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Related terms: Presenile Dementia, SDAT, Senile dementia Alzheimer's Type, Alzheimers
High, Low Levels of Magnesium Linked to Dementia Risk
Posted 5 hours ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 20, 2017 – Having magnesium levels that are too high or too low may put you at risk for Alzheimer's and other dementias, Dutch researchers report. In a study of more than 9,500 men and women, the highest or lowest levels of magnesium appeared to increase the chances for dementia by as much as 30 percent. "At this moment, magnesium levels are not routinely measured in daily clinical practice," said lead researcher Dr. Brenda Kieboom, of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam. "If our study results are replicated, magnesium levels could be used to screen for dementia, especially in people at risk for low magnesium levels." But she cautioned that "we cannot prove that low or high magnesium causes dementia on the basis of our data. For that, we need studies to see if supplements will reduce the risk." Kieboom said she also wants to study whether low magnesium ... Read more
Related support groups: Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Arteriosclerotic Dementia, Diagnosis and Investigation, Alcoholic Dementia, Dementia with Depressive Features, Lewy Body Dementia
Many May Get Hospice Care Too Late
Posted 8 days ago by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Sept. 12, 2017 – Despite a growing list of debilitating symptoms during the final months of life, most seniors never receive end-of-life hospice care – or they delay doing so until their last few weeks of life, new research finds. "The main message is that the duration of hospice is very short," explained lead study author Dr. Thomas Gill. This, despite the fact that his team "documented high rates of distressing symptoms well before the start of hospice." Gill is the director of the Yale University Program on Aging. "Since hospice is designed to help alleviate distressing symptoms – including pain, nausea and anxiety, among others – our findings suggest that health care providers might need to consider discussing referrals to hospice sooner with older persons who are approaching the end of their lives," Gill added. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Dementia, Prostate Cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, Lung Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Solid Tumors, Lewy Body Dementia
Heath Tip: Myths About the Aging Brain
Posted 9 days ago by Drugs.com
-- Scientists are uncovering new information about the human brain every day. But misinformation still abounds. The Global Council on Brain Health recently examined and disproved these myths about the aging brain: MYTH: Older people can't learn new things. TRUTH: Something as simple as meeting new friends and remembering their names is enough to simulate the brain and keep it active. Going back to school or trying a new hobby are other ways to improve brain health. MYTH: You're stuck with the brain you were born with. TRUTH: While many pathways for learning are created before birth, new pathways can be created in the parts of the brain that handle memory and learning. MYTH: Experts don't have a clue about how the brain works. TRUTH: The brain is one of the human body's most complicated organs. But scientists are learning a tremendous amount about the brain all the time. New treatments ... Read more
Related support groups: Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Arteriosclerotic Dementia, Diagnosis and Investigation, Dementia with Depressive Features, Lewy Body Dementia
Football Fans Still Loyal Despite Concerns About Players' Brains
Posted 10 days ago by Drugs.com
SUNDAY, Sept. 10, 2017 – Football remains America's favorite professional sport, even though a majority of fans admit they're concerned about brain injuries to players, according to a new survey. Among 1,000 Americans questioned, 77 percent of those who follow pro football believe head injuries for players pose a major problem for the sport. Fifteen percent said it is a minor problem, while 6 percent don't consider it a problem. In addition, the University of Massachusetts Lowell-Washington Post poll revealed that more than 80 percent believe there is either certainly or probably settled science that playing football causes brain injuries. Only one in 10 said that is either probably false or certainly false. Long-term damage caused by repeated blows to the head has garnered much attention in recent years. A study published in July in the Journal of the American Medical Association said ... Read more
Related support groups: Alzheimer's Disease, Head Injury, Encephalopathy, Head Injury with Intracranial Hemorrhage, Head Injury with Loss of Consciousness, Head Imaging
Why Your Nose May Be Key to Parkinson's Risk
Posted 14 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 6, 2017 – Losing your sense of smell may be an early sign of an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests. Researchers say that people with a poor sense of smell may have as much as a five times greater risk of developing Parkinson's. "Unlike vision or hearing impairment, a poor sense of smell often goes unrecognized," said lead researcher Dr. Honglei Chen. He is a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in East Lansing. "Evidence suggests olfactory [sense of smell] impairment may develop years prior to the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and dementia, the so-called neurodegenerative diseases that we are yet to find a cure for," Chen said. The researchers found a strong association between smell test results and developing Parkinson's up to six years later. The association remained ... Read more
Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinsonian Tremor, Parkinsonism, Diagnosis and Investigation
Evolution Not Over for Humans
Posted 15 days ago by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Sept. 5, 2017 – Researchers report they have spotted signs that human DNA is still evolving. "It's a subtle signal, but we find genetic evidence that natural selection is happening in modern human populations," said study co-author Joseph Pickrell, an evolutionary geneticist at Columbia University and the New York Genome Center. Pickrell and his colleagues explored the genomes of 60,000 people of European descent from California and 150,000 from Great Britain. The researchers looked for signs of mutations that are linked to longer life spans. The researchers found that a genetic variation linked to Alzheimer's appears to fading in older women, possibly because women who have it tend to die earlier. They also found similar evidence that a genetic variation linked to heavy smoking in men is becoming less common. "It may be that men who don't carry these harmful mutations can ... Read more
Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation, Alzheimer's Disease, Diagnosis and Investigation
Is Dementia Declining Among Older Americans?
