My article “Preserving the Memory” appears in the July/August 2009 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Thanks to Dr. Thomas D. Bird, Professor of Medicine and Neurology at the University of Washington and Chief of their Division of Neurogenetics, for reviewing the article for accuracy. He said he thought it was “a good review of the state of the art” in Alzheimer’s disease (January 2009).
Home » Alzheimer's and Dementias » Article on Alzheimer’s disease research
Gray Connections 
Hi Janet – I was just searching for your article in Analog Science Fiction and Fact – “Preserving the Memory.” My grandmother died about a year ago (93 years old), but developed Alzheimers and dementia for the past 5 years. Let me know how I can find your article. Sadly, I fight my own memory loss from time to time and am interested in anything proactive I can do!
Thanks Jan!
Kim
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Hi, Janet! What do you think of these cholesterol/alzheimer’s connections?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/health/dementia05.html?hpw
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Hi Ion,
We’ve known for years that cardiovascular disease is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s, but we don’t fully understand the mechanism yet. This is another step in decoding that connection.
Cholesterol-based plaque accumulation in the brain’s blood vessels reduces blood flow, which reduces oxygen available to brain cells and impairs their function. A blockage in brain blood vessels causes stroke, which kills brain cells. Some researchers are investigating whether the beta amyloid plaque accumulation in the brain, which is characteristic of Alzheimers, can weaken blood vessel and cause them to leak, thereby reducing blood flow.
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