Neck patch 'combats Alzheimer's'

Wearing a patch that increases the blood flow to the brain could stave off Alzheimer's disease, scientists have said.

The electronic device functions by relaxing arteries, thereby assisting blood flow from the heart to the brain.

It would be worn on the neck for several hours at a time and features a light-emitting device which would need to be placed over the carotid arteries to work.

Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said that the patch could in future be significant in staving off Alzheimer's disease.

He said: "There is a drive in research towards understanding how blood flow problems are connected to dementia and increased inflammation in the brain."

Meanwhile, researchers from the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital said that taking a brisk walk for 30 to 50 minutes per day improves blood flow to the brain by up to 15 per cent in women over the age of 50, indicating that undertaking such exercise could have numerous health benefits.

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