In a longitudinal study from the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis, the same low proportion (14% to 17%) of those with SNAP and those with no pathology at baseline went on to have amyloid accumulation in their brains, according to Brian Gordon, PhD, and colleagues. {read more here}

Two documents developed jointly by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) highlighting myocardial perfusion positron emission tomography (PET) were e-published today in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology. {read more here}

When it comes to getting a clear idea of what’s going on inside a person’s body, few medical devices are as useful as a PET scanner.  PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography, but simply put, it involves using radioactive positrons, or positively charged particles, to detect how parts of the body are functioning. An area of increased metabolic or chemical activity—such as the division of cancer cells—will show up on a colored image. {read more here}

All study participants underwent a novel type of PET scan known as FDDNP-PET, which measures levels of beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain.  The team found that subjects who had a healthy BMI, followed a Mediterranean diet, and who engaged in regular physical activity had lower levels of plaques and tangles in their brains than subjects who did not adhere to such lifestyle factors. {read more here}