31 July, 2013

From VOA learning English, this is the Health Report.

You wake up early one morning to make a meal to take to work and then you forget it. Has this ever happened to you? Or you see your next door neighbour someone you know well but you can not remember his name. Your family doctor says it is nothing to worry about, just a part of getting old. Well, that is true, it might not be the whole story.

At a conference two weeks ago, researchers said they now have proof that self-reported minor memory loss sometimes led to greater mental decline six years later. The Alzheimer's Association organized the event.

Rebecca Amariglio is a neuropsychologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. She found that individuals who worried about their memory will more likely to suffer a loss of mental ability. Her research shows that such persons were likely to have a protein called beta-amyloid in the brain. Beta-amyloid is suspected of being at least partly involved with Alzheimer's disease.

Evidence that the disease develops for an unknown period of time before experts recognize it is leading to a new area of study. It is called subjective cognitive decline. It involves people who sense that their memory and thinking skills are failing before others realize it.

Experts want to inform the public that most people who worry about their mental decline do not develop dementia -- the most commonm form of Alzheimer's. what they are experiencing is truly natural and normal aging.

Ronald Petersen is a member of the Alzhermer's Association National Board. He says people should be tested if they fear they might have the disease. Doctor Petersen says it is important that subjective cognitive decline be recognized. In his words, it can be a wake-up call for doctors.

"So the doctors do not dismiss somebody when they come in, say, eg. 'Doctor, my memory isn't quite what it used to be.' Again, doesn't mean it's Alzheimer's Diseaser. But it does suggest the physician that he or she needs to ask few more probing questions."

He says doctors might ask patients about other issues, like any medicines they are taking and whether they suffer from anxiety, depression or stress. He says all those things can cause changes in memory. At the same time, he says, memory loss could be an early sign of something more serious.

Doctor Peterson describes the recognition of subjective cognitive decline as an important change that will help doctors identify who might be at risk. That way, when therapies are developed, the eariler doctors intervene, the more likely these treatments might be effective. Right now, there is no way to cure Alzheimer's.

And that's the Health Report from VOA Learning English, I'm Karen Leggett.

From VOA learning English, this is the Health Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。

You wake up early one morning to make a meal to take to work and then you forget it. Has this ever happened to you? Or you see your next door neighbour someone you know well but you can not remember his name. Your family doctor says it is nothing to worry about, just a part of getting old. Well, that is true, it might not be the whole story.

某天清晨你早早起床，做了一份便当要带去公司，后来忘记带了。这种情况在你身上发生过吗?或者你见到一位熟悉的邻居，但却想不起他的名字。你的家庭医生说，没事，这只是逐渐衰老的一部分。这没错，但事实却不仅如此。

At a conference two weeks ago, researchers said they now have proved that self-reported minor memory loss sometimes led to greater mental decline six years later. The Alzheimer's Association organized the event.

在两周前的一次会议上，研究人员称有证据表明，自我报告的轻微记忆力减退有时会导致6年后更严重的智力衰退。阿尔茨海默病协会组织了这次会议。

Rebecca Amariglio is a neuropsychologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. She found that individuals who worried about their memory will more likely to suffer a loss of mental ability. Her research shows that such persons were likely to have a protein called beta-amyloid in the brain. Beta-amyloid is suspected of being at least partly involved with Alzheimer's disease.

丽贝卡·阿马瑞里洛(Rebecca Amariglio)马塞诸塞州波士顿布里格姆女子医院的一名神经心理专家。她发现，那些担忧自身记忆力者更容易患上心智能力减退。她的研究表明，这类人的大脑中有可能存在一种名为B-淀粉样蛋白的蛋白质。这种蛋白质被认为至少和阿尔茨海默病部分相关。

Evidence that the disease develops for an unknown period of time before experts recognize it is leading to a new area of study. It is called subjective cognitive decline. It involves people who sense that their memory and thinking skills are failing before others realize it.

这种疾病产生迹象的时间无从得知，直到专家认识到它引发了一个新的研究领域。这种迹象被称为主观认知能力下降，它包括在他人发觉之前，自己就感觉记忆力和思维能力下降的人群。

Experts want to inform the public that most people who worry about their mental decline do not develop dementia -- the most commonm form of Alzheimer's. What they are experiencing is truly natural and normal aging.

专家希望提醒大众，大多数担心自己智力下降的人不会患上痴呆，这是阿尔茨海默病最常见的一种形式。他们经受的真的是自然、正常的衰老。

Ronald Petersen is a member of the Alzhermer's Association National Board. He says people should be tested if they fear they might have the disease. Doctor Petersen says it is important that subjective cognitive decline be recognized. In his words, it can be a wake-up call for doctors.

罗纳德.彼得森(Ronald Petersen)是阿尔茨海默协会全国委员会委员。他表示，如果人们担心自己可能会患上该病，就应该去接受检查。彼得森医生表示，诊断主观认知能力下降非常重要。用他的话来说，这对医生来说是一个警示。

"So the doctors do not dismiss somebody when they come in, say, eg. 'Doctor, my memory isn't quite what it used to be.' Again, doesn't mean it's Alzheimer's Diseaser. But it does suggest the physician that he or she needs to ask few more probing questions."

他说，“当有人走进来，比如说，‘医生，我的记忆力大不如前’时，医生就不会忽视他。再次提醒，不是说这就是阿尔茨海默病。但它确实会提醒医生需要询问病人一些探究性的问题。

He says doctors might ask patients about other issues, like any medicines they are taking and whether they suffer from anxiety, depression or stress. He says all those things can cause changes in memory. At the same time, he says, memory loss could be an early sign of something more serious.

他说，医生可能会询问患者其它一些问题，如他们正在服用什么药物，是否存在焦虑、抑郁或压力大。他说，这些都能导致记忆力的变化。与此同时他表示，记忆力减退有可能是一些更严重疾病的早期症状。

Doctor Peterson describes the recognition of subjective cognitive decline as an important change that will help doctors identify who might be at risk. That way, when therapies are developed, the eariler doctors intervene, the more likely these treatments might be effective. Right now, there is no way to cure Alzheimer's.

彼得森医生称诊断主观认知能力下降是一个重大变化，它将有助于医生确诊风险人群。这样一来，当治疗办法出台后，医生越早干预，疗效可能越显著。目前尚未有治疗阿尔茨海默病的有效途径。