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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 o...

Experiment Shows Many Seniors Falling Prey to 'Impostor Scams'

Many older adults are savvy about telephone scams, but a sizable minority remain vulnerable, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that when they simulated a "government impersonation" scam -- contacting seniors and pretending to be federal employees -- over two-thirds knew how to handle the situation: They ignored it.

The rest, however, "engaged" with the "scammer." They either c...

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...

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 disea...

In Twins Study, Concussions in Early Life Tied to Memory Issues Decades Later

Your thinking and memory skills may take a hit decades after recovering from a concussion, a new study indicates.

Scientists who studied male twins, from an average age of 67, found that earlier concussions were tied to lower scores on tests of thinking and memory. These men also had a more rapid decline in their cognitive skills — skills needed for reasoning and the acquisition o...

Game Show Legend Bob Barker Died of Alzheimer's Disease

THURSDAY, Sept. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) – 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...

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 edu...

More Americans Grow Old Alone, and Faltering Minds Bring Risks

An estimated 26 million Americans 50 and older live alone, and researchers estimate that more than 4 million have dementia or cognitive impairment.

That means a large number of older Americans are at risk for medication mix-ups, unsafe driving, wandering and missing important medical appointments. And, a new study warns, the U.S. health care system is ill-equipped to address the needs of ...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

Many Seniors With Thinking Declines Still Drive

Getting older adults who are failing mentally to relinquish their car keys can be challenging. But those conversations are necessary, said researchers who found a majority of adults with cognitive impairment still get behind the wheel.

Michigan Medicine researchers studied this issue in a South Texas community. They found that more than 600 adults over age 65 in Nueces County had cognitiv...

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...

Exercise and Cognitive Training Slow Thinking Declines. Vitamin D? Not So Much

As older people start to lose some of their mental abilities, regular exercise might slow the progression to dementia, a new study indicates.

With five months of physical activity, the mental ability of seniors with so-called mild cognitive impairment improved significantly, researchers in Canada report.

They also found that computerized training to improve memory added to the benef...

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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  • 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...

    Being Isolated May Shrink the Aging Brain

    Older adults who regularly spend time with family and friends may have bigger brains to show for it, a new study suggests.

    Healthy brain aging is a complex matter, and researchers are still trying to understand which factors keep the mind sharp and which ones feed declines in memory and thinking.

    But a number of studies have suggested that social life matters. Social stimulation is ...

    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...

    Exercise + Good Sleep Best Combo for Aging Brains

    Getting regular exercise can help protect against mental decline in an aging brain. But poor sleep can take away those benefits.

    A new study found that people who were more active but slept less than six hours on average had faster cognitive (mental) d...

    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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  • Brushing, Flossing Could Help Shield Your Brain From Dementia

    Add risk of developing memory problems later in life to the list of consequences linked to poor oral health.

    Not taking care of your mouth and teeth has already been associated with heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers and preterm birth. Now, a new study finds that folks with gum disease or tooth loss have evidence of shrinkage within the hippocampus, a brain area essential for memory...

    Keeping Cholesterol Levels Stable May Help Shield You From Dementia

    Could swings in your blood fat levels increase your chances of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease?

    Yes, suggests a new study that found fluctuating cholesterol levels among older adults may increase the risk for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

    Those who had the most fluctuations in cholesterol had a 19% higher risk of developing Alzheimer's or dementia, and those with...

    Slowed Walking Could Be Sign of Dementia in Dogs

    Like people, dogs slow down as they age.

    Researchers wondered whether slowed walking could also signal mental decline. To learn more, they did a series of experiments that included measuring the dogs' speed both on and off leash as well as cognitive testing.

    “Walking speed in people is strongly associated with cognitive decline,” said study author

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • July 5, 2023
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  • Heat Waves a Hazard for People With Dementia

    Heat waves that hit the triple digits, like the ones now gripping many parts of the United States this week, can create dangerous conditions for folks who are vulnerable.

    One vulnerable group is people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia, who may not realize they're developing heat illness. But caregivers can take steps to keep them safer.

    “Triple-digit temperatures and heat inde...

    Hormone Replacement Therapy Might Raise Women's Risk for Dementia

    THURSDAY, June 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Women taking hormone replacement therapy to ease symptoms of menopause might face an increased risk of dementia later in life, a new study indicates.

    Women who received estrogen-progestin therapy had a 24% increased risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease, compared to those who never took hormone therapy, researchers report.

    Th...

    New Ways to Spot Risk for CTE in Boxers, MMA Fighters

    Autopsy is currently the only way to definitively diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease often seen in athletes who've suffered repeated blows to the head.

    But there may be a way to predict which athletes are likely to develop CTE, researchers report June 28 in the journal Neurology.

    They outline criteria for a condition called traumat...

    A-Fib May Be Bigger Threat to Women's Brains Than Men's

    A new study finds that women with a common form of irregular heartbeat may be at greater risk for cognitive decline than men.

    Atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, is linked with a higher risk for mental decline and dementia, possibly because it also more than doubles a person's risk for mini-strokes. These episodes, which often go unnoticed, can lead to impaired brain function. In addition, wom...

    Which Football Players Face Highest Odds for Brain Disorder CTE? New Findings May Tell

    The number and strength of head impacts, not concussions, cause degenerative brain injuries to football players, a new study suggests.

    That's what appears to drive the growing number of cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), researchers say.

    Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive and fatal brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). I...

    Is Alzheimer's Disease Genetic?

    Alzheimer's disease is a devastating diagnosis, and if a close relative has had it you may worry whether you will be next.

    According to the National Institutes of Health, it is estimated that over 6 million Americans over 65 suffer from Alzheimer's. Since this is primarily a disease that comes with age, t...

    It's Rare, But Kids Can Get an Alzheimer's-Like Illness

    When people think about Alzheimer's disease, they usually associate it with seniors who have had a long and fulfilling life.

    Sadly, two rare conditions that imitate the symptoms of Alzheimer's strike infants and children. Two of these disorders, Niemann-Pick Disease Type C (NPC) and Sanfilippo syndrome, will be discussed here. Here is everything you need to know about childhood Alzheimer...

    What Is Early-Onset Alzheimer's?

    There's understandable uncertainty and fear following an Alzheimer's diagnosis, but when that diagnosis comes before the age of 65, it can be even more terrifying.

    Known as early-onset Alzheimer's, the condition is rare and strikes its victims in their 40s and 50s, even their 30s. Here, experts will dig into the causes, symptoms and treatment for this particularly devastating diagnosis.

    What Causes Alzheimer's? Genes, Environment & Lifestyle Play Roles

    Learning that your loved one has Alzheimer's disease can be frightening and leave you feeling lost and unsure.

    To help you better understand the condition and what you can do to manage it, experts detail what causes Alzheimer's disease. In this guide, you'll learn about the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that scientists think may interact to contribute to the development of ...

    Could Alzheimer's Have Origins in the Gut?

    People with early markers of Alzheimer's disease in the brain also have alterations in their gut bacteria, a new study finds — hinting at a potential way to identify people at risk of dementia, and possibly even treat them.

    Any such tests or treatments would be years away, experts said.

    But

  • Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
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  • June 15, 2023
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  • Alzheimer's Stages: Mild, Moderate & Severe

    When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, it can be a challenging and emotional journey for the individual and their family.

    Understanding the progression of the disease and recognizing the changes in symptoms and behavior accompanying each stage becomes crucial in providing the necessary care and support.

    In this comprehensive guide, experts will navigate through the...