Dementia
Could the Shingrix or Zostavax Vaccine Help Prev…
More than 7 million Americans are suffering with Alzheimer disease (AD). The Alzheimer's Association reports that 1 out of 9 senior citizens will develop some degree of dementia. By 2060 as many as 14…
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…
Can You Get Shots to Protect You from Alzheimer …
Have you ever heard the old story about a person searching for lost keys under a streetlamp? When asked why look there, the answer was simple: “That’s where the light is.” Researchers studying A…
Infections and Dementia: Are Viruses and Bacteri…
Scientists have known about an infection connection with dementia since the 1820s. That was when French physicians described neurosyphilis (Revue Neurologique, April, 2018). This condition occurs when…
Show 1460: Calming Chronic Inflammation Without …
Inflammation is a double-edged sword. When you have a sudden injury or infection, your body responds by calling immune cells to the site of the problem. It may become red, swollen and painful, but all…
Will a Mediterranean Diet Benefit Your Brain?
The Mediterranean diet has earned a reputation for promoting heart health, as we discuss below. A Harvard study suggested it might also be good for the brain, especially for people with type 2 diabete…
Is Your Doctor Prescribing Inappropriate Medicat…
Have you ever heard the expression: “Seatbelts save lives”? This public service announcement became popular in the 1980s. It helped increase the use of seatbelts in private vehicles. By the mid-19…
Nicotine Patch for Memory: Can It Fight Brain Fo…
For decades, researchers have considered nicotine a serious health problem. It is, after all, the addicting compound in cigarettes and other tobacco products. Humans have apparently been using tobacco…
Conflicting Results from Anti-Alzheimer’s Trea…
The Alzheimer's Association estimates that nearly 7 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease (AD)..."About 1 in 9 people age 65 and older (10.7%) has Alzheimer's." It is a crisis! That's why effecti…
Dangers of Drinking Listerine: Alcohol Addiction…
Most people don’t think of the bathroom as a place where alcohol abuse begins—or returns. Mouthwash seems harmless, even health‑promoting. But for some people, especially those struggling with a…
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. That's because the brains of these patients do not seem to use glucose efficien…
Our Top 10 Articles of 2025: The People’s …
This year brought urgent revelations about medication safety, surprising insights into dementia prevention, and practical wisdom about heart health that challenges conventional thinking. From generic …
The Miracle of Metformin Against Diabetes, Cance…
One of the cheapest and most effective medicines for controlling blood sugar has been around for decades. In truth, though, herbalists were using goat's rue (French lilac) for hundreds of years before…
Say Cheese! High-Fat Dairy Linked to Lower Alzhe…
After a steady stream of disappointing Alzheimer’s headlines—most recently the failure of an antiviral drug to slow the disease—it’s hard not to greet any “good news” with cynicism. So whe…
Vaccines Against Dementia? New Evidence Reveals …
For decades, drug companies poured billions of dollars into anti-amyloid Alzheimer research. They were incredibly successful at creating drugs to lower this sticky brain peptide. But dramatically redu…
Could Step Counters Help Us Ward Off Dementia?
Do you wear a FitBit or a fancy watch? What about a lower-tech pedometer? Step counters are popular because they give us feedback on how many steps we have taken in a day. Even if the common goal of 1…
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…
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 …
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…
Show 1451: Rethinking Dementia: Is What We Belie…
For decades, neurologists and pharmaceutical firms have been focused on amyloid plaque building up in the brains as the cause of Alzheimer disease. Drug companies have developed compounds to remove th…
Reduce Your Risk of Dementia with Physical Activ…
Older people who would like to stay sharp can take one simple step: keep moving! Numerous studies indicate that physical activity has cognitive benefits. According to recent studies, every little bit …
Is Gum Disease a Culprit Leading to Heart Diseas…
If you ask most healthcare professionals how to avoid heart disease, chances are they will tell you to exercise, eat a healthy diet and lower your LDL cholesterol (with a statin if needed). At last co…
Ketogenic Diet Advantages and Disadvantages
Although the ketogenic diet is now in vogue, it is by no means a new phenomenon. Doctors began prescribing ketogenic diets containing few if any carbohydrates in the early 1920s. At that time, they ha…
Does Your Life Have Purpose? Defense Against Dem…
Older people who feel that they have a purpose in life are less likely to develop cognitive impairment. That kind of dementia protection may extend even to individuals with an inherited genetic predis…
Is Hormone Therapy Safe for Menopausal Women? Ye…
For the last two decades, many experts warned women that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) posed a risk for both breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. That's because investigators published the fi…
The Infection Factor: Rethinking Heart Disease a…
Ask most healthcare professionals what causes heart attacks and strokes and you will be told that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is triggered by too much cholesterol and related lipid compounds circulat…
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 taking vitamin supplements. A pron…
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. The Framingham Offspring Study offered some answers to tha…
Hypertension Heresy: Are We Overtreating High Bl…
Prepare for whiplash. What I am about to share with you will confuse you and is likely to upset your doctor. But I feel obligated to share data on high blood pressure that are seemingly contradictory.…
Could A PERSONALIZED Exercise Program Save Your …
There are a couple of health problems that everyone dreads. A diagnosis of cancer is most unwelcome. Neurological conditions run a close second, though. If a doctor diagnoses Parkinson's disease or AL…
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 just shown that increased exercise and improved diet, along with other interventions, can boost cogn…
Surprising and Scary Gabapentin Side Effects
The Food and Drug Administration first approved Neurontin (gabapentin) in 1993 to treat epilepsy. Anticonvulsants are not normally blockbuster drugs. Perhaps that is why the original manufacturer, Par…
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…