country by 2040, falling behind only cancer as the the second leading cause of death.
According to Scripps Research Institute, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia among older people, a general description for memory loss and other intellectual capabilities that can severely interfere with daily living. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disorder and according to the Alzheimer’s Associations current statistics, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. There is no cure and research continues to identify key contributors.
BACE 1 is known to be elevated in brains with mild cognitive impairments and could be an early indicator of Alzheimer disease. And the Journal of Biological Chemistry, shows for the first time that levels of the regulating protein Rheb, the ability of the brain to change in response to learning is decreased in Alzheimer disease. Rheb binds and regulates the activity of the enzyme BACE 1.
“We found that Rheb regulates BACE1, which is a major drug target in Alzheimer’s disease,” said Srini Subramaniam, a TSRI biologist who led the study at The Scripps Research Institute. “Studies of the autopsied brains of Alzheimer’s patients have found a significant reduction in Rheb, so it is possible that an increase in Rheb could reverse the buildup of amyloid plaque.”
The University of Chicago seems to think that Alzheimer disease may be predicted years before it starts. This is a result of diffusion tensor imaging, a special MRI that shows the brains pathways with focus on those with mild memory problems. “At some point, we’re going to be able to predict Alzheimer’s disease several years before it starts,” says James Mastrianni., MD< PHD< Associate Professor of Neurology and Director of the Center for Comprehensive Care and Research on Memory “Once we can do that accurately, we will be able to start therapies to modify the biology of the disease and slow down the progression at a faster rate.”
Earlier diagnosis of such serious conditions, experts say, could have broad implications for the insurance industry, including a possible change in fee structures for both health and life insurance. Life insurance is available without a medical exam if not diagnosed with a severe condition. Call an insurance specialist for more information concerning the best options.
