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Results for search "Alzheimer's".

19 Jul

New Finger-Prick Blood Test for Alzheimer’s Shows Promise

A simple, finger-prick blood test is highly accurate at identifying key Alzheimer’s biomarkers, new study finds.

06 Jul

The Link Between Dental Health and Alzheimer’s

Researchers discover a link between gum disease, tooth loss, and brain shrinkage in a region affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

13 Jan

Just 6 Minutes of Intense Exercise May Protect Your Brain from Alzheimer’s, New Study Finds

Short bouts of high intensity exercise boost production of a protein that’s key to learning and memory, researchers say.

Health News Results - 443

Brain Inflammation May Trigger Alzheimer's-Linked Anger, Anxiety

Alzheimer’s patients are notoriously irritable, agitated and anxious – and researchers now think they know why.

Brain inflammation appears to influence the mood problems of Alzheimer’s patients, rather than traditional markers of the disease like amyloid beta or tau proteins, researchers report in the Nov. 27 issue of the journal

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • November 29, 2023
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  • Black Patients Wait Longer Than Whites for Alzheimer's Diagnosis

    TUESDAY, Nov. 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Medical imaging for thinking and memory issues happens much later in Black patients than in their white and Hispanic counterparts, new research shows.

    A study to be presented Thursday at a meeting of radiologists als...

    Whole Grain Foods Could Help Black Seniors Avoid Alzheimer's

    Whole grains could be the key to Black people protecting their brains against aging and dementia, a new study reports.

    Black folks who ate more foods with whole grains appeared to have a slower rate of memory decline than those who ate fewer whole grains, according to findings published Nov. 23 in the journal Neurology.

    Among Black people, those who ate the most whole grain...

    Fat Hiding Around Organs Could Raise Odds for Alzheimer's

    Middle-aged folks with lots of belly fat surrounding their internal organs appear to be at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease later in life, a new study suggests.

    This hidden abdominal fat -- known as visceral fat -- is related to changes in the brain up to 15 years before the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s manifest, according to findings to be presented at next week’s annual mee...

    One Part of Your Brain Could Point to the Mind's Decline

    Shrinkage of one of the brain's key memory centers appears to herald thinking declines, a new study finds.

    The region in question is the hippocampus, a two-sided structure located roughly above each ear and embedded deep within the brain's temporal lobe. It's long been known to play a crucial role in the storage and transference of short- and long-term memory.

    The new research was ...

    Tai Chi Might Help Seniors Counter Mild Cognitive Decline

    The ancient art of tai chi, plus a modern twist, may help older adults reverse mild declines in brain power, a new clinical trial reveals. 

    Researchers found that tai chi classes helped older adults improve their subtle problems with cognition (memory and thinking skills). It also helped them with a fundamental multitasking skill: walking while your attention is elsewhere.

    But ...

    7 Million Americans Have Mild Cognitive Impairment and Don't Know It

    Millions of older Americans may be unaware they have memory and thinking impairments -- mostly because their doctors aren't diagnosing them, new research suggests.

    After analyzing Medicare data covering 40 million older Americans, researchers found that only a small percentage of expected cases of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were actually diagnosed. The upshot was that more t...

    Have Diabetes? Quitting Metformin Could Take Toll on Your Brain

    Millions of people with diabetes take the drug metformin to control their blood sugar levels.

    Meant to be taken for the long term, new research now suggests that stopping it early may up the risk of developing thinking and memory problems as patients age.

    “We found that staying on metformin prevents or delays dementia onset, and this is very encouraging,” said researcher

    High Blood Triglycerides Could Help Ward Off Dementia

    High triglycerides, widely known as an enemy of the aging heart, may not be as threatening to older adults' brains, new research suggests.

    The study, of over 80,000 older adults, found those with triglycerides in the "high-normal" or moderately high range were less likely to develop dementia, versus their peers with lower triglyceride levels.

    Over six years, 3% of older folks with t...

    Neighborhood Parks Could Help Your Aging Brain

    A variety of risks can make it more likely that someone develops Alzheimer's disease or other dementias.

    Now you can add neighborhood environment to that list. A new study finds low income levels and a lack of green spaces are among the factors that can harm brain health.

    “Social determinants of health have a major impact on cognition, as well as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular...

    Eating Well in Middle Age Could Help Your Brain Decades Later

    Mid-life isn't too late to make a dietary change to preserve brain health.

    Women who started following the diet known as DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) to lower their blood pressure were about 17% less likely to report memory loss and other signs of mental decline decades later, a new study re...

    Short Sleepers May Be at Higher Risk for Depression

    Scientists have long wondered whether depression leads to less sleep or whether a lack of sleep triggers depression.

