you figured you had alzheimers probably. >> yes. was, as i say, not on the top of my game. i was clearly worse as time went on. >> reporter: dreyfoos got a pet scan with a new radioactive agent. prior to this test, that could only be confirmed at autopsy. dr. sam gandhi was part of a team that analyzed dreyfoos' test scan. what did you think? >> i thought he had a diagnosis of alzheimers disease. >> reporter: why would patients want to know if they had a disease with no cure? >> they can seek out clinical trials. they can think about doing more physical exercise. we know that physical exercise slows the progression. >> reporter: the scan found no detectable plaques in his brain meaning he does not have alzheimers. >> the chances of this happening on the first scan being negative in this context are just infinitesimal. i was shocked beyond belief. you could have knocked me over with a feather. >> reporter: before this new test, alex might have spent his last years falsely believing he had a terrible disease. now doctors will look for

not just in alzheimer's, but also diabetes, perhaps other diseases as well. >> reporter:acious won'ty be drinking red wine. they'll be given bills with a concentrated form of the compound. the dosage will increase every three months and by the end of the studies they'll have the equivalent of 1,000 bottles of red wine. >> you couldn't possibly drink this much at home. >> anything that will slow the progress is going to be worth it. >> reporter: julia and bob sessions say they realize this study won't cure his disease, but even if it slows it down or helps prevent alzheimer's in the future, it's all worth it. >> i want to stay as alive as i can. for as long as i can. >> reporter: doreen gentzler, news4. >>> george town unirsity is one of the 26 institutions across the country taking part in that study. >>> and here's some news that could make a difference for millions of americans who are struggling to lose weight. the food & drug administration has approved the first prescription weight-loss drug in more than tense years. it's called belziq, and it's supposed to help lose about 3% of

the people with the equivalent of three cups of coffee in their blood did not develop alzheimer's orss likely to. they made the case kaf sfooen decreasing the risk already at higher risk for developing alzheimer's. >> someone who is at risk for getting alzheimer's who has a family member who has it or may think they have it, you know, who can actually benefit from drinking more coffee? should those people? more likely drink as much coffee as they can? >> well, we've already seen other studies that show caffeine in coffee were decrean your risk of diabetes, parkinsons and some show decrease of stroke risk. help you concentrate and improve your memory. there are benefits. there's relatively few down sides to. it one important thing. this was not a true cause and effect in the study. i think it showed a trend and preliminary research, but it definitely is a good excuse not to give up your coffee. >> what do you need to start doing this, drinking of the coffee? this theory is indeed the case, whether you have a predisposition for alzheimer's in the family or otherwise. you need to be a c

how bobby says he has alzheimer alzheimer's. >> if you have to go out today, you can continue watchingand laptop. go cnn.com/tv. er is different but centurylink is committed to being a different kind of communications company. ♪ we link people and fortune 500 companies nationwide and around the world. and we will continue to free you to do more and focus on what matters. but not for long! your very own four course seafood feast for just $14.99. start your feast with a soup, like our hearty new england clam chowder. next, enjoy a salad with unlimited cheddar bay biscuits. then get your choice of one of 7 entrees. like new coconut and pineapple shrimp shrimp and scallops alfredo or new honey bbq shrimp. then finish with something sweet. your complete four course seafood feast just $14.99. come into red lobster and sea food differently. are many families are dealing with alzheimer's. if government says they are putting more resources towards research. bobby vee is handling it with the same grace he has shown all his life. >> bobby vee was 15 years old when the night after the accident tha

the alzheimer's says the first 24 hours is critical.adly, a man was found dead just miles from his home. a new proposal, a silver alert system, aimed at preventing similar tragedies. marianne favro is live in los gatos with how it would work. marianne? >> reporter: every year they are called out to help with alzheimer's patients. they would be called out much sooner if this new system is put into place. as they reminisce over family photos, they are reminded about major changes in their lives. in 2007, doctors diagnosed samona's mother with alzheimer's. two years later she started wandering. despite locking the doors, she would climb over the fence and walk for miles. >> it would be very terrifying because you don't know where she could be. even after her mom moved to an assisted living facility, her mom got out and wandered three miles. gary searched for her several times. >> almost a panic type of upset. because you don't know which way she went. there's -- you know, four ways to go. north, south, east, west. >> reporter: samona was a

