Scans 'no aid for back pain care'

Check this out! The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends "Manual Therapy" first in their guidelines for Low Back Pain. Study after study has shown that chiropractic is the gold standard for manual therapy. Nice of them to do that!

Scans should be reserved for 'serious conditions', the study says
The routine use of scans in patients with lower back pain does not improve their outcomes, US scientists say.
They looked at six trials including more than 1,800 patients and found no benefit from the scans when patients were followed for up to a year.
Previous studies in the UK have shown similar results.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is expected to publish guidelines on the treatment of lower back pain in May.
The researchers said the results were most applicable to the type of acute lower back pain assessed by a GP.
They looked at pain, function, quality of life, mental health, overall patient-reported improvement and patient satisfaction in the care they received for up to a year after their initial treatment.
All the patients were randomised to receive either immediate scans or standard clinical care.
Some of the standard care group were offered scans if they had not improved within three weeks.
They did not find significant differences between immediate imaging with X-ray or MRI scans and usual clinical care either in the short-term - up to three months later, or the long-term - six to 12 months.
Existing guidelines
Imaging in the first month of low back pain is not recommended in the US or in draft guidelines from NICE that were published in October.

DRAFT NICE GUIDELINES ON BACK PAIN
Consider course of manual therapy
Consider course of acupuncture
Consider structured exercise programme
Do not offer an X-ray
MRI only for suspected spinal fusion or other serious underlying condition

Dr Roger Chou, lead researcher from the Oregon Health and Science University said some doctors still do it routinely, "possibly because they aim to reassure their patients and themselves, to meet patient expectations about tests or because reimbursement structures provide financial incentives to image".
He added: "Clinicians should refrain from routine, immediate lumbar imaging in patients with acute or sub-acute low back pain and without features suggesting a serious underlying condition."
In the paper published in the Lancet, the researchers say rates of MRI scans for back pain are rising according to figures from US medical programme Medicare.
They think patient expectations and preferences for imaging should be addressed, because in one trial 80% of patients with low back pain would undergo radiography if given the choice.
"Educational interventions could be effective for reducing the proportion of patients with low back pain who believe that routine imaging should be done."
UK experience
It is estimated that 40% to 50% of the population in the UK experience back pain in any given year.
With normal clinical care 80% of them will recover within six weeks.
The remaining five million go on to have back pain that needs some sort of help and investigation.
Dr Dries Hettinga, head of research at the UK charity Backcare, said: "While back pain is very common, we still have a very poor understanding of this condition and its causes.
"Health professionals play a vital role in reassuring patients.
"While it may seem that sending patients for an X-ray or MRI can provide this reassurance, the scans often reveal very little.
"With the right information and support, most people are able to manage their pain and find that it gets better within days or weeks."
The draft guidelines from NICE say X-ray and MRI investigations of the spine should be limited to when tumours, breaks, fusions or serious inflammation and infection is suspected.
It advises all people with lower back pain to exercise, if necessary in supervised groups, and that doctors should be able to offer a course of manual therapy or acupuncture.

Acupuncture 'works for headaches

Acupuncture is a widely used alternative therapy
Traditional acupuncture is effective at preventing headaches, a scientific review finds - but so is a sham form.
The Cochrane Review reviewed 33 separate trials into acupuncture and its so-called "sham" counterpart.
The latter also involves the insertion of needles - but not into traditional "energy points".
The scientist leading the review said the results showed that putting needles into particular locations might not be that important.

British Medical Accupuncture Society
Acupuncture is still regarded as a "complementary" therapy, but is increasingly being viewed as a potential mainstream treatment for certain conditions, such as chronic pain.
The endorsement by the Cochrane Collaboration is likely to lead to further calls for it to be made more widely available on the NHS.

The traditional explanation of its effects involves tapping into a network of "meridians" around the body to regulate the flow of an energy called "chi". Acupuncture points are located at various positions along these meridians.
However, many modern acupuncture specialists believe that the insertion of needles actually cause subtle changes in the nervous system and brain activity which can be beneficial - and place needles in other parts of the body rather than concentrating solely on traditional acupuncture points.

The Cochrane reviews involved a total of 6,736 patients, who were given acupuncture to prevent either mild to moderate "tension" headaches, or migraine attacks.
Following a course of at least eight weeks, acupuncture patients suffered fewer headaches than those given only painkillers.

