Here’s an interesting read and may particularly holding the attention of people with Alzheimer’s or cancer. A distinct study reveals that people who have Alzheimer’s disease could have fewer chances of developing cancer. Additionally the reverse was also found to be true. Yes, cancer patients may be less likely of developing Alzheimer’s.
As part of the study, a group of nearly 3,020 people aged 65 and older who were enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study was observed. These individuals were followed for an average of five years to ascertain the development of dementia. Besides, they were followed up for an average of eight years to see if they developed cancer.
At the beginning of the study, approximately 164 people or 5.4 percent of the participants reportedly had Alzheimer’s disease. 522 people that’s about 17.3 percent were revealed to have already had a cancer diagnosis.
“Discovering the links between these two conditions may help us better understand both diseases and open up avenues for possible treatments,” remarked study author Catherine M. Roe, PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
In the course of the study nearly 478 people developed dementia and 376 people developed invasive cancer. The experts found that for individuals who had Alzheimer’s disease at the start of the study, the risk of future cancer hospitalization was lowered by 69 percent. This was in comparison to those who did not have Alzheimer’s disease at the beginning of the study.
In addition to this, Caucasian people who had cancer when the study commenced showed a 43 percent decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease as against those who did not have cancer at the start of the study. Nevertheless, this finding appears to have not been evident in minority groups.
The novel study was published in the December 23, 2009, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.