Health News

Fighting Alzheimer’s With Money
A government supported plan will support people with Alzheimer’s Disease and their caregivers and work towards keeping new people from developing the disease. The goal – better treatment and care by 2025.
Aging in the Information Age
The “information age” has given many people more access to social activities and learning through computers. Elderly people who stay mentally active using computers may lower their risk of losing cognitive abilities.
How do Pain Medications Relate to Alzheimers?
In a large Canadian study, researchers found that people who took certain types of pain medications were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease, but it is not clear why.
Is Dementia Actually on the Decline?
The medical world is abuzz with data to come out of a longitudinal study about the prevalence of dementia. It may be possible that advances in blood pressure and cholesterol medications are keeping the brain safer.
Diabetes May Speed Up Dementia
As you grow old, your brain starts to get smaller and lose power. Certain diseases can make this decline in brain function even worse. It seems diabetes may be one of these diseases.
Slowing Brain Activity
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a loss of thinking skills that increases risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. Areas of the brain are overactive in MCI, and new research shows that lowering the activity may improve memory. Higher levels of brain activity in the hippocampus, a brain region important for memory, are common in MCI. Using a drug to lower that brain activity led to better memory function for patients with MCI. Consult your physician if you notice any memory problems MCI is a loss of thinking and memory abilities that is more severe than normal aging and less severe than ...
Avoiding Alzheimer’s With Purpose
Purpose in life can be as simple as having a hobby or connecting with family. New research points to having purpose in life to keep memory and thinking going strong.
Is Depression a Risk Factor for Dementia?
Depression and dementia often happen to the same people. Does this mean that depression is a risk factor for dementia?
Alzheimer’s Drug Does not Relieve Agitation
A new study shows that Namenda ( memantine ), used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), does not improve agitation symptoms. As AD progresses, agitation is a common symptom that often appears as restlessness, anxiousness, or becoming easily upset. A recent study looked at this aspect, specifically, and found that Namenda did not appear to offer any benefit to these symptoms. Talk with a doctor if a loved one with AD experiences agitation The study, led by Chris Fox, MD, of the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, enrolled 149 patients with AD who also ...
Onset Age of Alzheimer’s may Predict Symptoms
Alzheimer’s disease is typically divided into two categories: early onset and late onset. New research shows that the specific types of deficits experienced may be related to the type or onset age of the disorder.