'Not a sham'
Acupuncture was also superior to preventative drug treatments in migraine, the reviewers concluded.
However, acupuncture relying on non-traditional needle positions was just as good as the traditional variety in preventing tension headaches, and almost as good in the migraine patients.

Dr Klaus Linde, from the Centre for Complementary Medicine Research at the Technical University of Munich in Germany, said that much of the benefit for both might be due to a "placebo effect", in which the experience itself of being treated can produce results independently of the effects of the treatment.
He said: "Much of the clinical benefit of acupuncture might be due to non-specific needling effects and powerful placebo effects, meaning that the selection of specific needle points may be less important than many practicioners have traditionally argued."

Dr Mike Cummings, medical director of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, welcomed the research.
He said that the differences between so-called "true" and "fake" acupuncture remained controversial within the profession.
"I think that, quite literally, many practioners have missed the point in the past.

"We certainly don't call what we do 'sham' acupuncture, as we believe there is growing evidence for a mechanism behind what we do.

"However, we still don't fully understand what is happening when needles are inserted, although these reviews suggest that for certain conditions, it is effective."

All that "core" muscle strengthening... a waste of time?

This is the second study from a reputaible journal that I've seen that casts doubt on the notion that weak trunk muscle strength is related to lower back pain. Maybe all that core strenghtening is unnecessary. Here's the study.
 
Paalanne N, Korpelainen R, Taimela S, Remes J, Mutanen P, Karppinen J. "Isometric trunk muscle strength and body sway in relation to low back pain in young adults." Spine. 2008 Jun 1;33(13):E435-41.
Department of Sports Medicine, Deaconess Institute of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
nikopaal@mail.student.oulu.fi

STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study on young adults.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationships between low back pain (LBP), maximal isometric trunk muscle strength, and body sway among young adults.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The
results of previous studies evaluating the association between trunk muscle strength and LBP are conflicting and heterogeneous. Furthermore, there are only few studies on the association between body sway and LBP.

METHODS: The subjects
(n = 874) belonged to a subcohort of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (mean age 19 years). Trunk muscle strength and body sway were measured from all subjects. LBP symptoms were inquired with a questionnaire, which was completed
concurrently with the examinations. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to cluster the subjects according to their LBP symptoms. RESULTS: LCA analysis produced 6 clusters differing with respect to LBP symptoms. There were no
statistically significant differences between the clusters in trunk muscle strength or body sway.

CONCLUSION: LBP does not seem to be associated with maximal isometric trunk muscle strength or body sway in young adults.

Fat Facts

In 2006, the surgeon general called obesity "the terror within" and said it could "dwarf 9/11 or any other terrorist attempt."

A recent anti-obesity ad campaign featured a "suicide bomber" with bars of butter strapped to his chest.

A 2002 study found that 13% of men and 17% of women of recruitment age are too fat to serve in the military.

In 1997, the World Health Organization teamed up with the International Obesity Task Force to redefine obesity standards. "Overweight" was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more, down from 27.8.

70% of the Obesity Task Force's funding comes from the two drug companies that make the popular weight-loss pills Xenical, Meridia, and Reductil.

In 1998, the US government adopted the new BMI standards, spurring fears of an "obesity epidemic."

That move was hailed by the American Obesity Association, a lobbying group that's received funding from Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig.

Sarah Hartshorne, a "plus size" contestant on America's Next Top Model, has a BMI of 21.5—well within the "normal" range.

Recent studies have attributed obesity to low-fat foods, lack of sleep, ear infections, intestinal bacteria, pollution, plastics, poverty, air conditioners, socializing with obese people, your mom's age when you were born, and your maternal grandmother's diet.

Researchers say obese Americans contribute disproportionately to global warming by consuming 18% more food and 938 million extra gallons of gas every year.

Southwest Airlines requires customers "who compromise any portion of adjacent seating" to buy 2 seats.

People who weigh more than 220 lbs are 150% less likely to survive a car crash than those under 130 lbs.

All 157 West Virginia public middle schools use the video game Dance Dance Revolution in gym classes.

Schools in Pennsylvania, Delaware, South Carolina, and Tennessee send "obesity report cards" to parents.

One Pennsylvania school district that does so serves pizza and churros for breakfast.

The federal government's list of banned foods in school cafeterias doesn't include fries, candy bars, or chocolate chip cookies.

In 2005, Sesame Street changed Cookie Monster's theme song from "C Is for Cookie" to "A Cookie Is a Sometime Food."

