Ketone Esters and Dementia

First off there is a brand new post over at Psychology Today. A new case study was recently published about the use of ketone esters, a supplement that raises blood ketones to levels in humans found only with prolonged fasting. A man with early onset dementia, formerly treated with a ketogenic diet, had lasting improvement on 20 months of ketone esters. Interesting stuff.

A Bold New Experimental Treatment for Alzheimer's Dementia

On the homefront I've been following the Ebola epidemic closely, partially because I have an amateur interest in emerging tropical diseases (I read all those virus hunter books from the 90s), and partially because I went to medical school in Dallas, so I know some of the folks on the front lines, both living in the neighborhoods of the infected and working in the hospitals there.

From what I know, the threat of Ebola (as the virus is now) seems minimal to the general public in the developed world, but it seems abundantly clear after this weekend that ordinary contact precautions (usually gloves, gown, booties, and masks/face shield) in hospitals will not protect the health care workers who are face to face with all those bodily fluids teeming with virus at the sickest stages of the disease. The higher level body suits and meticulous training in PPE (personal protective equipment) found at specialty units and hospitals will be required until everyone gets up to speed.

At the same time, Paul Whiteley tweeted a note from the Lancet with interesting observations about asymptomatic Ebola infections, perhaps quietly immunizing people without causing risk of infections in others.

There's also a terrific Frontline on the Ebola outbreak with all sorts of information about the virus and the experimental drug ZMapp which seems effective (though in very short supply, as in used up for now I think).

Music: Here's the full New World Symphony