Low-Level Light Therapy Could Be Used to Treat Alzheimer’s Patients

Among Americans over 80, who represent the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, half are debilitated with a neurodegenerative disorder. Of this group, 5.4 million now have Alzheimer’s Disease, and according to recent data released by the Alzheimer’s Association, by the year 2050 that number is expected to balloon to 16 million. As prevalence numbers steadily climb, the key to combatting the Alzheimer’s epidemic is to focus on diagnosing the disease long before it ravages the brain. And the best place to start is the heart, says Jack C. de la Torre, adjunct professor of psychology at The University of Texas at Austin.