    A new study suggests it's the latter: Getting less than five hours of sleep a night may raise the risk of developing depressive symptoms.

    “We have this chicken or egg scenario between suboptimal sleep duration and depression, they frequently co-occur, but which come...

    Dementia Diagnosis Takes Huge Toll on a Family's Finances

    Dementia can take a big bite out of an American's bank account, robbing 60% of a patient's net worth in the eight years after a diagnosis, a new study says.

    The average dementia patient will also see a doubling of out-of-pocket health care expenses in those first eight years, said researchers who studied thousands of seniors with and without the brain disorder.

    “We found a pr...

    Adults With ADHD May Face Higher Dementia Risk

    Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are nearly three times more likely to develop dementia than other adults, a new study suggests.

    The results also indicate that treatment with ADHD medication may help reduce their dementia risk. No clear uptick in dementia risk was found among ADHD patients who received psychostimulant medication.

    "More than 3% of the adult...

    Woman Resistant to Alzheimer's Helps Inspire New Way to Fight the Disease

    Researchers have developed an antibody that can reduce Alzheimer's-like brain damage in lab mice — inspired by the case of one woman with remarkable resistance to the disease.

    The work, by researchers at Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School in Boston, and elsewhere, began a few years ago, with the case of a woman in Colombia who had shown "extreme protection" from Alzheimer's di...

    How HDL 'Good' Cholesterol Might Raise Dementia Risk

    While HDL cholesterol is considered the "good" kind for heart and brain health, too much or too little of it may up a person's risk of dementia, new research suggests.

    “This study is especially informative because of the large number of participants and long follow-up,” noted study author Maria Glymour, of Bo...

    Timing of Hot Flashes Could Give Clues to Alzheimer's Risk

    Hot flashes and night sweats top the list of bothersome symptoms for women going through menopause.

    Now, a new study suggests that hot flashes, especially during sleep, may be more than a nuisance: They may foreshadow Alzheimer's disease.

    And the more hot flashes a woman experiences during sleep, the greater her risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of ...

    Older Americans' Finances Decline in Years Before Dementia Diagnosis

    Perhaps succumbing to fraudsters or facing mounting bills, older Americans begin losing wealth in the years preceding a definitive dementia diagnosis, new research shows.

    For example, the median household net worth of the seniors in the study dropped by more than half in the eight years before they were diagnosed with dementia, but dipped much less for folks who retained their mental capa...

    Across America, Many Who Need a Neurologist Live Too Far From Care

    Many Medicare patients can't get help close to home for brain and nervous system issues.

    Nearly 1 in 5 Medicare recipients in the United States live at least 50 miles from their neurologist.

    “Our study found a substantial travel burden exists for some people with neurologic conditions, including people living in areas with fewer neurologists and rural areas,” said study author <...

    Dementia Risk Rises as Activity Rates Fall

    Bolstering the notion that a strong body equals a strong mind, new research indicates that the more inactive seniors are, the higher their risk for dementia.

    The finding stems from a look at the onset of dementia among nearly 50,000 Brits.

    All were at least 60 years old when information about typical daily activity routines was entered into the UK Biobank database at some point betw...

    An Exercise-Induced Hormone Might Help Protect Against Alzheimer's

    Therapies based on a hormone people make while exercising may be the next frontier in treating Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

    Researchers have found that the exercise-induced hormone irisin may reduce both the plaque and the tau tangles characteristic of the disease.

    Before this, this same team developed the first 3D human cell culture models of Alzheimer's disease, ...

    Game Show Legend Bob Barker Died of Alzheimer's Disease

    Game show host Bob Barker died in late August from Alzheimer's disease.

    The longtime host of “The Price Is Right” died at age 99 of the memory-robbing condition, his death certificate now shows, NBC News reported.

    Barker died Aug. 26. He will be buried next to his wife, Dorothy Jo, at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, said his publicist Roger Neal. Barker's wife di...

    Adult Education Classes Could Be a Buffer Against Alzheimer's

    Older people who take adult education classes may lower their risk for dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, Japanese research suggests.

    Middle-aged folks and older people in adult education classes had a 19% lower risk of developing dementia within five years, the researchers found.

    "We also found that nonverbal reasoning performance was well preserved in the adults taking educa...

    Vaccines Against Shingles, Pneumonia May Also Lower Your Alzheimer's Risk

    Certain adult vaccines, including shingles and pneumonia shots, may also help seniors fight off Alzheimer's disease, new research reveals.

    Prior vaccination with the shingles vaccine, pneumococcus vaccine or the tetanus and diphtheria shot, with or without an added pertussis vaccine, are associated with a 25% to 30% reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers from t...