Posted 15 days ago by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Sept. 5, 2017 – Here's some good news for America's seniors: The rates of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia have dropped significantly over the last decade or so, a new study shows. The analysis of nearly 1,400 men and women 70 and older found that the number of dementia cases dropped from 73 among those born before 1920 to just 3 among those born after 1929. The reasons for the decline aren't clear, researchers said. But one factor stands out: The rates of stroke and heart attack decreased across generations. The rate of diabetes, however, has increased. "It may be that we are seeing the benefits of years of success in cardiovascular disease prevention," said lead researcher Carol Derby, a research professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. That doesn't appear to account for all of the decrease in dementia rates, however. Although the rate of ... Read more
Related support groups: Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Diagnosis and Investigation, Lewy Body Dementia
Women at Risk for Alzheimer's Face Critical 10-Year Window, Study Says
Posted 28 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Aug. 28, 2017 – Women with a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease face a 10-year window when they have far greater chances of developing the disease than men with similar genetic risks, a new analysis suggests. That window seems to occur between ages 65 and 75 – more than 10 years after the start of menopause, say University of Southern California researchers who reviewed 27 prior studies. "Menopause and plummeting estrogen levels, which on average begins at 51, may account for the difference," said study co-author Judy Pa. She is an assistant professor of neurology at the USC Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute. "However, scientists still don't know what is responsible. Researchers need to study women 10, 15 or even 20 years before their most vulnerable period to see if there are any detectable signals to suggest increased risk for Alzheimer's in 15 years," Pa ... Read more
Related support groups: Hot Flashes, Menopausal Disorders, Alzheimer's Disease, Postmenopausal Symptoms, Atrophic Vaginitis, Perimenopausal Symptoms, Dyspareunia, Diagnosis and Investigation, Vaginal Dryness, Premenopausal Anovulation
Do Fewer Nightly Dreams Mean Higher Dementia Risk in Seniors?
Posted 23 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 23, 2017 – Seniors who spend less time each night in the dream stage of sleep may be more likely to succumb to dementia as they age, new research suggests. Known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, this critical phase "occurs in intervals throughout the night, and is characterized by more dreaming and rapid eye movements," explained study author Matthew Pase. He is a senior research fellow with Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, and a visiting researcher in the department of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine. "We found that persons experiencing less REM sleep over the course of a night displayed an increased risk of developing dementia in the future," Pase said. He noted that for every 1 percent drop in REM sleep, the seniors in his study saw their dementia and Alzheimer's disease risk go up by about 9 percent. While prior research has ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Disorders, Insomnia, Fatigue, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Arteriosclerotic Dementia, Head Imaging
Dementia Care: A Huge Financial Burden for U.S. Families
Posted 22 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Aug. 22, 2017 – Caring for a family member with a neurological disorder such as dementia is vastly more expensive than caring for a senior who is dementia-free, a new study finds. The average yearly cost of caring for a dementia-free senior is roughly $137,000. But the price tag rises to $321,000 for care of those struggling with dementia. And about 70 percent of that yearly cost ultimately falls on the shoulders of the family members rather than insurance, the researchers said. The rest of the cost typically splits evenly between Medicare and Medicaid. "A lot of people, I think, believe that Medicare will pay for their long-term care," said lead author Eric Jutkowitz, an assistant professor at Brown University's School of Public Health. "That's not the case. Private long-term care insurance may help, but benefits can be exhausted and few families have policies. For a disease ... Read more
Related support groups: Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Arteriosclerotic Dementia, Dementia with Depressive Features, Lewy Body Dementia, Alcoholic Dementia, Drug-Induced Dementia
'Confusion' Complicates Hospitalization of Elderly
Posted 19 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 – Older adults with confusion are more likely to remain in the hospital longer once they are admitted, and are more likely to die, a new study finds. "People with confusion – or cognitive spectrum disorders – make up over one-third of the population over 65 [in the U.K.] who are admitted as an emergency to the hospital, and half of patients over the age of 85 years," said the study's lead researcher, Prof. Emma Reynish. These patients seem to do badly, and are at an increased risk of a hospital stay nearly two weeks longer than those without confusion, said Reynish, chair of dementia studies at the University of Stirling in Scotland. "It's unclear whether this is as a result of the care that they are given or the disease process itself, or a combination of both," she said. Researchers looked at data from more than 10,000 emergency-admitted hospital patients, 65 ... Read more
