A study of the damaged brains of boxers and other athletes published in Nature uncovered key details about the head injury-linked disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), or "punch drunk syndrome," that could help the development of new diagnostics and treatments for Alzheimer's, reports Reuters . CTE causes a type of dementia similar to Alzheimer's, which can currently only be identified postmortem. CTE also bears similarity to Alzheimer's because it entails the abnormal accrual of certain proteins in the brain, including tau. The researchers excised tau filaments from the brains of deceased athletes, then imaged them via cryo-electron microscopy. Although the tau's atomic structures from subjects with CTE were identical, they also differed from those seen in Alzheimer's. "Our new knowledge of these structures could make it possible to diagnose CTE in living subjects by developing tracer compounds that will specifically bind to the tau filaments of CTE," said Michel Goedert at Britain's Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology.

A study suggests adults who consume 10 grams of nuts daily can improve their cognitive functioning as they get older, reports Consumer Affairs . More than 4,800 adults 55 and older participating in the China National Health Survey between 1991 and 2006 were assessed. Seventeen percent of participants reported eating nuts regularly at the outset, with food consumption and cognitive performance regularly evaluated. "By eating more than 10 grams (or two teaspoons) of nuts per day, older people could improve their cognitive function by up to 60 percent — compared to those not eating nuts — effectively warding off what would normally be experienced as a natural two-year cognitive decline," says the University of South Australia's Ming Li. "If we can find ways to help older people retain their cognitive health and independence for longer — even by modifying their diet — then this is absolutely worth the effort."

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kans.) has proposed a bipartisan measure to crack down on financial scams targeting seniors through public-private partnerships with eight industries, reports KKTV . The plan would be to enlist those industries to make seniors more capable of spotting scams. "This is a lot about ... the private sector, being willing to help train their employees to spot a scam, so they can warn an older adult 'do not go down this path, it's not for real,'" Moran said. The bill requires placing two representatives on the advisory council from the retail, gift card, telecommunications, wire-transfer service, senior peer service, consumer advocacy, financial service, and prepaid card sectors. New penalties for scammers or for phone companies are not specified in the proposal. "I know that many people in the business community may grit their teeth at it," Moran acknowledged. "But this type of legislation ... probably has more promise to addressing the situation than allowing private enterprise to come up with a solution on their own."

A new study published in JAMA Network notes eating 300 mg of cholesterol or eggs daily elevates the risk of heart disease among American adults, reports MediBulletin . Included in the study were 29,615 participants from six different U.S. cohorts, using data collected between March 25, 1985, and Aug. 31, 2016, with a follow-up of 17.5 years. Daily cholesterol intake of 300 mg was associated with a 3.24 percent higher risk of a cardiovascular event and a 4.43 percent higher likelihood of death during that time period. Furthermore, for each additional half an egg consumed every day, the probability of a cardiovascular event rose 1.11 percent and the likelihood of death climbed by 1.93 percent. A single large egg contains about 186 mg of cholesterol when consumed in full, and egg whites alone are an excellent source of protein. Also among the positive, eggs are low calorie and have many micro-nutrients such as vitamin D, choline, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

A study published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management on older Americans' well-being before and after passage of medical marijuana laws in their state found reductions in reported pain and increased hours worked, reports News-Medical . The researchers examined more than 100,000 responses from survey participants 51 and older between 1992 and 2012. A 4.8 percent decline in reported pain and a 6.6 percent increase in reported health was observed among respondents with a health condition that would qualify for medical marijuana, following their states' approval of laws relative to similar respondents whose states did not pass a law. "Our study is important because of the limited availability of clinical trial data on the effects of medical marijuana," notes Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Professor Lauren Hersch Nicholas. "While several studies point to improved pain control with medical marijuana, research has largely ignored older adults even though they experience the highest rates of medical issues that could be treated with medical marijuana."

A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease determined low levels of amyloid-ß and tau proteins in eye fluid were significantly associated with low cognitive scores, suggesting their presence could lead to an accessible, cost-effective test to predict future Alzheimer's development. Samples of eye fluid from 80 persons who were previously scheduled for eye surgery were analyzed. Levels of amyloid-ß and tau proteins in the fluid were correlated to the outcomes of a baseline cognitive test. "These findings could help us build an accessible, and minimally invasive, test to determine Alzheimer's disease risk, especially among persons with eye disease," said Boston Medical Center's Lauren Wright. "We noted that some of the participants who had low levels of protein biomarkers in their eye fluid already had signs of mild to moderate dementia based on their cognitive scores."

A policy paper from the University of Birmingham stresses the urgency for national governments, health and social services, businesses, families, and communities to find new avenues to support the growing global populace of persons with dementia, as well as the relatives and friends who care for them, according to Medical Xpress . The authors note businesses that are sensitive to the needs of people with dementia and their caregivers could benefit, as the disease impacts a large percentage of the global workforce. Among the report's recommendations is new research to focus on the causes and nature of frailty, which should encompass the collection of clinical, biological, social, and psychological data as people age in order to identify those most at risk of frailty, and target the condition's drivers to devise new approaches to retard or reverse frailty. Also advised are actions to help people identify themselves as "carers," in addition to existing support resources in everyday, community settings.

Brain specialists at the University of Arizona (UA) are exploring the use of neuroimaging to investigate and predict the development of Alzheimer's, reports Arizona Public Media . "We need to look at large numbers of people and be able to look at these scans and see how they vary, and why some people do well and some don't," says UA Professor Gene Alexander. According to him, brain scans and measurement of cerebral spinal fluid and blood markers are currently the best methods for helping identify people who are likely to develop Alzheimer's.

A report from the White House's Task Force on Research and Development for Technology to Support Aging Adults said new technologies emphasizing communication, cognitive health, and healthcare access are essential for dealing with the growing U.S. senior population, according to MobiHealthNews . The authors said these areas, as well as transportation, personal mobility, and independent living activities, should be prioritized by public and private entities looking "to improve the quality of life, enhance individual choice, reduce caregiver stress, and cut healthcare costs." The task force noted that, "The combination of the projected growth of this segment of the population and the desire of many older Americans to live independently in their homes and communities makes it critical that the federal government proactively develop strategies, tools, and recommendations to enable older Americans to live healthy, independent lives for as long as possible." Health tech sector stakeholders are developing new solutions to support healthy aging. Examples include Royal Philips' app-based ecosystem for family members to coordinate the care of their loved ones, and Best Buy's acquisition of senior communications tech firm GreatCall.

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests flare-ups in chronic inflammation are mainly responsible for why injured bones do not heal as well with age, reports ScienceDaily . According to the researchers, exposing stem cells from young mice to the blood serum of older mice made their stem cells four times less likely to divide and multiply, via indirect activation of a key immune-related protein, NF?B. Previous studies also showed senescent stem cells send signals that encourage chronic inflammation. In addition, treatment over time with sodium salicylate, an ingredient in aspirin, repressed NF?B signals and related aged-induced chronic inflammation, enlarging the number and bone-healing contribution of skeletal stem cells. "These results suggest that it is inflammation, not chronological age, that hinders bone healing in seniors," says New York University School of Medicine's Anne Marie Josephson. She notes a barrier to the translation of the findings into future treatments is that revitalizing bone stem cells with anti-inflammatory drugs just after a fracture would also inhibit the acute inflammation necessary for successful bone healing.