    Most Alzheimer's Patients May Be Ineligible for Newly Approved Drugs

    Two recently approved treatments offer newfound hope for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, but most people who could benefit will likely be deemed ineligible, a new study finds.

    Alzheimer's affects about 6.7 million Americans age 65 and older. But only about 8% to 17% of older adults with early signs of the disease meet the eligibility criteria as determined by cl...

    Living With Air Pollution Raises Chances of Dementia, Study Finds

    People who daily breathe in air pollution, particularly from wildfires or agricultural sources, might need to add a heightened risk of dementia to their list of health concerns.

    New research looked at the potential effects of particle pollution on dementia, finding an association even ...

    Could Popular Heartburn Meds Raise Your Odds for Dementia?

    Older adults who use certain heartburn medications for years may have a heightened risk of developing dementia, a new study suggests.

    The study, published Aug. 9 in the journal Neurology, is the latest to point to potential hazards from prolonged use of medications called proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs. They include such well-known brands as Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec, and th...

    Yoga Might Do Wonders for Women's Aging Brains

    Yoga is known for its benefits to both the mind and body. And a gentle form of yoga may be an ideal early intervention technique for older women at risk of Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.

    In a small study involving kundalini yoga, participants reported that its stress-relieving effects translated to more efficient memory.

    “Women tend to practice yoga more readily...

    Memory Troubles? Your Race Could Affect How Soon You Get Diagnosis, Treatment

    Black Americans are less likely to be seen at a memory clinic than their white peers. So too are folks from neighborhoods that are poor and lack educational and job opportunities, according to a new study.

    That could mean later diagnosis and treatment for dementias like Alzheimer's disease.

    The research, published online Aug. 2 in Neurology, involved data from more than 4...

    In Mice, a Preventive Vaccine Clears Brain Plaques Tied to Alzheimer's

    Scientists have struggled for decades to come up with something that can successfully treat Alzheimer's disease, with new drugs now showing their ability to clear the amyloid plaques that are a hallmark of the memory-robbing disease.

    But what if a vaccine could do the same job, or better? A new Japanese study suggests it may be possible.

    Working with mice, researchers report they ha...

    Minorities Miss Out on Brain-Imaging Studies for Alzheimer's

    Americans in ethnic and racial minority groups are underrepresented in Alzheimer's research, a new study finds.

    Still, the review of U.S.-based Alzheimer's disease brain imaging studies found the gap is closing.

    Compared with white patients, Hispanic Americans are nearly two times more likely to develop Alzheimer's as are Black Americans.

    For the study, researchers analyzed ...

    People With Alzheimer's Genes May Lose Sense of Smell First

    People who carry a gene that's associated with Alzheimer's disease may lose their sense of smell long before memory and thinking problems occur, a new study suggests.

    This early sign of potential dementia is not seen in people who don't carry this gene, called APOE e4, researchers report July 26 in the journal Neurology.

    "Testing a person's ability to detect odors may be a...

    Dementia Patients Wind up in the ER 1.4 Million Times a Year, Study Shows

    Emergency rooms can be a frightening place for people suffering from dementia, yet each year 1.4 million Americans with Alzheimer's or other dementias wind up in crowded, noisy ERs, a new study finds.

    Dementia is responsible for nearly 7% of all ER visits for those older than 65, often because of accidents or mental health crises, researchers determined.

    "While dementia is thought o...

    Probiotics Are Good for More Than Your Gut

    Many people turn to probiotics for their digestive woes, but a preliminary study suggests that what's good for gut may also be good for the aging brain.

    The study involved older adults with mild cognitive impairment, where memory and other thinking skills are starting to slide but people can still carry out their daily tasks. Researchers found that when those individuals took a particular...

    Are These Pricey New Alzheimer's Drugs Worth It?

    Breakthrough new drugs that clear amyloid beta plaques from the brain are shaking up the field of Alzheimer's disease research.

    The fact that patients' mental deterioration slows when they're on anti-amyloid drugs is solid proof that abnormal amyloid proteins are one of the culprits behind Alzheimer's, essentially ending decades of debate over the so-called “amyloid hypothesis.”

    Olive Oil a Powerful Prescription Against Dementia

    People looking to stay mentally sharp as they age might want to swap out margarine for olive oil, a preliminary study suggests.

    The study, of more than 90,000 U.S. health professionals, found that olive oil lovers were less likely to die of dementia over the next three decades.

    Compared with their counterparts who rarely used olive oil, those who consumed more than a half-tablespoon...

    Scientists Spot 32 Proteins That Hint at Alzheimer's Risk

    It's difficult to fully predict who will develop Alzheimer's disease in advance. Now, a new study suggests that certain markers in the blood may occur 10 to 20 years before the start of symptoms and could help doctors determine who is at high risk for dementia.

