Study: Unexplained Weight Loss Might Precede Alzheimer's
POSTED: Monday, September 26, 2005
  |
CHICAGO -- Unexplained weight loss in older people might be an early signal of Alzheimer's disease. A new theory suggests that this loss of weight happens several years before the memory lapses that define the illness."People with Alzheimer's disease are known to lose weight and body mass after they have the disease," said Dr. Dallas Anderson, of the National Institute on Aging, which funded the research. "This study is significant in that it looks at body mass changes in the years preceding dementia and cognitive decline." Researchers at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center studied 820 elderly Roman Catholic priests, nuns and brothers, following them for up to 10 years. They found that otherwise healthy participants whose body-mass index fell the most were the most likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. A loss of 1 pound per year was associated with a 5 percent increase in the risk of developing the disease.And people who retained the same weight had a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease than those who gained some weight.The results appear in Tuesday's issue of the journal Neurology."The most likely explanation is that there is something about these individuals or about this disease that affects BMI before the clinical syndrome becomes apparent -- that loss of BMI reflects the disease process itself," said Dr. David Bennett, one of the study's researchers.Anderson called the results intriguing, but he said the theory needs further testing in a more diverse group.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Images and hundreds of pages of documents related to the Casey Anthony case are released by the state attorney's office.
Jason Rodriguez is formally charged with first-degree murder and ordered to be held on no bond on charges he shot five people, killing one in a downtown office building on Friday.
| Arrest | Suspect
Local 6 wants to keep you up to date on growing crime trends in our community and make you aware of ways you may be able to prevent being victimized.
Send your pictures of news and weather to sixpix@local6.com. What you see, snap and send could end up on Local 6 News and ClickOrlando.com.
A final police report into the murder-suicide that left a Heathrow family of four dead details the couple's former swinging lifestyle and a gambling habit.
Local 6 News, led by investigative reporter Mike Holfeld, will host an interactive experience on Monday at 6:30 p.m. with viewers, including a phone bank and online chat with homeowners association experts.
Police release the name of the victim killed in a shooting at an Orlando high-rise and file first-degree murder charges against the suspected shooter. 
Eric Flack goes inside a controversial swingers club in suburban Cincinnati.
A South Carolina man caught on video having sex with a horse has been sentenced to three years in prison for abusing the animal.
Police say a bus driver and a bus attendant are facing charges after a 3-year-old special needs student was left on a bus for more than seven hours.
Hundreds of photos in the Casey Anthony case are released.
Take a quick look at the flicks headed to your multiplex. Check out the trailer, too.
At least six people were shot at an Orlando high-rise, officials say.
Email Alerts
RSS News Feeds
Mobile
Live Streams
Slideshows
Video
Search