Related support groups: Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Agitated State, Mild Cognitive Impairment, ICU Agitation, Drug-Induced Dementia, Alcoholic Dementia
Popular Heartburn Drugs Don't Raise Risk of Alzheimer's: Study
Posted 19 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 – Widely used heartburn drugs called proton pump inhibitors do not appear to increase Alzheimer's disease risk, according to a new study. Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid are commonly used proton pump inhibitors. Two previous studies reported a higher risk of dementia among people who took the drugs, which are commonly used by older adults. Proton pump inhibitors work by reducing the production of stomach acid. But this new study found that use of the drugs was not associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's, even among those who took a higher dose or used the drugs for more than three years. The findings are from an analysis of data from Finland on nearly 71,000 Alzheimer's disease patients and nearly 283,000 people without the disease. The study shows people need not avoid the drugs due to fears about developing Alzheimer's, said the University of Eastern ... Read more
Related support groups: GERD, Omeprazole, Nexium, Prilosec, Pantoprazole, Protonix, Indigestion, Alzheimer's Disease, Dexilant, Lansoprazole, Prevacid, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Erosive Esophagitis, Duodenal Ulcer, Aciphex, Duodenitis/Gastritis, Esophageal Disease, Rabeprazole, Esomeprazole, Zegerid
Blood Pressure Fluctuations Tied to Dementia Risk in Study
Posted 7 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2017 – If your blood pressure varies from day-to-day, you may be at higher risk for dementia or Alzheimer's disease, new research from Japan suggests. People whose systolic blood pressure (the top reading) fluctuated from day-to-day were more than twice as likely to develop any type of dementia or Alzheimer's disease compared to those with more stable day-to-day blood pressure, the researchers found. And the study – which was based on home-monitorings – also reported that the participants were nearly three times more likely to develop vascular dementia, caused by hardening of the arteries. "Our main findings suggest that increased day-to-day blood pressure variability, independent of average home blood pressure, is a significant risk factor for the development of all-cause dementia, vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease in the general elderly Japanese population," ... Read more
Related support groups: High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Ischemic Stroke, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Ischemic Stroke - Prophylaxis, Hypertensive Congestive Heart Failure, Hypertensive Heart Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, Alcoholic Dementia
Midlife Behaviors May Affect Your Dementia Risk
Posted 7 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2017 – Your heart health in midlife may determine your risk of developing dementia in old age, a new 25-year study suggests. Middle-aged folks who smoke or have diabetes or high blood pressure are more likely to have dementia as they grow older, said lead researcher Dr. Rebecca Gottesman. "All of those risk factors were associated with increased risk of dementia overall in this study," said Gottesman, a professor of neurology with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Moreover, the dementia risk associated with diabetes is nearly as high as the risk that comes from carrying the APOE-e4 gene, a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, Gottesman said. The investigators tracked nearly 15,800 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. This is a U.S. National Institutes of Health-funded project designed to track the effect of hardened ... Read more
Related support groups: High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Type 2, Hypertension, Smoking, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Insulin Resistance, Pre-Diabetes, Diabetes Mellitus, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Abnormal Glucose Tolerance
Study Links Moderate Drinking to Reduced Risk of Dementia
Posted 6 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
SUNDAY, Aug. 6, 2017 – Moderate drinking may be associated with a reduced risk of dementia in seniors, a new study suggests. But the study authors stressed that the findings shouldn't be interpreted as a signal to drink freely. The study only found an association between some alcohol consumption and mental sharpness, not a cause-and-effect link. Researchers followed more than 1,300 adults from 1984 to 2013. They lived in a white-collar, middle- to upper-middle-class suburb in San Diego County, California. Most were white with at least some college education. Their thinking and memory (cognitive) skills were assessed every four years. Among men and women 85 and older, those who drank moderate amounts of alcohol five to seven days a week were twice as likely to show no signs of dementia than non-drinkers, according to the study in the August issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. ... Read more
Related support groups: Dementia, Alcohol Dependence, Alzheimer's Disease, Alcoholism, Hangover, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alcoholic Dementia, Acute Alcohol Intoxication, Lewy Body Dementia, Dementia with Depressive Features
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