you can describe it as alzheimer disease on fast forward. so the brain degenerates from the first symptoms until death within 3 to 6 months whereas in alzheimer disease you get a profound dementia but it takes ten years. and we're talk approximating about even slower problems with parkinson's and huntington's. i was looking for a virus that would cause creutzfeldt jakob disease because four years before i began these studies the disease had been transmitted into monkeys and apes at the nih. and i kept looking and looking. and there was no virus. there was no genetic material of life. dna orr na. there was only protein. and as i began to investigate this further and further, first identifying prot teen with a large number of colleagues, helping me, then it became clear that the protein was changing its shape. it's quite clear now that different proteins cause different diseases. we've been hearing about parkinson's disease. we've been hearing about huntington's disease. and you see this little chart in which there are six different diagain ra

plus, a new device that tracks people suffering from alzheimer's disease is gaining popularity.how it works, in today's medical alert. >> you saw the video from the fires out of the west. the heat continues to build, not helping the situation. and the heat is coming our way. first, a live look downtown. we are at 77 degrees. >> carrie engel from valley view farms here to answer your plant and gardening questions. >> in today's consumer alert -- airlines are being ordered to bring back oxygen to the restaurant. last year the faa ordered carriers to remove oxygen systems from rest rooms because of fears terrorists could use them to start a fire during a flight but now aviation officials are ordering airline carriers to restore oxygen systems to the restrooms to eliminate a hazard that could jeopardize face -- safety. more bosses are taking vacation than employees. a new career builders' survey finds 81% of managers have taken or plans to take a vacation this year compared to just 65% of full-time employees. it also finds vacations are financially out of reach for many americans. o

. >> still ahead, helping keep alzheimer's patients from disappearing. the new system that could soon be in place here in california. >>> i'm scott budman. should kids under 13 be allowed on facebook. we look at all sides from kids, parents, and the social networking company. >>> and moving beyond the coffee cup. starbucks gobbles up bay area restaurants. >>> i'm jeff ranieri in the bay area weather center. a wild blast of winter weather. not only rainfall, the numbers down 20 to 30 degrees when we had the 90s last try day. we'll talk about the cold, how long it lasts, and if there's any more chanceses of rain in the seven day. >>> if you like starbucks, you can get a larger selection of pastries and sandwiches. merger news for us and some facebook news, too. >> yes. it must be monday, we have facebook news. we will start chronologically in the early morning, you want koch fee, breakfast, now they're merged together. san francisco-based bakery, the coffee giant, serving up more meals after the $100 million meal. there are 20 stores in the chain based in

. >> did you have a loved one with alzheimer's or dementia? what would you do if they >> a big problem in our region getting bigger. but people with alzheimer's are going missing. wandering off leaving families panicking. a look at one such story with greta kreuz. >> the number of people with alzheimer's is exploding. more than half of them are going to wander off as some point. families that are not prepared and in a have a game plan in place can wind up in the middle of a nightmare. >> a happy moment, playing with his great-grandson. what happened back in january is still all too real. >> i was so scared because i knew i should not have left him in the car. >> she had driven her husband to the air force base to shop. charles wanted to stay in the car. when his wife came back out, he was gone. >> i did that know if he could be found somewhere at -- air really scared me. >> he had walked off base and gotten onto a metro bus. for the next nine hours he rode a round and round while his family and police searched. >> we were all out looking. we d

link between stress and depression and whether those two things can speed up the development of alzheimer's. we've known for a long time that there are triggers that can take a predementia state and kick it into full-time alzheimer's. so with blood and saliva samples, these doctors are hoping to unravel some of the mysteries of the brain and find the stressors that may in fact start alzheimer's sooner. >> all right, nancy, thank you for that. >>> up next, the suspense in the pool last night as two rivals in the water go head to head on the road to london. >>> george hearst, jr. has died. he was the grandson of william randolph hearst. and george ran the family business as chairman, a vast media empire. 15 newspapers, 300 magazines, 29 tv stations and cable interests. george hearst proudly served in both world war ii and korea, where, as a rescue pilot, he was among the very first to fly an aircraft brand new to military use, the helicopter. he left a legacy of charity, giving away hundreds of millions from his family foundation. george hearst, jr. was 84. >>> and frank chee willeto has died