In 2005, British doctors said a 15-year-old who'd eaten only jam sandwiches and Pop-Tarts since he was 4 was totally healthy, except for an iron deficiency.

A 2008 study on "brideorexia" found that 70% of brides-to-be try to lose weight. Almost 1/4 try fasting, pills, or laxatives.

First-time users of Alli, a new over-the-counter fat-blocking pill, are advised to "wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work."

People consume an average of 28% more calories when eating snacks labeled "low fat," in part because they mistakenly think they're eating fewer calories.

In 2007, T.G.I. Fridays rolled out a "Right Portion" Cajun pasta dish with 4 times more fat than the USDA's daily recommendation.

People served soup in bowls that secretly refilled ate 73% more than those eating from normal bowls. But they felt just as full afterward.

The "Diet Fork" has dull teeth and an uncomfortable grip that force eaters to "scoop less."

"Diet glasses," whose blue tint makes food look less appealing, were big in Japan last year.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, and Christina Aguilera wear $250 sneakers by Masai Barefoot Technology, which claims they burn cellulite.

The net worths of white women whose BMIs fall 10 points increase by an average of $11,800.

Christian weight-loss books include What Would Jesus Eat? and More of Jesus, Less of Me.

25 minutes of daily Islamic prayers burns 80 calories.

ChastitySF.com, a Catholic site, tells dieters to imagine a "Purgatory where every unnecessary mouthful of food you have ever taken will be purged from you as flaming vomit."

Liquids account for 22% of the average American's daily calories.

After New York City made eateries post nutritional data, a survey found that 80% of diners were surprised that a Big Mac meal had 1,200 calories.

A recent Burger King commercial included the line, "I will eat this meat until my innie turns into an outie."

Last year, a Republican Mississippi state legislator proposed prohibiting restaurants from serving obese people.

Researchers asked 3,000 overweight people how they responded to discrimination; 79% said they ate more.

Active obese people are almost 50% less likely to die of heart disease than sedentary thin people.

Playboy Playmates of the Year selected during tough social and economic times are heavier and have larger waists.

When the Dow lost nearly 778 points in one day last September, every S&P 500 company went down—except Campbell's Soup.

New study firmly ties hormone use to breast cancer

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Taking menopause hormones for five years doubles the risk for breast cancer, according to a new analysis of a big federal study that reveals the most dramatic evidence yet of the dangers of these still-popular pills.
Even women who took estrogen and progestin pills for as little as a couple of years had a greater chance of getting cancer. And when they stopped taking them, their odds quickly improved, returning to a normal risk level roughly two years after quitting.

Collectively, these new findings are likely to end any doubt that the risks outweigh the benefits for most women.
It is clear that breast cancer rates plunged in recent years mainly because millions of women quit hormone therapy and fewer newly menopausal women started on it, said the study's leader, Dr. Rowan Chlebowski of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

"It's an excellent message for women: You can still diminish risk (by quitting), even if you've been on hormones for a long time," said Dr. Claudine Isaacs of Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. "It's not like smoking where you have to wait 10 or 15 years for the risk to come down."

Study results were given Saturday at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
They are from the Women's Health Initiative, which tested estrogen and progestin pills that doctors long believed would prevent heart disease, bone loss and many other problems in women after menopause. The main part of the study was stopped in 2002 when researchers saw surprisingly higher risks of heart problems and breast cancer in hormone users.
Since then, experts have debated whether these risks apply to women who start on hormones when they enter menopause, usually in their 50s, and take them for shorter periods of time. Most of the women in the federal study were in their 60s and well past menopause.

So the advice has been to use hormones only if symptoms like hot flashes are severe, and at the lowest dose and shortest time possible. The new study sharpens that message, Chlebowski said.

"It does change the balance" on whether to start on treatment at all, he said.

Even so, most women will not get breast cancer by taking the pills short-term. The increased cancer risk from a couple of years of hormone use translates to a few extra cases of breast cancer a year for every 1,000 women on hormones. This risk accumulates with each year of use, though.

The Women's Health Initiative study had two parts. In one, 16,608 women closely matched for age, weight and other health factors were randomly assigned to take either Wyeth Pharmaceuticals' Prempro — estrogen and progestin — or dummy pills.
This part was halted when researchers saw a 26 percent higher risk of breast cancer in those on Prempro.

But that was an average over the 5 1/2 years women were on the pills. For the new study, researchers tracked 15,387 of these women through July 2005, and plotted breast cancer cases as they occurred over time.