    For the study, researchers analyzed 4,800-plus proteins in the blood of more than 10,000 middle-aged people (aged 45-65) ove...

    Volunteering Late in Life May Keep Alzheimer's Away

    Many retirees opt to volunteer as a way to help others, but new research suggests this act can also benefit volunteers' brain health.

    Volunteering later in life may provide protection for the brain from both cognitive (mental) decline and dementia, according to researchers. Their findings were presented this week at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, in Amsterdam, in th...

    While 8 in 10 Seniors See Wisdom of Dementia Screening, Few Have Been Tested: Poll

    Most older adults think that screening for dementia is a good idea, according to a new poll on aging. But few actually take that step.

    Only about 20% of those aged 65 to 80 had a screening test in the past year to see if their memory and thinking abilities have started to decline, according to the University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging.

    “As many as half of Am...

    Link Seen Between Inflammation, Alzheimer's

    Researchers around the world are working to tease out the mechanisms behind Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Now, a new study points to so-called systemic inflammation.

    British researchers found that inflammation -- activation of the body's innate immune system -- is associated with a small but statistically significant later risk of dementia. They reported their findings...

    Constipation May Be a Marker for Dementia Risk

    Chronic constipation may not only be an indicator of gut health, but a potential warning sign of thinking declines, a preliminary study suggests.

    Researchers found that among more than 110,000 middle-aged and older U.S. adults, those who were chronically constipated -- fewer than three bowel movements a week -- also showed signs of an "older" brain.

    Compared with their counterparts ...

    Blood Prick Test for Alzheimer's Shows Promise

    A definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease now requires a series of complicated and expensive imaging scans that look for abnormal protein plaques and tangles in the brain.

    But in the near future, detecting signs of Alzheimer's could be as simple as taking a finger prick blood test.

    Researchers detected key Alzheimer's-related biomarkers in dried blood samples drawn from a finger...

    New Opioid Use Raises Death Risk 11-Fold in Those With Dementia

    Older adults who begin using opioid painkillers after a dementia diagnosis have a significantly greater risk of death — about 11-fold within the first two weeks, according to new research.

    The risk of death continued beyond two weeks, but at a lower rate, said researchers in Denmark. They found a doubled death risk within 90 days of opioid initiation, and said doctors must seriousl...

    Hearing Aids May Cut Dementia Risk in Those at High Risk

    If you're hard of hearing and at higher risk for dementia, hearing aids could be a win-win.

    New research, published July 18 in The Lancet, finds hearing aids might reduce thinking declines in older adults --but only in those at higher risk of dementia.

    "Th...

    East, Southeast Have the Most Alzheimer's Cases, New U.S. Study Shows

    A new study offers the first-ever county-level estimates of Alzheimer's disease in the United States.

    It shows that the East and Southeast have the highest prevalence of Alzheimer's dementia, which researchers said may owe in part to the higher percentages of older people, and Black and Hispanic residents in those regions.

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • July 17, 2023
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  • Experimental Alzheimer's Drug Slows Thinking Declines in Late-Stage Trial

    Another experimental drug meant to slow the damage of Alzheimer's appears poised to join a growing arsenal of new treatments for this memory-robbing disease.

    In research published online Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association and presented simultaneously at the Alzheimer's A...

    Stretch Your Brain as You Age, Lower Your Dementia Risk?

    Writing letters, taking classes and playing mentally stimulating games like chess in your older years could lower your risk of dementia over the next decade, a new study suggests.

    Researchers in Australia found that journaling, using a computer, taking education classes and other "literacy enrichment" activities might lessen the risk of developing dementia by 11%. Playing games, car...

    Gene-Editing Tools Pave Way for New Alzheimer's Treatments

    Two new studies using CRISPR gene editing offer potential new treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

    “A pipeline of potential new treatments offers hope for the Alzheimer's and dementia community,” said Maria Carrillo, chief science officer for the Alzheimer's Association. “The progress and appro...

    Triple-Digit Heat Wave a Danger to Those With Dementia

    As extreme heat continues to blanket numerous parts of the United States, Americans with dementia may be particularly challenged.

    “Triple-digit temperatures and heat indexes are especially dangerous for someone with a dementia-related illness such as Alzheimer's disease, because the effects of dementia can impair their ability to notice if they are developing heat stroke or dehydra...

    FDA Gives Full Approval to Alzheimer's Drug Leqembi

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday gave full approval to the Alzheimer's drug Leqembi, clearing the way for insurance coverage of the pricey drug.

    “The full FDA approval will open the floodgates for people with early Alzheimer's to get this drug. It's a big deal because it's very expensive at $26,500 per year,"

  • Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
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  • July 6, 2023
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