Alzheimer’s Disease and risky sexual behavior: not quite a false alarm?

Abel got a badly worded email which made him worried that Alzheimer’s may be caused by sexually transmitted diseases. Turns out he’s not completely off the mark.

Promising Effects of Statins on Alzheimer’s Pathology

Finally we get some data on changes in AD pathology with statin use! Statins are taken for lowering cholesterol, but they have other beneficial effects such as modulating inflammatory responses. Thus, they could prove beneficial in the treatment of AD given the disease has a significant inflammatory component. According to the press release The two [...]

Eat chana masala to prevent Alzheimer’s!

Yes, that title is a bit ostentatious. But the foods we eat contain many compounds that can be beneficial to brain health. One strategy for optimizing our brains for long-term peak performance is to identify these compounds and discover how they are beneficial. Head-healthy chemicals have previously been isolated from curries and spices before, and [...]

Thoughts on Approaching Hormone Therapy Data

I recently posted three “Basics”-style blurbs about menopause and hormone therapy (HT). If you missed it, they are here, here, and here. The field has gone through a lot of upheaval since the WHI studies in 2002, and I would just like to share my thoughts on how to approach where we stand now. These [...]

The Basics of Menopause and Hormone Therapy III: Cognitive Consequences

Postmenopausal women frequently complain about problems with attention and concentration, and increased forgetfulness. Controlled studies of the cognitive effects of menopause and HRT, however, have been controversial.

The Basics of Menopause and Hormone Therapy II: Types of HRT and Physiological Consequences

This is the second of a series that examines menopause, hormone therapy, and consequences of each. Today’s installment looks at the makeup of common hormones on the market, physiological consequences of hormone loss and replacement, and the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) studies. A slight emphasis is placed on Alzheimer’s Disease as a segway to the [...]

The Basics: History of Hormone Therapy and Menopause

I thought I’d hop on the Basics bandwagon. Here’s an oldy of mine with some menopause and hormone therapy background. WARNING: rampant pharmaceutical company sexism ahead. Do not attempt to communicate or reason with Zuska for at least 4 hours after reading. Rumor also has it that Tara is advocating for a beat-down. Parts II [...]

PDE-5 Inhibitor Sildenafil Improves Cognition, or Viagra’s Good for the Big Head Too

Inspired by Rush Limbaugh’s apparent erectile dysfunction, I decided that today’s Evil Journal Club should address the “other” potential uses of PDE-5 inhibitors, the most (in)famous of which is Viagra.

And when you’re in your bigger room…

…you might not know what to do you might have to think of how you got started sittin’ in your little room –The White Stripes