There are more and more "Alzheimer's genes"

Five new genes in the human body that influence the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease have been identified
AMI-TASS

Five new genes in the human body that affect the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease were identified by an international group of scientists, which included specialists from 44 universities in the USA and Canada. Until now, only 4 genes associated with this incurable disease were known, first described in 1906 by the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer. In the early stages of the disease, a memory disorder occurs, for example, the inability to recall recently memorized information, at later stages characteristic symptoms are irritability and aggressiveness, mood fluctuations, speech disorders, loss of long–term memory. The disease can develop imperceptibly for a long time before symptoms become noticeable. The average life expectancy of patients with Alzheimer's disease after diagnosis is about seven years.

In the course of a large–scale study conducted by the Genetic Consortium for the Study of Alzheimer's Disease, a detailed genetic analysis of 11 thousand patients in the USA, Canada, Great Britain and European countries suffering from dementia was carried out, and for comparison - the same analysis of a control group of elderly people who do not suffer from memory loss.

"We have received new information about how the disease develops," Peter St. George–Hyslop, an employee of the Center for the Study of Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Toronto, told CBC in an interview. – We did not know about the role of some of these genes before, and their study will provide rich material. Perhaps these studies will open up an opportunity for diagnosis or help find measures to slow down this disease." According to the Canadian expert, a serious breakthrough in the study of Alzheimer's disease can be expected in the next five years, since a large amount of information about various brain conditions has already been accumulated. "We don't have to start research from scratch," he stressed. "There are very experienced researchers in Canada, and if there is appropriate funding, we will be able to make a solid contribution to this work."

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru13.04.2011