Memory Loss
Does Prevagen Help to Improve Memory?
The Federal Trade Commission and the New York Attorney General filed a consumer protection complaint against the maker of Prevagen in January, 2017. They charged the marketers of Prevagen with making…
When Vitamin B12 Deficiency Causes Mental Confus…
I hate the term "senior moment." It implies that when people reach a certain age they start forgetting things...like names, dates, or faces. Some people use a cruder term: "brain fart." Have you ever …
Are My Medications Causing Me Memory Problems?
Most people assume that if they begin to have memory problems, it is either "natural" aging or bad luck. If a relative had Alzheimer's disease, forgetfulness and dementia are blamed on genetic factors…
Can Your Medicine Cause Confusion or Memory Loss…
Have you ever experienced trouble finding the right word? What about forgetting someone’s name you should know? How about having a hard time finding your car at the supermarket or airport? Most of t…
Could Sunshine Be Responsible for Keeping the Br…
Sunlight is an essential component of life on earth. Beyond photosynthesis and the food chain that proceeds from it, human beings also seem to benefit from sun exposure. We need time in the sun to mak…
Lyrica (Pregabalin) Side Effects Include Confusi…
Lyrica used to be widely advertised on television to treat fibromyalgia or diabetic nerve pain. A few years ago there was this ad featuring Terry, a retired police officer. Terry describes his diabeti…
Can Statins Cause Memory Loss and Transient Glob…
The relationship between statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs and memory problems has been controversial for decades. When we first wrote about a link between drugs like atorvastatin (Lipitor), lova…
Do Blueberries Help Older People with Memory?
Could blueberries help improve blood pressure and cognitive function in older people? Researchers have been considering this question for years. The latest study suggests that wild blueberries may imp…
Do Statins Affect Memory or Scramble Your Brain?
The top four statin-type cholesterol-lowering medications are atorvastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin and rosuvastatin. Our back of the envelope calculations suggest that over 210 million prescriptions…
Global Amnesia Is A Very Scary Statin Side Effec…
No doubt you have heard of amnesia. It is a kind of memory loss that can vary in both nature and intensity. After brain trauma, some people cannot remember who they are or what happened recently. It c…
Pomegranate Juice Is Good for Your Brain, Based …
You might be surprised to learn that researchers have been studying pomegranate juice and brain function for quite some time. In introducing their study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (…
A Big Statin Controversy: Do Statins Impair Memo…
Statins are a never-ending source of controversy. Over the last 30 years doctors have debated the pros and cons of statins with little resolution. Some maintain that side effects are extremely rare an…
Vitamin B12 Lack Led to Balance and Memory Probl…
If you have experienced trouble with your balance, you might have told yourself you're getting older. (Always true, but not always an explanation.) Or perhaps you have attributed a parent's forgetfuln…
Don’t Count on Stimulants for Better Memor…
Have you ever wished you could take medicine like stimulants for better memory and sharper concentration? Sometimes people who feel they need their best mental performance in college or at work will t…
Men Who Love Veggies Have Better Memory
Men who want to maintain better memory do well to load their plates with colorful vegetables and berries. Harvard researchers have been following more than 25,000 male health professionals for at leas…
How Much Exercise Do You Need to Boost Your Brai…
If you want to boost your brain function, you might want to head to the gym for a bit. A study of three dozen healthy adults showed that even ten minutes of moderate physical activity can have measura…
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…
Alarming Anticholinergic Load Scrambles Brain
A surprising number of medications can affect the nerve messenger chemical acetylcholine. This compound is crucial for nerves to communicate with each other, so it should not surprise us that limiti…
Can Regular Sauna Baths Protect your Brain and Y…
Most Americans think of sauna baths as a somewhat strange Nordic tradition. Why would a bunch of people sit naked in a hot little room with heated stones? Some health clubs do provide saunas. American…
Will High Blood Pressure Protect Older Brains fr…
When a dog bites a man it doesn't make news. When a man bites a dog it makes headlines. They have a name for this kind of anomaly: Unsurprisingly, it is a "man-bites-dog" story. The following health s…
Did Popular PM Pain Reliever Trigger Memory Loss…
One of the most popular sectors in the OTC pharmacy biz during the last decade has been "PM" pain relievers. Drug companies take a popular brand like Advil, Aleve, Bayer, Excedrin, Motrin, Tylenol and…
Drugs That Cause Brain Fog For People Over 60
Q. Do you have a list of the drugs that should not be prescribed to elderly people? If you don't, do you know where I could get such a list? My doctor was not very well informed nor was he interested …
Common Medicines Throw a Monkey Wrench Into Ment…
Many people fear a diagnosis of Alzheimer's more than cancer or heart disease. That's because we have treatments for the two big killers, but virtually nothing to reverse the inevitable decline of dem…
Do Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Damage Memory?
Q. I read that a new study on statins and short-term memory was published in the June 8, 2015, JAMA Internal Medicine. Would you address this? It seems contrary to what I have read in your column. A. …
Is Low Cholesterol Linked to Forgetfulness?
Q. Last fall my doctor prescribed atorvastatin (Lipitor), and after several months I found I was having trouble remembering names and coming up with the right word. At dinner once I said "please pass …
Concerns about Blood Pressure Pill and Memory
Q. I am concerned about my sister, who takes pills for high blood pressure. She seems more forgetful now than before she started taking medicine. I read in a magazine that blood pressure drugs destro…
Protecting Brain Power as We Age
Senior moments don't just happen to octogenarians. Almost everyone has had a disconcerting momentary lapse in memory. For some it's the inability to recall the name of the famous actor who starred in …