women with certain genetic markers are more likely to get alzheimer's than men with the same markers. the study is far from a cure. but it suggests new avenues for research into that disorder. >>> it's the life blood of the bay area. and it's at a critically low level. there's a blood shortage because of a low number of donations this year. the american red cross provides blood to 30 hospitals in the east bay and south bay. >>> let's talk about temperatures tomorrow. it was toasty today. >> if you headed anywhere from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., winds from 10 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour. in the coastline, in response to that, we're dropping everywhere. 59 in livermore. 61 in san jose. and 65 in sunnyvale. let's take you to our network down in the south bay. there's the shark tank. it's quiet on the roads. not too much cloud cover in the south bay. a little bit starting to build. bridge work there. but the fog moving in. you see the lights, a little blurry there, a few hundred feet away. it's not dense by the bridge. but by the morning hours, that fog's going to build. maybe the immedia

that's how it is with alzheimer's disease. she needs help from me. and her medication.on patch, it releases medication continuously for twenty-four hours. she uses one exelon patch daily for the treatment of mild to moderate alzheimer's symptoms. [ female announcer ] it cannot change how the disease progresses. hospitalization and rarely death have been reported in patients who wore more than one patch at a time. the most common side effects of exelon patch are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may increase as the dose increases. >> axelrod: mesh accomplished for the air force's new unmanned spacecraft. the x-37 b glided to a smooth touchdown early this morning at vandenberg air force base in california. after 15 months in orbit on a secret mission. it looks like nasa's now-retired space shuttle only much smaller and more advanced. and finally tonight, another tom-secret air mission was remembered this week more than half a century after it first made headlines. national security correspondent david martin has the story of

he does not have alzheimer's. >> the first scan being negative, the scapeses -- chances are infinitesimal. >> reporter: now, doctors will look for a potentially treatable cause for the memory issues. >> the new tests costs more than $3,000 and is not covered by medicare. >>> not a great day on wall street. it seems investors aren't encouraged by fed chairman ben bernanke's comments about the economy. the dow was down 13 and the s&p 500 2, and the nasdaq up a point. >>> let's go to new york where dick brep an has tonight's cbs moneywatch update. >> reporter: the federal reserve is taking steps to fix the economy, and ben bernanke said that the central bank will continue the bond buying program. the $267 billion program is designed to keep interest rates at record lows sparking more borrowing, spending, and growth and bernanke said that the fed is prepared to take further steps if the economy gets worse. >> the world's largest consumer of products predict that sales will sink in the coming months. >> and more major companies are taking down the help wanted sign. 64% of ceos said they do not

. >> now, here's something i found really interesting that you told us about alzheimer's research.nomenon with stem cells. a recent study shows you can take the skin cells from alzheimer patients and convert them, easily, into stem cells. brain stem cells, reinfuse and, so, you're repopulating these patients' brains with new, healthy brain cells. >> have they had any human tests? >> most of this is in mice and most of this is theoretical, but it's an emerging area that really could point to major breakthrough for alzheimer's disease. >> so, as a scientist, how close do you think we are to solving the problem of dementia and alzheimer's? >> well, again, i don't think this is a solution that this is going to be a way to improve it. again, this is more theoretical. what we can do today or some of the things we talked about, hopefully five, ten years down the line, this will be state of the art treatment. >> well, we always are asking you how to make people look younger. we want to know how to make people think younger, too. nobody wants to sit around -- >> we're interested in improvin

all alzheimer's is a catchall term.by half the number of alzheimer's cases. this is not proven. it looks it was associated with higher risk of alzheimer's. obesity, high blood pressure,. hindi-fi things can do for help exercise, socialites, travel, have sex. sex is terrific for your brain. >>henry: this is a book i recommend highly. and here's where judith will be in. thank you very much for joining us. we will take a break and we will we be right back with lots more on kron 4 news. whoever said that "less is more" is more or less mathematically challenged. less isn't more, it's less. and the only thing more than more is a lot more. which is exactly what i get at embassy suites. more space... more down time. more family time. more me time. more me time. more me time. because the more more i have, the more i have to have... more. [ female announcer ] more room. complimentary drinks. free breakfast. embassy suites. get more. ysabel: police are visiting a quadruple shooting. it killed one man and left the and others with i

