The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden released the latest results from the Prospective Population Study of Women, which has been following the health status of 1,500 women since the 1960s. Blood analysis has shown that middle-aged women with high levels of the amino acid homocysteine are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease years later. As well, the risk of any type of dementia for these women was 70% higher than women with the lowest levels of homocysteine. It’s unclear whether the relationship between Alzheimer’s and homecysteine is direct or indirect. If, in fact, future studies support this claim homocysteine levels may be an easy way to determine those at risk even before the onset of symptoms. [via EmaxHealth]
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.