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Medicare will soon cover a new class of Alzheimer's drugs if they receive full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with some key limits.

Along with being full approved, drug makers will also have to gather and keep data in a registry showing how the drugs are working in the real world, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Thursday.

““Alz...

Prediabetes often precedes type 2 diabetes, the form of the disease most closely tied to obesity.

A new study suggests that the timing of this transition may set the stage for dementia in later years.

Prediabetes refers to blood sugar or glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be defined as diabetes.

Researchers found that folks who were diagnose...

THURSDAY, May 25, 2023 (HealthDay News) – People with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease may have an increased risk of epilepsy, a new study says. And folks with a certain type of epilepsy may have higher odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Having Alzheimer’s was lin...

A new brain bank is accepting future donations from living athletes, in an effort to perform long-term research into the effects of sports-related concussion.

The National Sports Brain Bank (NSBB) at the University of Pittsburgh will track the health of living participants on an annual basis, and...

MONDAY, May 15, 2023 -- Researchers have discovered a genetic mutation that should actively protect people from Alzheimer's, thanks to a man belonging to a Colombian family known to be susceptible to the degenerative brain disease.

Based on his family's genetics, this unnamed patient should have started showing signs of Alzheimer's in his 40s.

“They start getting impaired at age 4...

Mother's Day can require some creative thinking when your mom has dementia.

“Mother's Day is a time to honor the special mother figures in your life, and if your loved one lives with dementia, it can continue to be special with a few adaptations,” said Jennifer ...

A medication to treat agitation in Alzheimer's patients now has approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA gave supplemental approval to Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., and Lundbeck Inc. for Rexulti (brexpiprazole) oral tablets on Thursday. Rexulti is the first FDA-approved treatment for these symptoms.

“Agitation is one of the most common and challenging asp...

Poor sleep brought on by sleep apnea may ultimately undermine the brain health of older men and women, new research suggests.

The concern stems from a new brain scan investigation that involved 140 sleep apnea patients.

“Sleep apnea is a medical condition in which patients ... stop breathing during sleep, which can affect their sleep quality by causing multiple arousals and droppi...

Researchers have isolated for the first time a free-floating form of amyloid beta that appears to be a key driver of Alzheimer's disease.

Further, they argue that a newly approved Alzheimer's drug — lecanemab (Leqembi) — directly targets these small, complex chains of amyloid beta (A-beta) called fibrils. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved lecanemab in January.

The A...

People who repeatedly suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI) may be more apt to develop Alzheimer's disease, new research shows.

TBI can result from direct hits to the head or from indirect sources such as shockwaves from battlefield explosions.

The brains of otherwise healthy military personnel who were exposed to explosions were found to have an abnormal accumulation of amyloid-bet...

In a world increasingly consumed by social media, much has been made of the amount of time younger generations spend online every day — and the harms that habit can bring.

But now a new study of older adults suggests that regular internet use may actually be a boon for older Americans, staving off the long-term risk for dementia.

“We studied the association between internet usag...

Getting good sleep is an important part of wellness for many reasons, but new research suggests deep sleep may even guard against memory loss linked to Alzheimer's.

While disrupted sleep has been linked with accumulating beta-amyloid plaques in the brain faster, scientists found that superior amounts of deep, slow-wave sleep can be protective against memory decline in those with a high bu...

Another experimental drug meant for Alzheimer's disease looks so promising that drugmaker Eli Lilly plans to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for full approval by the end of June.

Known as donanemab, the medication clears amyloid plaque from the brain. In a late trial, the drug slowed memory and thinking declines in early symptomatic Alzheimer's patients by more than a third, Li...

It's expected that seniors slow down physically as they age, but this could be a sign of more than just lost muscle strength, a new study suggests. In some, it may be a harbinger of dementia.

Australian researchers said the findings may help health professionals to identify dementia risk in patients earlier.

“Both grip strength and TUG tests [for balance and mobility]...

Taking a particular sleep medication may help stave off Alzheimer's disease, but it's too soon to say for sure after a preliminary study.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that participants who took a sleeping pill called suvorexant before bed had a drop in levels of key Alzheimer's disease proteins.

“This is a small, proof-of-concept study...

Is there a simple way to screen older folks for dementia risk years before there are any signs of memory loss or thinking impairment?

Yes, researchers report.

It's a test called SOMI, short for Stages of Objective Memory Impairment.

The process is straightforward. After being shown a series of images, patients who have no symptoms of dementia are asked to recall what they've ...

For people with the abnormal heartbeat atrial fibrillation, a procedure called catheter ablation may do more than return the heart to its normal rhythm. It may also ward off mental decline and dementia linked to A-fib, a new study says.

Researchers found that people who receive catheter ablation in addition to medical management for A-fib may be almost 40% less likely to develop cognitive...

Cutting-edge AI technologies that can detect subtle changes in a person's voice may help doctors diagnose Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive impairments even before other symptoms begin.

In a new study, researchers used advanced machine learning and natural...

Be forewarned: High blood pressure in your 30s may lead to poorer brain health in your 70s.

A new study suggests that treating the condition in young and middle-aged adults may help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease later on, especially in men.

For the study, researchers examine...

Exposure to air pollution may increase the risk of developing dementia, according to a review of prior research.

The new Harvard study is the latest look at a host of health issues — from dementia to heart disease and stroke — linked to pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), as well as nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide.

The findings support the need to streng...

A new national Alzheimer's disease and dementia database could be a game changer for research on the memory-robbing condition that now affects more than 6 million Americans.

Planning has begun at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to fund the data platform. A $300 million grant for the six-ye...

The stress of caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease can take a toll on loved ones.

It's important for caregivers' own health and well-being to reduce that stress, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America says.

“Finding ways to manage and reduce stress is of paramount importance for every Alzheimer's caregiver — untreated stress over a prolonged period of time can lead to care...

TUESDAY, April 4, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Women are known to be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than men, and now a new brain scan study suggests the timing of both menopause and hormone replacement therapy use may play a role in this increased risk.

“Female sex, earlier age-at-menopause and delayed use of hormone therapy were all associated with higher levels of...

There is little doubt that caregiving for someone with dementia can be demanding and challenging, and that knowing how best to care for both the patient and yourself can be hard to figure out.

Here are some tips to help you navigate this difficult time and be the best caregiver you can be for your loved one.

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