how about coffee staving off alzheimer's disease?says high doses of caffeine appeared to delay the onset of alzheimer's, even in older patients who showed early signs. researchers suggest drinking about 3 cups of coffee a day. it was published in the journal of alzheimer's disease. not many spoiled children in the d.c. area. dads will feel the love on father's day, but not as much as mothers did last month. mcdonald's is being challenged by the pork industry. linda bell is live at bloomberg headquarters in new york. >> good morning. mcdonald's is urging suppliers to use cage free pigs that are cruel to animals. the national pork producers council says consumers like you and i will end up paying more for the white meat. it says the majority of pigs in the u.s. spend time in solitary confinement to save on costs. gift givers are planning to spend more than $117 for father's day this year. that is up 10% from last year. if people still spend more on their mothers. people spent $152 last month for mother's day on average. mothers are wil

the coffee reduced their risk of dementia or delayed the onset of alzheimer's. we can feel a little better about drinking our coffee. >> i look pretty good for being 65. >> i'm very impress. we were just saying age, sal. >> i know we are not quite there yet. grab your coffee to go if you want good traffic. we are doing pretty well out there. i want to show you some things with live cameras. bay bridge toll plaza looks pretty good heading into san francisco. and tori made a good point earlier asking .road work. today we have most of the road work right now in the process or already gone being picked up. good time to be driving. let's take a look at san francisco northbound 101. that traffic looks good here at 4:55:00 a.m.. and no problems on the peninsula southbound 101 or southbound 280 or the other way around. san mateo and dumbarton bridge also looking good. let's go to steve. >> thank you. very clear morning. how about that. every a little bit of a westerly breeze for most. santa rosa showing a northerly component. out to vacaville and sacramento valley. a lo

i am taking care of my wife, with alzheimer's. formerly she was being taken care of by the adopted care center, but at the moment she was struck in her face by someone, i think that these stones should take care of their glances. now, i am taking care of the past few months, 77 years old. living now in house, fortunately enough the center has found a place to live. we are in a house on the city street that is dangerous to live that. -- live there. [unintelligible] we were almost stabbed. we reported it to the police. we were told we had to forgive that man. we have forgiven him. now, i came here with a place to live. i am glad that they're going to put up a station at 6 street. at sixth street there are lots of things going on everyday. thank you very much. [tone] >> good morning, supervisor. i have a letter from a 98-year- old and i am going to read her statement. i could not remember why i stayed in hospitals six months ago. i guess that that is why i have a true memory. i wonder where i should go after being discharged from hos

researchers say caffeine may hold the key to avoiding alzheimer's disease. older adults with minor memory impairment can reduce the risk of alzheimer's by drinking 3 cups of coffee a day. 10 million americans fall within one of three developmental stages of alzheimer's disease. >> a mysterious that has washed up along the beach in oregon. some people actually believe it may be from japan. this massive hunk of concrete and metal washed ashore yesterday with a commemoration plaque in japanese. a photograph says -- a photograph of the plate has been mailed to the japanese consulate in seattle. >> incredible. >> a concrete structure can float? literally across the ocean like that? >> i guess a through 15,000 feet of water it will stay buoyant enough. >> they need to find out where in japan it came from. >> they will be able to track it down with that plaque. >> most of the day just looked out the window and enjoy the clouds. let's start with a time lapse. it has been gorgeous throughout the day at the air is very dry. you see the flat bottoms of these cumulus cl

that's how it is with alzheimer's disease. she needs help from me. and her medication.the exelon patch, it releases medication continuously for twenty-four hours. she uses one exelon patch daily for the treatment of mild to moderate alzheimer's symptoms. [ female announcer ] it cannot change how the disease progresses. hospitalization and rarely death have been reported in patients who wore more than one patch at a time. the most common side effects of exelon patch are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may increase as the dose increases. patients may experience loss of appetite or weight. patients who weigh less than 110 pounds may experience more side effects. people at risk for stomach ulcers who take certain other medicines should talk to their doctor because serious stomach problems such as bleeding may worsen. patients may experience slow heart rate. [ woman ] whenever i needed her, she was there for me. now i'm here for her. [ female announcer ] ask the doctor about your loved one trying the exelon patch. visit exelo

