Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1462307
What's New in BY K ATE ANASTAS GUT AND BRAIN CONNECTION MORE THAN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE? NEW CLUE: ABNORMAL BLOOD SAMPLES RECENT DRUG ON THE MARKET Impaired gut health may be an indicator for Parkinson's disease. A new study published in Metabolites found that people with Parkinson's disease had higher levels of disruptive bacteria in the appendix than those from the control group without the condition. While researchers have yet to determine if the microbiota changes cause the disease or result from the disease, treatments aimed at biliary acids or the microbiome may be a future option to slow disease progress. In June 2021, the FDA granted accelerated approval for a new drug to treat Alzheimer's disease — Aduhelm (aducanumab). Currently, no pharmacologic treatments slow or stop damage to neurons that cause Alzheimer's disease. However, in three separate studies, patients who received Aduhelm had significant dose- and time-dependent reduction of amyloid beta plaque, an indication of Alzheimer's disease. The medication is not without controversy, however, because of its high cost per year and because of ongoing debate about its clinical effectiveness. Neurodegenerative Disease Research Neurodegenerative Disease Research Neurodegenerative Disease Research Recent autopsy studies show more than half of people with Alzheimer's disease have mixed pathologies. Alzheimer's disease brain changes occurred with brain changes from other causes of dementia, such as cerebrovascular disease and Lewy body disease. IN 2021, SCIENTISTS CONTINUE TO LE ARN ABOUT DIAGNOSIS, TRE ATMENT AND PRE VENTION OF NEURODEGENER ATIVE DISE A SES SUCH A S AL ZHEIMER'S DISE A SE AND PARKINSON'S DISE A SE. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE Approximately 6.2 million Americans age 65+ PARKINSON'S DISEASE Approximately 1 million Americans PREVALENCE Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health analyzed blood samples of more than 10,000 people and found that abnormal blood levels of 38 proteins were associated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in five years. Sixteen of the 38 proteins predicted Alzheimer's disease risk two decades in advance. One particular protein — SVEP1 — may be a causal contributor to the disease. 2 0❱❱❱❱❱ D A TA V A U LT