They have shown correlation but not causation.

Here's a more promising bit of work showing causation in an amyloid-beta peroxidase link to brain cell death http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/alzheimers_study_first_to_explain_death_of_brain_cells_10211.html

My limited knowledge of the disease suggests it is more like cancer - called by a single name but with multiple causes. Likely different treatments required for each different cause, again like cancer.

Thanks so much, Fromz. This was valuable. It too clearly states, it is "a first step to helping researchers devise ways to slow, prevent and eventually cure the disease."

I have no fear of this disease, yet my DH is terrified and every other person I have talked to that have had a family encounter now carries the fear.

I would prefer to have the body deteriorate than to have the mind. DH desires the opposite. Only time will tell.

What was so valuable in that particular article's consideration, and unknown to me was, "peroxidase--a type of enzyme that reacts harmfully with biological materials essential for proper brain function such as serotonin and L-DOPA."

Those two terms I am familiar with having been diagnosed and treated regarding a mental illness.

Just a topic I am interested in and thank you for indulging me on this wonderful forum you have created.

Always reaady to discuss science. Hope to learn every time there's a conversation I can at least listen in on.

Don;t get too worried aou tthose interactions. The body creates both those materials on its own. As long as the body system handling those interactions is in reasonable working order, taking the synthetic shouldn't create problems.

As I just mentioned a moment ago elsewhere, I really love talking to you because it is a pleasant exchange and experience for me. How very limited my interests are, but how willing I am to explore those. Thanks.

Thank you :)

You actually have an advantage in that sense. Concentrating on a few areas means you likely have deep knowledge of those subjects. I know about many things but my knowledge just scrapes the surface of them.

I work in geriatrics (with patients) and in my unscientific opinion I believe that research will eventually show many similarities between cancer and alzheimer's.

If you stipulate that cancer cells are carried in the bodies of ALL humans, and are usually handled by the body's immune system before they develop into a problem. You can then speculate that cancer results when the immune system becomes impaired for some reason and fails to cleanse the body of these cells.

So, if all humans create plaques that are normally cleared from the system by some function of the body, and that system weakens with age and becomes impaired you would see a rise in disease.(no proper names of these things are being used due to my abysmal spelling skills--spell check on this site copes poorly with jargon)

I think you are right about there being more than one cause. While all manifestations of the disease are similar there do seem to be "subcategories" and there are groups of behaviors that seem to hang together (i.e. if the patient displays behavior "A" you can be pretty certain he will also display behavior "C", but probably not display behavior "B". If the patient displays behavior "B" you will likely see behavior "D" ect.)

All of this is my humble unscientific opinion, based on years of observation and a good bit of reading.

Witchy, I appreciate your "humble unscientific opinion". I would love to know why cancer has no age barrier and why ALZ strikes in late life. That was a good point on immunity breaking down.

I just read two articles this morning regarding "Obesity growing to be top cancer cause." I know studies are valuable but they are so varied and ever changing it makes one's head go boing boing.