Dementia
The New Alzheimer Biomarker versus Nuns Who Defi…
Brain scientists have been looking for biomarkers to predict who will develop dementia. For decades, researchers relied upon autopsy analysis to identify amyloid plaque in the brain to diagnose Alzhei…
Listen to Music to Stay Sharp and Other Steps to…
Many people would like more information on steps to prevent dementia. Perhaps they have taken care of a family member during a long, slow decline. Or maybe they have watched a neighbor or friend gradu…
Are You Stuck Inside? Too Busy, Too Hot? Too Tir…
Terry and I work a lot of hours. We create 2 newsletters each week and then there is our radio show. The People's Pharmacy is heard on over 200 NPR stations/repeaters. There is a lot of work that goes…
Can Skimping on Sleep in Middle Age Lead to Trou…
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…
Super Movers May Be Outracing Cognitive Decline
Older people who are brisk walkers seem to be healthier than their slower-moving peers in many ways. Presumably a range of chronic conditions can result in slow walkers. But how does that relate to br…
Will Your Diet Help You Avoid Dementia?
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, olive oil and fish is good for the heart. Might it also be good for the brain? Evidence increasingly points in that direction. Analyses show that follow…
Show 1412: Beyond Amyloid: The Science That Coul…
This week, we look at the new pharmaceuticals that the FDA has approved for treating Alzheimer disease. Although they are effective at removing amyloid plaques from the brain, they don’t seem to hel…
Show 1478: The Outdoor Prescription for Fighting…
Too many of us are spending our days staring at screens. Little screens on our phones, big screens on the television, medium-size screens on our computers at work. Our modern lifestyles mean that we s…
Science, Marketing, Ideology, and Mythology in t…
Dennis Miller, R.Ph. is a retired chain store pharmacist. His book, The Shocking Truth About Pharmacy: A Pharmacist Reveals All the Disturbing Secrets, can be downloaded in its entirety at Amazon for …
Diet and Exercise Prevent Diabetes as Well as Me…
Is There a Way to Prevent Diabetes? Fifteen years ago, a study called the Diabetes Prevention Program showed that diet and exercise work as well to prevent diabetes among high-risk individuals as taki…
Hidden Memories in Alzheimer’s Disease: An…
For generations, families have watched loved ones disappear into the fog of Alzheimer's disease. As memory fades and communication becomes challenging, many assume that the person they once knew and l…
Could Fat from Fish Be Good for Your Brain?
The old wives used to claim that fish is brain food. Little by little, scientists are catching up to this idea. The popularity of fish oil has varied over the years, but several studies suggest benefi…
Can GLP-1 Agonists Fix What Ails You — and War…
Popular drugs approved for diabetes control and weight loss produce many other effects in the body as well. Drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) have helped some people cut back on alcohol consump…
Does Major Surgery Boost the Risk For Developing…
Anesthesiologists have been debating the effects of surgical anesthetics on brain function for years. Some research suggests that cognitive dysfunction is a temporary consequence of anesthesia. Other …
Show 1473: How Music Heals: The Neuroscience Beh…
What do you conjure up when you think of music? Perhaps you imagine a singer-songwriter telling her story. On the other hand, you might imagine a parade with a marching band, an orchestra playing an o…
Are Calcium Supplements Bad for Women’s Br…
Women appear more likely than men to suffer dementia as they age. Now scientists at the University of California San Diego think they can explain the difference in risk factors for men's and women's b…
Should Your Doctor Know You Are Not Sleeping?