They saw a clear trend: Risk rose with the start of use, peaked when the study ended and fell as nearly all hormone users stopped taking their pills. At the peak, the breast cancer risk for pill takers was twice that of the others.

Think of it as President Bush's public approval rating, said another study leader, Dr. Peter Ravdin of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "Bush's popularity may be 50 percent on average, but it might have been descending the whole time he was president," Ravdin said.

In the second part of the federal study, researchers observed just 16,121 women who had already been on hormones for an average of seven years and another group of 25,328 women who had never used them. No results on breast cancer risk in these women have been given until now.

Plotting cases over time, researchers saw in retrospect that hormone users had started out with twice the risk of breast cancer as the others, and it fell as use declined. Among those taking hormones at the start of the study, use dropped to 41 percent in 2003, the year after the main results made news.

In the general population, use of hormone products has dropped 70 percent since the study, said another of its leaders, Dr. JoAnn Manson, preventive medicine chief at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
That corresponds with big drops in breast cancer cases, but some scientists have said this could be due to a fall-off in mammograms, which would mean fewer cancers were being detected, not necessarily that fewer were occurring.
The new study puts that theory to rest. Mammography rates were virtually the same among those taking hormones and those not.

"It is clear that changing mammography patterns cannot explain the dramatic reductions in breast cancer risk," Manson said.
"The data are getting stronger," said Dr. C. Kent Osborne, a breast cancer specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Women who do need the pills should not panic, though the doubling of risk — a 100 percent increase — for long-term users is quite worrisome, cancer specialists say. Although the new study does not calculate risks in terms of actual cases, previous research showed that the average increased risk of 26 percent meant a difference of a few extra cases a year for every 1,000 women on hormone pills, compared with nonusers.

"Hormone therapy remains a good health care choice to relieve moderate to severe menopausal symptoms," says a statement from Wyeth, which made the pills used in the study.

"Most women should be able to discontinue hormones in three to four years," or at least reduce their dose, Manson said.
A future analysis will look at other women in the study who took only estrogen, generally women who have had hysterectomies.

On the Net:
Cancer conference: http://www.sabcs.org
Hormone study: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/whi/estro_pro.htm

Stress hits even before pregnancy

Premature birth can cause long-term health problems

Stress in the six months before conception increases the risk of giving birth prematurely, research suggests.
Mothers who experience a death or serious illness in the family before falling pregnant are more likely to have a preterm baby, a study found.

The link was particularly strong in mothers who had experienced "severe life events" in older children, the Human Reproduction journal reported.

Effects of stress hormones in the womb, may explain the findings, experts said.
Records from 1.35m mothers in Denmark were analysed in the study, which comes on the back of earlier research suggesting stress during pregnancy is a risk factor for premature birth.

Serious illness or death in older children in the six months prior to conception, increased the risk of birth before 37 weeks by 23% and the risk of birth before 33 weeks by 59%.

Death or illness in close relatives, such as parents, siblings or a partner in the last six months before becoming pregnant increased the risk of birth before 37 weeks by 16%.

Mothers who had experience stress and were also missing a parent or who did not have a partner were significantly more likely to have a premature birth, the study showed.

Hormones
The researchers suggested several possible explanations for the findings including increased levels of stress hormones or lifestyle changes in response to stress, such as increased consumption of tobacco or alcohol.

Study leader, Professor Philip Baker, from the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Group at the University of Manchester said most research to date had focused on stress during pregnancy.
"Yet these results suggest that the impact could be greater in the period preceding conception.
"Although relatively subtle its still a real effect."
He added they had chosen to look at death and serious illness in close relatives as they were undoubtedly very stressful events for anyone.

"This should help our understanding of the causes of premature birth," he added.
Tommy's, the baby charity, who funded the research said around 50,000 babies are born prematurely each year in the UK, putting them at risk of long-term health problems such as chronic lung disease, learning difficulties and blindness.
Ronald Lamont, consultant obstetrician at North West London Hospitals NHS Trust and spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said the results were a "little surprising".

"It's quite interesting and fits with what we knew about stress during pregnancy.
"The fact that the risk of pre-term birth was increased if pregnant women were missing a parent or partner shows the importance of close support."

Stem cell cure hope for back pain

Millions suffer debilitating back pain

A patient's own stem cells could soon be used to cure chronic back pain, say researchers.
The team from the University of Manchester hope their treatment will be available within three years.

They are perfecting a way to rebuild the soft shock-absorbing discs which separate the vertebrae in the spine.

