July 6, 2001, Hour One: Alzheimer's Research Update

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Hour One: Alzheimer's Research Update

A recent survey found that 4 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, 19 million Americans have a family member with Alzheimer's, and 37 million Americans know someone with the disease. However, scientists still have a long way to go just to understand all of the complex factors leading to Alzheimer's. And while there are drugs that can ease the symptoms temporarily, preventing it completely is still beyond medical science. In this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at the latest in Alzheimer's research. Are we any closer to understanding, diagnosing, and preventing one of the most serious diseases of aging?

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Guests:
John C. Morris, MD
Friedman Professor of Neurology
Co-Director, Alzheimer Disease Research Center
Director, Memory Diagnostic Center
Washington University School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri

David A. Snowdon
Author, "Aging With Grace: What the Nun Study Teaches Us about Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives"
Professor, Neurology
Director, The Nun Study
Sanders-Brown Center on Aging
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

Rudolph Tanzi
Co-author, "Decoding Darkness: The Search for the Genetic Causes of Alzheimer's Disease"
Professor, Neurology
Harvard Medical School
Director, Genetics and Aging Research Unit
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Aging With Grace: What the Nun Study Teaches Us about Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives" by David Snowdon. Bantam, 2001.

"Decoding Darkness: The Search for the Genetic Causes of Alzheimer's Disease" by Rudolph Tanzi and Ann Parsons. Perseus Books, 2000.

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