Researchers at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute are about to launch the first epidemiological study on the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
“As far as we know, this is the first study of its kind to be carried out anywhere in the world,” states John Breitner, the study’s lead investigator and Director of the new Centre for Studies on Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease (StoP-Alzheimer). Dr John Breitner and Dr Judes Poirier, the Centre’s Associate Director, will be recruiting 250 healthy adults aged 60 or over, who have (or had) a parent, brother or sister with Alzheimer’s disease, in order to learn which methods are most effective at preventing this neurodegenerative condition.
Using a combined diagnostic approach of brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, the researchers will observe their subjects’ biomarkers for a period of ten years to find out which preventative agents can stop the disease from developing, long before symptoms appear. The preventative agents involved-five in all-have already shown promising results in previous studies. They are anti-inflammatory medications, insulin, physical activity, the Mediterranean diet, and drugs stimulating the production of a protein connected to the apoE gene.
To read the CNW release in full, click here.