Every week, we hear that researchers have inched a little closer to discovering the real causes of Alzheimer’s, all of which would hopefully help them find a way to better treat the deadly disease. Some recent reports indicate new ways to slow the progression and others are that close to finding a cause or identifying things that increase a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s or identifying those that have a greater chance of developing it.

Millions of people are watching these reports with hopes that one of the will provide the hope they so long for. Many others are watching in hopes of not having to worry about developing Alzheimer’s as they get older.

Here a couple of new and exciting reports that are helping to give hope to some and may put dread in others.

1- Link to eye diseases:

“Three eye diseases have been linked to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), results of a large, longitudinal, population-based study suggest.”

“Glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy (DR) were associated with a 40% to 50% increased risk for AD.”

“Participants recently diagnosed with glaucoma had a 46% increased likelihood of developing AD. Similarly, the risk among those recently diagnosed with AMD or diabetic retinopathy had a 50% increased AD risk compared with their counterparts without these conditions.”

Cecilia S. Lee, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, explained:

“I am hoping our results will help increase awareness among ophthalmologists and primary care physicians. If they have a patient with one of these eye conditions, they should consider asking about cognitive status,”

It’s long been considered that the eyes are the window to the brain and provide a lot of information on brain health, which is further verified by this latest discovery.

Take note that while these three eye diseases my increase risk of Alzheimer’s by 40% to 50%, that also means there is a 50% to 60% chance of NOT being linked to Alzheimer’s, so don’t despair.

2- Genetic:

“A University of Adelaide-led team of scientists has suggested a potential link between iron in our cells and the rare gene mutations that cause Alzheimer’s disease, which could provide new avenues for future research.”

“In a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, the team proposes a new theory for how rare gene mutations cause Alzheimer’s disease. A theory that, if proven, could assist in finding a way to prevent the crippling disease.”

“The researchers caution people against making choices about diet or supplements based on this idea, as their theory only relates to how cells handle iron, not how much iron is in a person’s diet.”

While some of this news may bring gloom to some, they need to understand that the more researchers understand about what causes or is linked to Alzheimer’s, the closer they are to find a cure or a treatment. Just keep thinking positive.