Dementia
Nicotine Patch for Alzheimer’s—Could Nicotin…
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 …
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…
Could a Shingles Shot Save Your Memory? Rethinki…
For decades, neuroscientists have promoted the idea that the cause of dementia is the accumulation of amyloid plaque in the brains of patients with Alzheimer disease. Drug companies spent billions to …
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…
Helping Your Heart Means Boosting Your Brain
We have long suspected that taking care of your heart health with exercise, a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, stress management and social interaction could also benefit your brain. …
Will Spices Help Protect Your Memory?
Dementia is as frightening to most people as the prospect of heart disease or cancer. You probably know that to avoid heart disease you want to control your weight, eat a healthful high-vegetable diet…
Is Hormone Therapy Safe for Menopausal Women?
For the few decades, experts have warned women that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) posed a risk for both breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. That's because investigators published the first r…
Is It Possible To Make America Healthy Again?
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…
How to Stay Healthy with a Mediterranean Diet
Would you like to be able to improve your health by what you put on your plate? Health professionals and patients alike may doubt that diet can be as powerful as pills. When it comes to important bene…
Antidepressant Drugs and Dementia: The Link Gets…
Tens of millions of people take SSRI and SNRI-type antidepressants on a daily basis. SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. SNRI stands for serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhib…
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. The latest study shows that every little bit h…
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…
Forgetfulness or Worse: Are Medications Raising …
Baby boomers are getting old. This is the generation that was born between 1946 and 1964. In five short years they will all be over 65. There are more than 70 million of them and many are starting to …
Show 1416: Exposing Fraud and Arrogance in Alzhe…
This week, we explore the evidence that some respected researchers in the field of Alzheimer’s disease took shortcut or even manipulated their data to get the results they wanted. How did our guests…
Dreams or Dementia? The Dangers of Z-Drugs to Ge…
People who have trouble sleeping are caught in a tough double bind. On the one hand they are told that sleep is essential for good health. Without it, people are prone to obesity, hypertension, diabet…
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…
Memory Makers or Memory Takers: Medications and …
Visitors to this website and subscribers to our newsletter know that we have been highly critical of the FDA’s approval of anti-amyloid drugs for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). They are expensive, ba…
Simple Steps to Stay Sharp and Prevent Dementia
Many people would like more information on how 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 gradual…
What’s the Connection Between Viral Infections…
Drug companies, the Alzheimer’s Association and the FDA have placed almost all their chips on the beta-amyloid theory of Alzheimer’s disease. Billions have been spent on anti-amyloid drugs such as…
What Is the Difference Between Healthspan and Li…
Healthspan and lifespan are such similar words that it is only reasonable to wonder about their differences. In short, lifespan refers to how long you live, regardless of your state of health. Healths…
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…
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…
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 …
Show 1368: Why Overcoming Loneliness Is Crucial …
In this week’s interview, Dr. Robert Waldinger of Harvard University explains why overcoming loneliness is essential for our health. His research, summarized in The Good Life, shows that close relat…
Cannabis: New Way to Calm Patients with Alzheime…
Alzheimer's disease is one of the cruelest conditions we know of. First, it robs you of your memories. It also makes it hard to think clearly. Balancing a checkbook, for example, can become a nightmar…
Can a Mediterranean-Style Diet Protect Your Brai…
How can you protect cognitive function as you age? Several studies suggest that a Mediterranean-style diet plan can help. What does that entail? Lots of veggies, fruits and whole grains like farro, no…
New Research Confirms Link | Herpes Virus Infect…
Could Alzheimer disease (AD) be caused in part by a viral infection? Such an association seems bizarre and yet the evidence is accumulating that certain strains of herpes virus infections and Alzheime…
Can Raising the Head of the Bed Beat Insomnia?
Most of us have had at least a few nights with insomnia. Too many people have trouble with chronic sleeping problems. This can sometimes cause additional health problems. Often they rely on pills such…
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…
Show 1402: How You Can Protect Your Precious Eye…
This week, Joe and Terry Graedon welcome your calls about how you can protect your precious eyesight. Have you been struggling with dry eyes or diagnosed with glaucoma? You can share your experience o…
Can Low Blood Pressure Raise Dementia Risk in Ol…
Many physicians believe that a good blood pressure (BP) is right around 120/80, regardless of age. Some aggressively prescribe several blood pressure medicines to achieve that goal. There is, however,…
Show 1400: Exposing Blind Spots: Unmasking the M…
This week, our guest calls attention to beliefs and practices in medicine that are based on dogma rather than data. Why don’t doctors or researchers question these blind spots? You’ll hear about s…
Which Berries Are Best for Your Brain?
Would you like to stay sharp as you grow older? Almost everyone would. Memory lapses can be extremely frustrating as well as embarrassing, particularly when they start to become more frequent. Experts…
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…
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…
How to Eat to Maintain Your Brain
If you are an older person who wants to maintain your brain, you should be very careful about what you eat. You may feel that lifestyle changes after age 65 couldn't make much difference for your heal…
Will Benzodiazepine Use Increase Your Risk for A…
Americans love benzodiazepines (aka benzos). These anti-anxiety agents are used as all-purpose psych drugs. Millions of people take benzos to calm jittery nerves, ease anxiety and overcome insomnia. T…
New Blood Tests for Alzheimer Disease
Detecting Alzheimer disease is complicated. There are no simple tests. Doctors can perform cognitive function evaluations and order brain imaging. To date, though, definitive diagnosis relies on autop…
Show 1374: Marvelous Medicinal Mushrooms (Archiv…
This week, we talk with 4th-generation herbalist, research scientist and mycologist, Dr. Christopher Hobbs. He extolls the benefits of mushrooms not only as nutritious foods, but also as important com…
Sauna Bathing and Its Health Benefits
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…