4 ms·

UTIs can cause symptoms exactly like Alzheimer's, so I'm sure that sparked the idea. My grandmother actually developed Alzheimer's, I can't help but feel it mig

UTIs can cause symptoms exactly like Alzheimer's, so I'm sure that sparked the idea. My grandmother actually developed Alzheimer's, I can't help but feel it might have been set on by a long standing UTI that the Dr never caught or treated (her Doctor was an old quack from everything I know.) Then again, her sister also has it, so it could also just be genetic. I do hope they figure it out, it's too late for my grandmother, but it's a big drain on everyone and when my grandmother does "break through" briefly, she is basically begging to die. Wouldn't wish it on anyone.

nikmobi 10y ago
just thinking out loud here, but since it seems that people with the disease can have a "break through", does that suggest that it's potentially reversible?
- ekianjo 10y ago
  It's not reversible. The damage to the brain during the course of Alzheimer is destructive (causes your brain to shrink over time).
  - tim333 10y ago
    That's not necessarily true. It would presumably depend on how much damage was done. Here's some cases of improvement with turmeric, one of the spices in curry that has anti bacterial and anti fungal properties http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/turmeric-produces-remarkable-recovery-alzheimers-patients http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/turmeric-produces-remarkabl...
    - street 10y ago
      You're not exactly linking to the type of source you'd want to read for trustworthy scientific information. Unless your version of science says fluoride in drinking water is killing you, eating greens will cure cancer, and GMO's are horrible.
      - tim333 10y ago
        That's true though it's still interesting the three patients cited in the paper they reference improved. Here are some better links perhaps http://alzheimer.neurology.ucla.edu/Curcumin.html http://alzheimer.neurology.ucla.edu/Curcumin.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781139/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781139/
    - partiallypro 10y ago
      This is why Steve Jobs died so early, this thinking right here.
  - Cozumel 10y ago
    That's not true, it's been shown to be reversible with ultrasound dissolving the plaque build up. ( http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/7/278/278ra33 http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/7/278/278ra33 ) The plague serves a primary purpose of regulating voltage between neurons like a buffer, but now according to this study it looks like it serves a secondary purpose like an immune reaction to disease but it gets out of control and causes alzheimers, so removing the plaque cures the alzheimers but that's not getting the underlying cause which this study says is the disease. It's fantastic research and hopefully will provide a lot of hope to people and their familes suffering from it.
    - DrScump 10y ago
      The study fulltext is free: http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/7/278/278ra33.full http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/7/278/278ra33.full The mechanism claims to be that the SUS merely selectively opens the blood-brain barrier long enough for microbubbles to pass through, implying (as I read it) that their action is mechanical. First ad campaign: "Scrubbing Bubbles -- not just for bathroom surfaces anymore!"
    - ekianjo 10y ago
      It still does not bring back the neurons already dead.
tomhoward 10y ago
I can't help but feel it might have been set on by a long standing UTI Then again, her sister also has it, so it could also just be genetic. These factors aren't mutually exclusive, and are likely complementary. Many (or pretty much all) women experience UTI's at some time in their lives, but few of them are so severe as to trigger dementia. The difference between those whose UTI's lead to dementia vs not is likely genetic (or epigenetic, which is a whole other topic/controversy).

nikmobi 10y ago

just thinking out loud here, but since it seems that people with the disease can have a "break through", does that suggest that it's potentially reversible?

ekianjo 10y ago
It's not reversible. The damage to the brain during the course of Alzheimer is destructive (causes your brain to shrink over time).
- tim333 10y ago
  That's not necessarily true. It would presumably depend on how much damage was done. Here's some cases of improvement with turmeric, one of the spices in curry that has anti bacterial and anti fungal properties http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/turmeric-produces-remarkable-recovery-alzheimers-patients http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/turmeric-produces-remarkabl...
  - street 10y ago
    You're not exactly linking to the type of source you'd want to read for trustworthy scientific information. Unless your version of science says fluoride in drinking water is killing you, eating greens will cure cancer, and GMO's are horrible.
    - tim333 10y ago
      That's true though it's still interesting the three patients cited in the paper they reference improved. Here are some better links perhaps http://alzheimer.neurology.ucla.edu/Curcumin.html http://alzheimer.neurology.ucla.edu/Curcumin.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781139/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781139/
  - partiallypro 10y ago
    This is why Steve Jobs died so early, this thinking right here.
- Cozumel 10y ago
  That's not true, it's been shown to be reversible with ultrasound dissolving the plaque build up. ( http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/7/278/278ra33 http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/7/278/278ra33 ) The plague serves a primary purpose of regulating voltage between neurons like a buffer, but now according to this study it looks like it serves a secondary purpose like an immune reaction to disease but it gets out of control and causes alzheimers, so removing the plaque cures the alzheimers but that's not getting the underlying cause which this study says is the disease. It's fantastic research and hopefully will provide a lot of hope to people and their familes suffering from it.
  - DrScump 10y ago
    The study fulltext is free: http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/7/278/278ra33.full http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/7/278/278ra33.full The mechanism claims to be that the SUS merely selectively opens the blood-brain barrier long enough for microbubbles to pass through, implying (as I read it) that their action is mechanical. First ad campaign: "Scrubbing Bubbles -- not just for bathroom surfaces anymore!"
  - ekianjo 10y ago
    It still does not bring back the neurons already dead.

tomhoward 10y ago

I can't help but feel it might have been set on by a long standing UTI Then again, her sister also has it, so it could also just be genetic. These factors aren't mutually exclusive, and are likely complementary. Many (or pretty much all) women experience UTI's at some time in their lives, but few of them are so severe as to trigger dementia. The difference between those whose UTI's lead to dementia vs not is likely genetic (or epigenetic, which is a whole other topic/controversy).