November is Alzheimer\u2019s Awareness Month<\/p>\n
NEUROLOGY EXPERT TO SPEAK AT
\nALZHEIMER\u2019S RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
\nNOVEMBER 18, 2010
\nDr. Benjamin Wolozin to discuss the causes and treatment of dementia and the link between heart and brain health<\/p>\n
PROVIDENCE, R.I\u00a0 (October 25, 2010):\u00a0 The Alzheimer\u2019s 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\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n
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 \u2013 8:00 pm.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Caregivers, medical staff, volunteers, and families of those affected by Alzheimer\u2019s disease are most welcome to attend.<\/p>\n
Dr. Wolozin will present the topic, \u201cThe Causes and Treatment of Dementia: Perspectives from Vascular and Cellular Biology.\u201d His talk will review the latest factors, medications and strategies used to prevent the onset of dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s disease by keeping the heart healthy. \u201cThe number one thing that attendees can walk away with from this Research Symposium is the understanding that heart health means brain health,\u201d states Dr. Wolozin.\u00a0 \u201cAs 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 \u2018think well\u2019 function.\u00a0 Improving blood flow to the brain, such as through exercise,\u00a0 has immediate and direct benefits to cognition.\u00a0 Good cardiovascular health is the bottom line in preventing the onset of dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2000, Dr. Wolozin discovered that persons taking lower cholesterol medicine had lower rates of Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\u00a0 \u201cThe causes of dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s are complex but evidence increasingly points to three main risk factors:\u00a0 age, the accumulation of amyloid in the brain, and the deterioration of the cardiovascular system,\u201d Dr. Wolozin explains.\u00a0 \u201cIn the 1990\u2019s, 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\u2019s disease, and I asked myself, \u2018why 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?\u2019\u00a0 I then developed research methodology allowing study of (de-identified) digital records of\u00a0 U.S. Veterans over the age of 65 with cardiovascular disease who were taking cholesterol medication.\u00a0 The results showed a significant reduction in the incidence of Alzheimer\u2019s 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\u2019s disease .\u00a0 Thus, medications used to treat hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol appear to help people with or at risk of cognitive diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maintaining a healthy cardiovascular relationship with the brain is most important.\u00a0 \u201cDiet and exercise play a key role in keeping the brain functioning well.\u00a0 Medications that promote vascular health seem to help prevent dementia. These treatments include\u00a0 medications such as statins, which reduce cholesterol levels and angiotension receptor blockers which treat high blood pressure,\u201d Dr. Wolozin notes.\u00a0 \u201cMy lecture will show how these can reduce the progression of and delay onset and incidence of Alzheimer\u2019s disease for many people.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Dr. Wolozin received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Bronx, NYC).\u00a0 His postdoctoral fellowships were spent at Mt. Sinai Medical Center (NYC) and the National Institute of Mental Health (Bethesda, MD).\u00a0 Prior to joining the Boston University School of Medicine\u2019s Department of Pharmacology, he was a professor at Loyola University Medical Center (Chicago, IL).<\/p>\n
The 14th annual Brian R. Ott, M.D. Research Symposium will begin with a reception at 6:00 p.m. and Dr. Wolozin\u2019s lecture will begin at 6:30 p.m.\u00a0 Refreshments will be served.\u00a0\u00a0 For more information or to register for the Brian R. Ott, M.D. Research Symposium, call the Alzheimer\u2019s Association\/Rhode Island Chapter office at (401) 421-0008 or (800) 272-3900 or visit www.alz.org\/ri.<\/p>\n
# # #<\/p>\n
The Alzheimer\u2019s Association\/Rhode Island Chapter, an affiliate of the National Alzheimer\u2019s Association, is a private, non-profit organization which was started in 1989 by family caregivers and interested community healthcare professionals.\u00a0 It provides education, personal support, and advocacy around key issues of concern to those coping with Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\u00a0 Programs and services include a phone helpline, support groups, training for family members and healthcare professionals, newsletter, resource library, and special fundraising events.\u00a0 Offices are located at 245 Waterman Street, Suite 306, Providence, RI\u00a0 02906.\u00a0 Phone:\u00a0 (401) 421-0008; Fax:\u00a0 (401) 421-0115); Web:\u00a0 www.alz.org\/ri<\/p>\n
The lecture is named after the Alzheimer\u2019s Association\/Rhode Island Chapter former Board president, Dr. Brian Ott, a well-known neurologist at the Rhode Island Hospital Alzheimer\u2019s Disease and Memory Disorders Center.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
November is Alzheimer\u2019s Awareness Month NEUROLOGY EXPERT TO SPEAK AT ALZHEIMER\u2019S 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\u00a0 (October 25, 2010):\u00a0 The Alzheimer\u2019s Association\/Rhode Island Chapter is holding its 14th annual Brian R. Ott, M.D. Research […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1135,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/ppb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2496"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/ppb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/ppb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/ppb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/ppb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2496"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/ppb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2497,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/ppb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2496\/revisions\/2497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/ppb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/ppb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/ppb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}