Dementia
Hypertension Heresy: Are We Overtreating High Bl…
Prepare for whiplash. What I am about to share with you will confuse you and make your doctor quite anxious. But I feel obligated to share data that are contradictory. Pretending that there aren't inc…
Is a Rapid Heart Rate a Risk for Dementia?
There are lots of things that put people at higher risk for cognitive decline and dementia. Traumatic brain injury puts veterans at increased risk of dementia. Boxing and blows to the head can also in…
Can Cataract Surgery Help Delay Dementia?
Millions of people go in for cataract surgery every year in the US. That is, however, a small proportion of the people who have clouded lenses in their eyes. Beside improving vision, cataract removal …
What Is It About Coffee That Protects Your Brain…
Java lovers appear to enjoy a variety of health benefits, including a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Most recently, Australian scientists discovered that coffee dri…
Should You Be Taking Vitamin Supplements?
Vitamins were among the most exciting discoveries of the early 20th century. Since then, however, doctors have been expressing a lot of skepticism about the value of vitamin supplements. New research …
Are You Suffering Senility or Vitamin B12 Defici…
Whether they admit it or not, a lot of middle-aged and older people worry about senility. By this, they mean cognitive difficulties or even dementia, perhaps coupled with physical frailty. However, ge…
Sauna Bathing and Its Health Benefits
Finnish researchers have been studying the health benefits of sauna bathing for years. Now, a study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings reviews the evidence for cardiovascular and other health be…
Anticholinergic Drugs and Dementia: The Link Get…
We have been writing about the dangers of anticholinergic drugs and dementia for more than a decade. There are dozens of studies and hundreds of articles referencing anticholinergic drugs and dementia…
Show 1269: How the First Survivors of Alzheimer&…
For more than a century, people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease have been condemned to a relentless slide into dementia. Experts stress that there is no cure for this devastating condition. Even …
Will COVID-19 Increase the Risk for Later Dement…
Could recovering from a COVID-19 infection leave a person more vulnerable to later dementia? Brain researchers are worried that COVID-19 infections could put survivors at higher risk for Parkinson dis…
How Can You Keep Your Brain Healthy?
Are there ways to keep your brain healthy as well as your body? Scientists with the Rush Memory and Aging Project suggest that the concept "use it or lose it" applies to gray matter as well as muscle.…
Which Blood Pressure Pills Help Protect Memory?
High blood pressure is a risk factor for dementia as people age. However, people who take certain blood pressure medicines that cross the blood-brain barrier might be able to protect memory and c…
Is Type 2 Diabetes Linked to Dementia Risk?
Some experts who study Alzheimer disease have suggested that it is closely linked to the metabolic problems of diabetes. Alternatively, they have proposed a diabetes-related dementia may differ from c…
Can Skimping on Sleep in Middle Age Lead to Deme…
Have you been skimping on sleep? Some people have more to do in a single day than they can accomplish in the hours they have. As a result, they steal time from the hours they should be sleeping. Young…
Show 1231: How Can Women Reduce Their Risk for D…
Two out three people with Alzheimer disease are women. Why are they at higher risk for this devastating condition than men? Even more important, how can they reduce their risk for dementia? Many of th…
Does Eating Fish Protect the Brain from Pollutio…
Have you ever heard the "old wives' tale" that fish is brain food? Although scientists were skeptical for a long time, studies show that eating fish is linked to a range of beneficial effects in the b…
Are There Cognitive Benefits to Moderate Drinkin…
Researchers have been disputing the benefits and risks of moderate alcohol consumption for decades. Some studies have suggested that several drinks a week might be beneficial for the cardiovascular sy…
Show 1214: How to Defend Your Brain During the P…
For decades, neurologists have been telling us that Alzheimer disease is driven largely by the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaque in the brain. They have suspected that this is determined in large me…
Will Blood Pressure Medicines Prevent Alzheimer …
Doctors have been debating the link between high blood pressure (hypertension) and cognitive decline for decades (BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, Nov. 3, 2016). They have been equally divided and uncert…
Could Dementia Genes Make You Vulnerable to COVI…
Investigators are trying to determine why some people remain asymptomatic after catching the SARS-2 virus while others become deathly ill. Could dementia genes make a difference? That earlier research…
PPIs and Cognitive Dysfunction: Anticholinergic …
What happens when people end up taking two or three anticholinergic medicines? The greater the “load” of such drugs in the body, the higher the risk of brain fog. Could there be a connection betwe…
What Should You Eat to Reduce Your Risk of Demen…
Do you know how to keep your brain healthy as you grow older? Often, people want to know what you should eat to reduce your risk of dementia. We now have some answers to that question, thanks to the F…
Heartburn Drugs like PPIs Are Linked to Dementia
PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) are incredibly popular. Drugs like esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec) used to be only available by prescription. Physicians loved th…
Show 1132: Are Infections to Blame for Alzheimer…
With nearly six million Americans living with Alzheimer disease, this condition is a serious public health problem. It robs people of their memories, their ability to function independently and even t…
What Can Help You Stay Sharp as You Age?
