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LIFE EXTENSION UPDATE NOVEMBER 24 2000
NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH
IN THIS ISSUE, NOVEMBER 24 2000: LIFE EXTENSION UPDATE EXCLUSIVE: Low
dose aspirin helps prevent Alzheimer's disease ; PROTOCOL: Alzheimer's
disease; FEATURED PRODUCTS OF THE WEEK: Healthprin,Acetyl-L-carnitine;
BLOOD TESTING SALE! NEW WEBSITE FEATURE: Life Extension Daily News
LIFE EXTENSION UPDATE EXCLUSIVE
Low dose aspirin helps prevent Alzheimer's disease
The November issue of the journal Archives of Neurology featured the
results of an Australian analysis (The Sydney Older Persons Study) of 647
subjects with an average age of 81 years, which demonstrated that the use
low doses of aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is
associated with a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease. One hundred
sixty-three subjects were diagnosed with various forms of dementia, with
seventy-eight of these diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease without vascular
dementia, forty-five with vascular dementia, and forty with other
dementias. Three hundred seventy-three participants served as controls.
Fifty drug groups were analyzed for their association with the diagnostic
groups. There was an inverse correlation observed between aspirin or
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and the incidence of Alzheimer's
disease. The association was not observed for other dementia diagnoses.
Analysis of the results did not reveal a dose dependent effect, with
response the same for high or low doses. An inverse correlation was also
observed between the risk of Alzheimer's disease and the class of drugs
known as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
The finding concerning low doses of aspirin or NSAIDS is promising.
Previous studies had uncovered a correlation between high doses of aspirin
or NSAIDs and Alzheimer's disease, a finding which, although significant,
can be risky to put into practice because of the liver damage and gastric
bleeding associated with high doses of these drugs.
The researchers believe that the benefit of aspirin or NSAIDs might be due
to the improvement of blood flow, because of the the reduction of blood
clotting.
PROTOCOL
Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly and is
the fourth leading cause of death in developed nations (after heart
disease, cancer, and stroke). Up to 70% of dementia cases are due to
Alzheimer's disease, with blood vessel disease (stroke, atherosclerosis)
being the second most common cause. The frequency of Alzheimer's among
60-year-olds is about 1%. The incidence doubles approximately every 5
years, becoming 2% at age 65, 4% at 70, 8% at 75, 16% at 80, and 32% at
85. It is estimated that as many as two thirds of those in their 90s
suffer from some form of dementia. For those who aspire to live a very
long life, dementia is a threat second only to death-or is death in
another form.
Alzheimer's disease is incurable. It leads to death within an average of 8
years after diagnosis, the last 3 of which are typically spent in an
institution. Besides memory loss, Alzheimer's patients show dramatic
personality changes, disorientation, declining physical coordination, and
an inability to care for themselves. In the final stages, victims are
bedridden, lose urinary and bowel control, and suffer epileptic attacks.
Death is usually due to pneumonia or urinary tract infection.
Studies with 2 or 3 grams a day of acetyl-L-carnitine have shown a reduced
rate of disease progression for Alzheimer's patients. Acetyl-L-carnitine
reduces lipofuscin in neurons. Although lipofuscin is cellular debris from
glycation and oxidation, detrimental effects in general and a contribution
to Alzheimer's disease in particular have not been shown. The (modest)
benefits of acetyl-L-carnitine are more likely due to its ability to
normalize cell metabolism, increase NGF utilization, and increase
acetylcholine synthesis.
http://www.lef.org/cgi-local/welcome.cgi/id=151060891/sgroup_id=699/welcome.
html
FEATURED PRODUCTS OF THE WEEK
Healthprin
Numerous studies document the multiple health benefits of daily low-dose
aspirin. While abnormal platelet aggregation (which can cause a heart
attack or stroke) can be inhibited by vitamin C and E, fish oil, and
herbal extracts such as ginkgo and bilberry, aspirin provides additional
protection against abnormal blood clot formation within blood vessels.
In addition to inhibiting blood from forming clots inside arteries,
aspirin has been shown to inhibit prostaglandin E2, which has been linked
to many chronic inflammatory conditions that may result in
colon-esophageal cancers and other diseases.
In order to make it easy to take low-dose aspirin, The Life Extension
Foundation offers a bottle of 500 heart-shaped tablets containing 81 mg of
aspirin per tablet. These easy to swallow tablets are equal to 1/4 of one
aspirin tablet, which is the dose the published studies indicated may be
ideal to prevent heart attacks, and possibly, prevent some forms of
cancer.
http://www.lef.org/cgi-local/welcome.cgi/id=151060892/sgroup_id=699/welcome.
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Acetyl-L-carnitine
Aging occurs when the energy producing components of the cell deteriorate,
resulting in reduced cellular metabolic activity, the accumulation of
cellular debris, and the eventual death of the cell.
The most effective antiaging therapy to maintain youthful cellular energy
metabolism is the amino acid L-carnitine, which functions via several
mechanisms to protect cells from the effects of aging.
Acetyl-L-carnitine is the acetylated ester of the amino acid L-carnitine.
Acetyl-L-carnitine is absorbed into the bloodstream more efficiently than
L-carnitine and, more importantly, acetyl-L-carnitine passes more
effectively through cell membranes, and is utilized more efficiently in
the mitochondria of the cell.
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BLOOD TESTING SALE!
People often fall victim to a disease that could have been prevented if
their blood was tested every year. When a blood test reveals an
abnormality, corrective actions can often be taken to prevent a serious
disease from developing.
Since 1996, Life Extension Foundation members have been able to order
their own blood tests and pay only a fraction of the price charged by
commercial laboratories. The good news is that The Life Extension
Foundation has negotiated a better price structure with one of the
nation's largest testing laboratories. In addition to saving big money,
this new arrangement makes it more convenient for members to have their
blood drawn throughout the United States.
Foundation members residing in South Florida can have their blood drawn at
the Life Extension Nutrition Center located at 995 SW 24 Street in Ft.
Lauderdale. Those residing outside of South Florida now have access to
hundreds of licensed blood drawing stations. For information about blood
testing or directions to any of these blood drawing stations, call
1-800-208-3444.
There is no longer any shipping charge to add, even when having your blood
tested outside of South Florida. Members previously had to pay an extra
$20.00 in shipping charges if they had their blood drawn anywhere other
than our Ft. Lauderdale drawing station. Please note that our retail
prices are lower than what most commercial laboratories and doctors
charge. Until April 15, 2001, The Life Extension Buyers Club is offering
an extra-special member discount on all blood tests.
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NEW WEBSITE FEATURE
Life Extension Daily News
Check out the lower right corner of Life Extension's front page to get the
latest headlines in the field of vitamins, nutrition, aging and disease.
Life Extension posts new articles every day and indexes past articles for
easy reference. Make a habit of checking our front page every day to get
the very latest in breaking news.
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If you have any questions concerning this issue of Life Extension Update,
back issues or any other life extension topics, email me at
ddye@lifeextension.com
For longer life,
Dayna Dye
Editor, Life Extension Update
ddye@lifeextension.com
Life Extension Foundation
www.lef.org
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