Are you sleeping enough, or are you missing out? Sleep scientist Matthew Walker says that skimping on sleep can shorten your life. That poses a real dilemma for seniors, since medications to overcome …
Early Infections and Dementia Risk: A Surprising…
Most people think of dementia as something that sneaks up on us like fog. Carl Sandburg wrote this in 1916: "The fog comes on little cat feet." We've been told that brain fog develops quietly with age…
Shingrix Dementia Prevention: New Research &…
If your family and friends have escaped dementia, you are among the lucky ones. Almost everyone I talk to knows someone who has experienced the challenges of cognitive decline. More than 7 million Ame…
Nicotine for Brain Power: Promise, Peril or Plac…
Americans are always searching for ways to stay sharp, focused and mentally competent. There is nothing worse for an older person who is searching for a word than to have to apologize by resorting to …
Microbes on the Mind: How the Brain Microbiome A…
Everyone is aware that we have a microbiome within our digestive tract. It’s a whole ecological system unto itself containing bacteria, viruses and fungi. For decades, medical students learned that …
Australians Live Longer with Vigorous Activity
New research shows you get a big boost from even a few minutes of vigorous activity. Of course, an exercise program that gets you to the gym several times a week is great. But even running up the stai…
Sauna Bathing, Immune Stimulation and Other Heal…
Finnish researchers have been studying the health benefits of sauna bathing for years. A study published several years ago in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings reviewed the evidence for cardiovascular and o…
High-Dose Flu Vaccines Against Dementia: New Dat…
The idea seems almost too simple: prevent infections, protect the brain! Yet a new study in the journal Neurology (April 1, 2026) suggests that seniors who receive a high-dose flu shot may be less lik…
Can a Nordic Diet Prevent Dementia?
The Mediterranean diet gets all the headlines. It is supposed to be good for your heart, your brain and just about everything else that ails you. Ask almost any health professional about the healthies…
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Can Cause Cognitive Probl…
As people grow older, they may begin to notice some difficulty with memory or complex cognitive tasks. The family might chalk the problem up to encroaching dementia due to aging. That's not always the…
Incredible Beet Health Benefits for Brain and Bl…
Red beets are known officially as Beta vulgaris rubra. Researchers generally refer to this vegetable as beetroot. Although this root vegetable is popular in Europe, it doesn't have a lot of fans in th…
Statins and Brain Fog? Memory and the Microglia …
Statins seem to represent a never-ending source of controversy. These are, after all, the most prescribed drugs in America. According to our calculations, over 50 million Americans take medications su…
What’s Good for the Heart May Not be Good for …
We have been interviewing health experts for nearly 50 years on our nationally syndicated public radio show, The People’s Pharmacy. Over the decades we have spoken with many neuroscientists about pr…
How Can You Keep Your Brain Healthy?
Are there ways to keep your brain healthy as well as your body? A major trial called US POINTER has shown that increased exercise and improved diet, along with other interventions, can boost cognitive…
Nicotine Patch for Memory: Brain Fog, ADHD and D…
For decades, nicotine has been viewed mainly as the addictive chemical in cigarettes. But researchers have long known that nicotine also affects the brain in ways that may influence attention, memory …
Pharma’s Embarrassing Placebo Problem
Dennis Miller, R.Ph. is a retired chain store pharmacist. His book, The Shocking Truth About Pharmacy: A Pharmacist Reveals All the Disturbing Secrets, can be downloaded in its entirety at Amazon for …
PPI Side Effects: Fearmongering or Legitimate Wa…
Millions of people rely on proton pump inhibitors to calm heartburn and heal ulcers. But when researchers warn about possible PPI side effects, are they offering prudent advice, or just fearmongering?…
Show 1464: Can Vaccines Protect the Brain from D…
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly seven million Americans currently suffer from that type of dementia. Experts expect that more will be burdened with it in the future, as baby boomers…
Can Lithium in Water or a Supplement Prevent Alz…
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…
Why Should Metformin Users Watch Their Vitamin B…
Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to cognitive impairment and dementia as well as fatigue and nerve damage. Studies have shown that one of the most common diabetes medications, metformin, can increase t…
Is Diphenhydramine Sabotaging Your Brain While Y…
Do you ever forget the name of someone you know well, or struggle to retrieve a simple word mid-sentence? What about birthdays, anniversaries, or passcodes you’ve used for years? Many people dismiss…
How to Stay Smart with Computer Brain Training
Many seniors hope that doing crossword or Sudoku puzzles or using brain training programs on the computer will keep their minds functioning well and prevent dementia. How well do they work? Scientists…
Lifelong Learning Like Adult Education Courses H…
There is a popular saying “Use it or lose it!” Does it apply to your brain? A few studies suggest that older people who engage in intellectually stimulating activities can delay the onset of demen…
Which Coffee Compounds Protect the Brain?
If you, like many people, can’t face the day without a hot cup of coffee, there’s good news. Your daily habit may well be helping protect the brain. This has been a recurrent finding, but the late…