<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"   Alzheimer&amp;#039;s disease has been in the news recently for good reason \u2013 doctors think they are getting closer to finding a cure for the condition, which causes confusion and dementia.  Around 820,000 people in Britain have dementia, mostly caused by Alzheimer&amp;#039;s.    Research Recent news that scientists at the Medical Research Council have found a chemical that prevents the death of brain cells in mice has been heralded as a breakthrough in the treatment for Alzheimer&amp;#039;s and Parkinson&amp;#039;s diseases.  In another landmark study, researchers at Cardiff say they have isolated eleven new genes linked to the deadly brain disease.  Professor Julie Williams, head of neurodegeneration at Cardiff University&amp;#039;s neuropsychiatric genetics and genomics centre, led one of four global research teams.  She said: &amp;#039;We know a lot more about what is causing the disease, but we need to know more about the how.  &amp;#039;How are these genes actually contributing to the disease&amp;#039;s progress?  &amp;#039;When we find the answer to this, we&amp;#039;ll be able to target genetic errors with drugs or other interventions.&amp;#039;    A cure? It all looks very promising, but is a cure still a long way off?  Professor Roger Morris from Kings College, London believes that the Medical Research Council findings are a &amp;#039;turning point&amp;#039; in the search to control and prevent Alzheimer&amp;#039;s, because it is the first time scientists have been able to delay brain cell death in living animals.  However, he cautions: &amp;#039;Although these early results look promising, there is no guarantee that what works on mice will also work on humans.  &amp;#039;We have been learning more about the genes that cause this terrible illness, which seems to be triggered by a complex mixture of environmental and lifestyle factors.  &amp;#039;There isn&amp;#039;t a single magic bullet to cure Alzheimer&amp;#039;s and we need to look at this from a number of angles.&amp;#039;    Drug therapy &amp;#039;Doctors don&amp;#039;t have drugs that stop underlying causes of Alzheimer&amp;#039;s \u2013 but we can help symptoms,&amp;#039; says Dr Ridley.  Aricept is most commonly prescribed for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer&amp;#039;s, but doctors can also give similar drugs, such as Exelon or Reminyl .  A pill called Solanezumab is undergoing trials at the moment and may help to stop Alzheimer&amp;#039;s in its tracks.  Solanezumab works by blocking certain proteins that form plaques in the brain, causing tissue to die.  &amp;#039;We remain uncertain of the role of amyloid proteins, often found depressed in the spinal fluid of Alzheimer&amp;#039;s sufferers,&amp;#039; says Dr Ridley.  Earlier trials of patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer&amp;#039;s showed that the drug slowed cognitive decline by 34 per cent in patients with mild symptoms, but didn&amp;#039;t affect their ability to perform everyday tasks.    What about lifestyle changes? Dr Thomas Stuttaford says: &amp;#039;Research shows that chronic stress caused by job pressures, family tensions and always-on-technology can lead to depression, cognitive decline and Alzheimer&amp;#039;s symptoms.&amp;#039;  Under constant stress the body is unable to recover from high adrenaline and cortisol levels, which can affect brain cell regeneration.  &amp;#039;Relaxing through meditation, yoga and walking all help to counteract harmful stress.&amp;#039;  Dr Simon Ridley advises people to adopt healthier lifestyles if they want to reduce their risk.  &amp;#039;There is a growing list of lifestyle, environmental factors involved in Alzheimer&amp;#039;s.  &amp;#039;Exercising, being social and eating well can all help.&amp;#039;  Research suggests that vitamin D, which is derived from sunshine, fish, meat and dairy products helps protect your brain.  Several trials are currently underway to prove the link between low levels of vitamin D, commonly found in elderly people and developing cognitive decline.  Alzheimer&amp;#039;s may be associated with a gene mutation, which reduces vitamin D effectiveness.    Pick up a puzzle &amp;#039;A lot of data suggests that being mentally active can help ward off Alzheimer&amp;#039;s,&amp;#039; says Dr Ridley. &amp;#039;Your brain is a muscle, so like other muscles, needs a daily workout.&amp;#039;  Doing the logic puzzle, sudoku, playing chess, doing crosswords or playing cards exercises your brain, as well as being fun.  Research by Dr Raza Naqvi, from the University of Toronto, Canada, looked at 32 trials involving 25,000 healthy patients aged 65 or older. It found that those who regularly completed sudoku puzzles had significantly improved memory skills in the five years afterward compared with those who didn&amp;#039;t regularly complete sudokus.  Other ways of keeping your brain sharp include learning a new language, listening to current affairs programmes on the radio and TV and reading a daily newspaper.  &amp;#039;I recommend that my patients remain mentally and cognitively active for as long as possible,&amp;#039; said Dr Naqvi.  &amp;#039;A regular mental work-out makes a huge difference to your memory in later life.&amp;#039;    Other people also read: Avoiding Alzheimer\u2019s: Research has suggested that there are things you can do to avoid the disease in the first place, including learning a second language.  Alzheimer&amp;#039;s disease: Alzheimer&amp;#039;s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting over half of all dementia sufferers.k Dementia : Dementia is an illness of the brain. When someone has dementia, brain cells are damaged and die faster than they would normally. Last updated 22.10.2013 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/brain-and-nervous-system/a354/a-pill-to-cure-alzheimers/>