Benjamin Wolozin to speak at The Alzheimer’s Association/Rhode Island Chapter 14th annual Brian R. Ott, M.D. Research Symposium on Thursday, 18 November 2010
November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
NEUROLOGY EXPERT TO SPEAK AT
ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
NOVEMBER 18, 2010
Dr. Benjamin Wolozin to discuss the causes and treatment of dementia and the link between heart and brain health
PROVIDENCE, R.I (October 25, 2010): The Alzheimer’s Association/Rhode Island Chapter is holding its 14th annual Brian R. Ott, M.D. Research Symposium to present the latest clinical research on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
This free research lecture, open to the general public, is planned for Thursday, November 18, 2010 at the Providence Hilton, 21 Atwells Avenue, in Providence from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Guest speaker is Benjamin Wolozin, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine. The event open to the public with advance registration required. Caregivers, medical staff, volunteers, and families of those affected by Alzheimer’s disease are most welcome to attend.
Dr. Wolozin will present the topic, “The Causes and Treatment of Dementia: Perspectives from Vascular and Cellular Biology.” His talk will review the latest factors, medications and strategies used to prevent the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by keeping the heart healthy. “The number one thing that attendees can walk away with from this Research Symposium is the understanding that heart health means brain health,” states Dr. Wolozin. “As we age, our blood vessels become more fragile which makes the body worse at delivering the blood supply needed for the brain to perform its ‘think well’ function. Improving blood flow to the brain, such as through exercise, has immediate and direct benefits to cognition. Good cardiovascular health is the bottom line in preventing the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.”
In 2000, Dr. Wolozin discovered that persons taking lower cholesterol medicine had lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease. “The causes of dementia and Alzheimer’s are complex but evidence increasingly points to three main risk factors: age, the accumulation of amyloid in the brain, and the deterioration of the cardiovascular system,” Dr. Wolozin explains. “In the 1990’s, I was studying the effects of cholesterol on the production of beta amyloid, which is a toxic protein that accumulates in brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, and I asked myself, ‘why am I looking at the effects of reduced cholesterol using cells on a petri dish when there are human beings out there already taking statins to reduce cholesterol?’ I then developed research methodology allowing study of (de-identified) digital records of U.S. Veterans over the age of 65 with cardiovascular disease who were taking cholesterol medication. The results showed a significant reduction in the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia among this population. More recently, we have shown that a particular class of drugs used to treat high blood pressure might reduce the incidence and progression of Alzheimer’s disease . Thus, medications used to treat hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol appear to help people with or at risk of cognitive diseases.”
Maintaining a healthy cardiovascular relationship with the brain is most important. “Diet and exercise play a key role in keeping the brain functioning well. Medications that promote vascular health seem to help prevent dementia. These treatments include medications such as statins, which reduce cholesterol levels and angiotension receptor blockers which treat high blood pressure,” Dr. Wolozin notes. “My lecture will show how these can reduce the progression of and delay onset and incidence of Alzheimer’s disease for many people.”
Dr. Wolozin serves as the primary investigator for several funded studies and serves on numerous editorial boards including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, PLosONE and Neurodegenerative Diseases. A standing member of the National Institute of Health Cell Death in Neurodegeneration (CDIN) study section, he has received numerous awards for his research including the Donald B. Lindsley Prize, Society for Neuroscience, the A. E. Bennett Award and a Merit Award from Alzforum. Dr. Wolozin received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Bronx, NYC). His postdoctoral fellowships were spent at Mt. Sinai Medical Center (NYC) and the National Institute of Mental Health (Bethesda, MD). Prior to joining the Boston University School of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology, he was a professor at Loyola University Medical Center (Chicago, IL).
The 14th annual Brian R. Ott, M.D. Research Symposium will begin with a reception at 6:00 p.m. and Dr. Wolozin’s lecture will begin at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. For more information or to register for the Brian R. Ott, M.D. Research Symposium, call the Alzheimer’s Association/Rhode Island Chapter office at (401) 421-0008 or (800) 272-3900 or visit www.alz.org/ri.
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The Alzheimer’s Association/Rhode Island Chapter, an affiliate of the National Alzheimer’s Association, is a private, non-profit organization which was started in 1989 by family caregivers and interested community healthcare professionals. It provides education, personal support, and advocacy around key issues of concern to those coping with Alzheimer’s disease. Programs and services include a phone helpline, support groups, training for family members and healthcare professionals, newsletter, resource library, and special fundraising events. Offices are located at 245 Waterman Street, Suite 306, Providence, RI 02906. Phone: (401) 421-0008; Fax: (401) 421-0115); Web: www.alz.org/ri
The lecture is named after the Alzheimer’s Association/Rhode Island Chapter former Board president, Dr. Brian Ott, a well-known neurologist at the Rhode Island Hospital Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center.