Damage to these intervertebral discs (IVDs) is a common cause of debilitating low back pain which affects around 12 million in the UK.

BackCare
A treatment which effectively cured the problem could potentially save the UK economy as much as £5 billion a year.

The new therapy, developed by Dr Stephen Richardson, uses mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from adult bone marrow to regenerate spinal discs.

MSCs are a class of stem cell which can grow into many different cell types, including bone, cartilage, fat and muscle.

Dr Richardson has succeeded in turning MSCs into the cells which make up the gel-like nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue separating the vertebrae.

He plans to begin pre-clinical trials next year, with full patient trials to follow on.

Dr Richardson said: "Once we have extracted the bone marrow from the patient and have purified the MSCs, they will be grown in culture and our patented method of differentiation will be applied.

"They will then be embedded within a gel which can be implanted back into the patient."

No rejection

Since the stem cells are taken from the patient's own body, there is no chance of them being rejected by the immune system.

The gel is based on a natural collagen similar to one already used for the treatment of cartilage defects.

It is implanted using an arthroscope, a thin tube device slipped through a small incision in the back.

Dr Richardson said there was no reason why a patient should not return home on the same day as the procedure, or the day after.

He said: "Once implanted, the differentiated MSCs would produce a new NP tissue with the same properties as the original and would both treat the underlying cause of the disease and remove the painful symptoms."

Currently, low back pain is treated with a combination of painkillers, physiotherapy or surgery.

In severe cases tissue is removed to relieve the pain, or vertebrae fused together.

However, success is limited, and these techniques do not solve the root cause of the problem.

Dries Hettinga, research and information manager at the charity BackCare, said: "This is a really exciting area of research and although it is still early days, the initial results look very promising."

Surgery beneficial in heartburn

By Emma Wilkinson
BBC News health reporter

Proton pump inhibitors are the standard treatment for reflux
People with persistent heartburn should be considered for early surgery to prevent a lifetime of popping pills, NHS research suggests.

A year after keyhole surgery, only 14% of patients were still taking medication, compared with 90% of those treated with drugs alone.

The £1m trial of 800 patients suggests surgery should be done more routinely in patients with chronic acid reflux.
Experts said there was a view among GPs that surgery was "too extreme".
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen co-ordinated the trial of laparoscopic fundoplication at 21 hospitals around the UK.

For some people, it is a serious problem which could potentially mean a lifetime of tablet taking
Professor Roger Jones, King's College London

The results so far suggest the procedure, although expensive at £2000 per patient, is cost-effective because reflux sufferers no longer have to take medication and their quality of life improves.

But they are following the patients for five years to check the benefits are long-term.

The operation involves wrapping a piece of the stomach around the oesophagus to create a new valve to prevent acid backing up from the stomach.

It used to be done by opening up the chest cavity, but with the advent of keyhole surgery is now a lot safer.
Common problem

Reflux is a very common condition with 20% of the population experiencing it at some point in their lives.
Those at the more severe end of the spectrum end up taking tablets for the rest of their lives - potentially for 20 to 30 years in younger patients - and few currently receive surgery.

Study leader, Professor Adrian Grant, said: "It looks pretty promising.
"I think these results will mean that surgeons will be suggesting the operation in those patients who are not quite so bad."
He added: "Like all surgery, fundoplication has some risks, but the more troublesome the symptoms, the greater the potential benefit from the operation."

Professor Roger Jones, head of general practice at King's College London and chair of the Primary Care Gastroenterology Society said surgery was often regarded as "too extreme" for something which is not a serious problem.

"But for some people, it is a serious problem which could potentially mean a lifetime of tablet taking."

Diabetes aspirin use questioned

Aspirin makes it harder for blood clots to form
Aspirin should not routinely be used to prevent heart attacks in people with diabetes, Scottish research suggests.

The British Medical Journal reported that in 1,300 adults with no symptoms of heart disease the drug, which can cause stomach bleeds, had no benefit.

The findings contradict many guidelines which advocate people with diabetes use aspirin to counter the underlying high risk of heart attack and stroke.

But there are key high-risk groups who still need the drug, experts said.
Patients with concerns are advised to consult their GP before changing medication.
In people who have already had a heart attack or stroke, or have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease, aspirin has been shown to reduce the risk of future "events" by around 25%.