Do you know how to stay healthy? Chances are you are aware that exercise and diet are keystones of good health throughout your life. You and your health care provider may also be paying attention to y…
Surgery Doesn’t Boost Risk of Alzheimer Di…
There’s good news and bad news about surgery under general anesthesia. Anesthesiologists have been debating the effects or surgical anesthetics on brain function for years. Some research suggests th…
Can You Lower Your Dementia Risk With a Few Drin…
For years, scientists have been arguing about the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption against Alzheimers disease. They have been very uncertain whether having a few drinks a week would lower your…
Stalked by the Fear That Dementia Is Stalking Yo…
by Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News Do I know I’m at risk for developing dementia? You bet. My father died of Alzheimer’s disease at age 72; my sister was felled by frontotemporal dementia at 58.…
Can Lithium in Water Supply Prevent Dementia?
The chances are good that you are exposed to some lithium almost every day of your life. That's because this natural element is plentiful in nature. It is found in rocks and soil all over the earth. T…
Can You Prevent Dementia With Grape Seed Extract…
The three top health worries are heart disease, cancer and dementia. Heart disease and cancer are certainly worrisome, but let's focus for now on dementia. We have written about the possibility that c…
Has a Chinese Company Found a Cure for Alzheimer…
The Chinese equivalent of the FDA, the National Medical Products Administration, has just approved a natural product to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Even the company, Shanghai Green V…
Soccer and Brain Damage: Kids and Headers?
I attended a small public high school. My graduating class had under 40 kids. Clearly, we could not muster a competitive football team with such a paltry number of students. Instead, we played soccer.…
Show 1182: How You Can Use Exercise as Medicine
Does medicine mean “drugs and surgery” to you? That is certainly how a lot of people see it. However, physical activity–exercise–has powerful abilities to help us heal. How can we use exercise…
Should You Drink Cherry Juice for Your Brain?
Tart cherry juice has a reputation for fighting inflammation. A small randomized controlled trial suggests that Montmorency tart cherry juice may also benefit the brain. Should you drink cherry juice …
Show 1174: What to Do About Skeeter Syndrome
Have your summer evenings outside been spoiled by the whine of a mosquito coming in for a bite? How do you deal with the resulting itch? Mosquito bites usually itch for a while and then go away, but s…
Do Blueberries Help Older People with Memory?
Could blueberries help improve blood pressure and cognitive function in older people? Several different studies published in the Journal of Gerontology offer promising results. Do Blueberries Help wit…
Prostate Cancer Therapy and Dementia: The Link G…
Prostate cancer is hard enough by itself. That’s because treatment often comes with unpleasant complications. Now, add the possibility of Alzheimer’s disease and/or dementia linked to testosterone…
Can a Mediterranean Diet Protect Your Brain?
How can you protect cognitive function as you age? In countries like Spain and Greece, people who follow a traditional Mediterranean-style diet appear less likely to develop dementia. However, not eve…
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Can Cause Cognitive Probl…
As people grow older, they may begin to have difficulty with memory or complex cognitive tasks. The family might chalk the problem up to encroaching dementia due to aging. In some cases, though, cogni…
Will a Mediterranean Diet Benefit Your Brain?
The Mediterranean diet has earned a reputation for promoting heart health, as we discuss below. Now a Harvard study suggests it can also be good for the brain, especially for people with type 2 diabet…