that's how it is with alzheimer's disease. she needs help from me. and her medication.elon patch, it releases medication continuously for twenty-four hours. she uses one exelon patch daily for the treatment of mild to moderate alzheimer's symptoms. [ female announcer ] it cannot change how the disease progresses. hospitalization and rarely death have been reported in patients who wore more than one patch at a time. the most common side effects of exelon patch are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may increase as the dose increases. patients may experience loss of appetite or weight. patients who weigh less than 110 pounds may experience more side effects. people at risk for stomach ulcers who take certain other medicines should talk to their doctor because serious stomach problems such as bleeding may worsen. patients may experience slow heart rate. [ woman ] whenever i needed her, she was there for me. now i'm here for her. [ female announcer ] ask the doctor about your loved one trying the exelon patch. visit exelonpatch

that's how it is with alzheimer's disease. she needs help from me. and her medication.it releases medication continuously for twenty-four hours. she uses one exelon patch daily for the treatment of mild to moderate alzheimer's symptoms. [ female announcer ] it cannot change how the disease progresses. hospitalization and rarely death have been reported in patients who wore more than one patch at a time. the most common side effects of exelon patch are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may increase as the dose increases. patients may experience loss of appetite or weight. patients who weigh less than 110 pounds may experience more side effects. people at risk for stomach ulcers who take certain other medicines should talk to their doctor because serious stomach problems such as bleeding may worsen. patients may experience slow heart rate. [ woman ] whenever i needed her, she was there for me. now i'm here for her. [ female announcer ] ask the doctor about your loved one trying the exelon patch. visit exelonpatch.com to lear

is there really a similarity between shopaholics and alzheimer's patients?ping into the abnormal chemistry. there's an imbalance of patient with alzheimer's, so this drug jumps in to rebalance them, protecting brain cells so they don't die and overheat, and sharpen signal and fine-tuning the signal, leading to clearer thinking with patients with alzheimer's. >> what is the connection with alzheimer's to being a shopaholic. >> right. some patients with alzheimer's have compulsive behavior, they may grab things, cry out, cry even though they're not depressed. there's similar chemistry in shopaholics where they have this impulse or compulsive behavior to shop. >> what were researcher looking for when they started this? i assume they weren't trying to cure shopaholics. >> we don't know who originally had the idea but what's being published in the news is this study in nine patient who were diagnosed as having obsessive xrulgs disorder. they were given this drug for eight weeks and researchers look at what their behavior was. >> you bring up the obsessive compuls

the -- now, the stroke is not the first step towards alzheimer's, is it? >> no, it is a totally different thing is that a universal opinion in your profession, or is it thought to be that the stroke is the first step in a continuum that marches on irresistibly to alzheimer's? >> you could have combinations 678 in fact, that's probably the mo common thing. >> in your book, the longevity strategy, you argue against retirement. what do you say about it? >> well, in that book with dave mahoney, we talk about the fact that you have to stay alive and have to stay interested and focused and things like. that look at these people, these retirement communities, getting up -- how many games of golf you can play? you have to stay interested. >> you're not talking about maintaining the existing sauce of your lively looked right through age 10o you are talking about what? >> avocation. >> what is avocation? >> a serious interest in something, take up art, an interest in art when you're in your 30's or 40's. you have to start the avocation early. >> you are convinced th

that's how it is with alzheimer's disease. she needs help from me. and her medication. the exelon patch, it releases medication continuously for twenty-four hours. she uses one exelon patch daily for the treatment of mild to moderate alzheimer's symptoms. [ female announcer ] it cannot change how the disease progresses. hospitalization and rarely death have been reported in patients who wore more than one patch at a time. the most common side effects of exelon patch are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may increase as the dose increases. patients may experience loss of appetite or weight. patients who weigh less than 110 pounds may experience more side effects. people at risk for stomach ulcers who take certain other medicines should talk to their doctor because serious stomach problems such as bleeding may worsen. patients may experience slow heart rate. [ woman ] whenever i needed her, she was there for me. now i'm here for her. [ female announcer ] ask the doctor about your loved one trying the exelon patch. visit exel