However, in recent years doctors have begun to focus on people who have not yet developed so-called cardiovascular disease, but are at high-risk of having it in the future - such as people with diabetes.
There are around two million people over 40 with diabetes in the UK.
Around 80% of people with diabetes die of cardiovascular disease including strokes and heart attacks.
A daily dose of aspirin is recommended by several UK guidelines as a "preventive" treatment in these groups.

No benefit
But in the latest study in adults over 40 years with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and no symptoms of cardiovascular disease, there was no difference over seven years in heart attacks or strokes between those given aspirin and those given a dummy pill.

ASPIRIN USE
It can reduce the risk of people who have had strokes or heart attacks being ill again
But this study shows no benefit for people with diabetes who have no signs of heart disease
There is a known risk that taking the drug can cause stomach bleeds
People should talk to their GP before they stop taking the drug

Study leader Professor Jill Belch, from the University of Dundee, said aspirin was one of the most common causes of hospital admission for gastrointestinal bleeding.
"We have got a bit ahead of ourselves with aspirin.
"We need to think again about using it for primary prevention."
However she stressed the drug was beneficial in people who had already had a heart attack or stroke.

Professor Peter Sever, an expert in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics at Imperial College London, said the study was "extremely important".
"It confirms many concerns we have that aspirin is very widely used in the general population without an evidence base to support its overall benefits.
"Thousands of people buy aspirin over the counter - I'm forever saying to patients you shouldn't be taking this.
"I have had a couple of patients admitted to hospital with major gastrointestinal bleeding when there was no evidence it was doing any good."

The number of people diagnosed with diabetes and as having a high risk of cardiovascular disease is set to increase, with government plans in England to introduce a national screening programme for the over-40s next year.
Professor Steve Field, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said it would be worth revisiting the guidelines.
"But patients shouldn't panic or stop taking aspirin," he said.

Judy O'Sullivan, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This study adds weight to the evidence that aspirin should not be prescribed to prevent disease of the heart and circulation to people with diabetes, and other high risk groups, who do not already have symptoms of the disease."

Fatty acids clue to Alzheimer's

Scientists want to know more about the brain changes that lead to Alzheimer's

Controlling the level of a fatty acid in the brain could help treat Alzheimer's disease, an American study has suggested.
Tests on mice showed that reducing excess levels of the acid lessened animals' memory problems and behavioural changes.
Writing in Nature Neuroscience, the team said fatty acid levels could be controlled through diet or drugs.
A UK Alzheimer's expert called the work "robust and exciting".

There are currently 700,000 people living with dementia in the UK, but that number is forecast to double within a generation.

Over-stimulation
Scientists from Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and the University of California looked at fatty acids in the brains of normal mice and compared them with those in mice genetically engineered to have an Alzheimer's-like condition.
They identified raised levels of a fatty acid called arachidonic acid in the brains of the Alzheimer's mice.

This is cause for cautious optimism, as fatty acid levels can be controlled to some extent by diet and drugs
Rebecca Wood, Alzheimer's Research Trust

Its release is controlled by the PLA2 enzyme.
The scientists again used genetic engineering to lower PLA2 levels in the animals, and found that even a partial reduction halted memory deterioration and other impairments.

Dr Rene Sanchez-Mejia, who worked on the study, said: "The most striking change we discovered in the Alzheimer's mice was an increase in arachidonic acid and related metabolites [products] in the hippocampus, a memory centre that is affected early and severely by Alzheimer's disease."

He suggested too much arachidonic acid might over-stimulate brain cells, and that lowering levels allowed them to function normally.

Dr Lennart Mucke, who led the research, added: "In general, fatty acid levels can be regulated by diet or drugs.
"Our results have important therapeutic implications because they suggest that inhibition of PLA2 activity might help prevent neurological impairments in Alzheimer's disease.

"But a lot more work needs to be done before this novel therapeutic strategy can be tested on humans."
'Cautious optimism'

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the UK's Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "This research on mice suggests a connection between fatty acids and the abnormal brain activity that exists in Alzheimer's disease.
"This is cause for cautious optimism, as fatty acid levels can be controlled to some extent by diet and drugs.
"However, it is not yet clear if these findings are applicable to humans, and a lot more research is needed before any human trials can be conducted."

Professor Clive Ballard, director of Research at the Alzheimer's Society, said the work was "robust and exciting".
He added: "This is a novel and potentially exciting area of research, but it is still at a very early stage.
"Much more research is needed to see if fatty acids could lead to a treatment for those living with the devastating effects of Alzheimer's disease."