Inflammation's increasing role in Alzheimer's Disease

"People whose blood shows signs of inflammation are more likely to later develop Alzheimer's disease than people with no signs of inflammation," according to a study published in the May 29, 2007, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"These results provide further evidence that inflammation plays a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease," said study author Zaldy Tan, MD, MPH, of Harvard Medical School in Boston. "The production of these cytokines may be a marker of future risk of Alzheimer's disease."

Until further studies are done to advance our understanding of the Alzheimer's- inflammation link, individuals should do what they can to minimize inflammation (probably a good idea anyway since inflammation has been linked to a number of other maladies). Proper dental care is a good first step since periodontal disease can be a significant source of inflammation.

Source: American Academy of Neurology via EurekAlert

Additional information: Fairly active discussion on this topic at Google Answers (outside link here)