Cognitive Dysfunction
Stalked by the Fear That Dementia Is Stalking Yo…
by Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News Do I know I’m at risk for developing dementia? You bet. My father died of Alzheimer’s disease at age 72; my sister was felled by frontotemporal dementia at 58.…
Can You Prevent Dementia With Grape Seed Extract…
The three top health worries are heart disease, cancer and dementia. Heart disease and cancer are certainly worrisome, but let's focus for now on dementia. We have written about the possibility that c…
A Big Statin Controversy: Do Statins Impair Memo…
Statins are a never-ending source of controversy. Over the last 30 years doctors have debated the pros and cons of statins with little resolution. Some maintain that side effects are extremely rare an…
Vitamin B12 Lack Led to Balance and Memory Probl…
If you have experienced trouble with your balance, you might have told yourself you're getting older. (Always true, but not always an explanation.) Or perhaps you have attributed a parent's forgetfuln…
Will Statins Wreak Havoc With Your Memory?
Do people taking statins to control their cholesterol experience cognitive impairment as a side effect? Many think so. If they anticipate that statins wreak havoc on their memory, they may be reluctan…
Has a Chinese Company Found a Cure for Alzheimer…
The Chinese equivalent of the FDA, the National Medical Products Administration, has just approved a natural product to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Even the company, Shanghai Green V…
Soccer and Brain Damage: Kids and Headers?
I attended a small public high school. My graduating class had under 40 kids. Clearly, we could not muster a competitive football team with such a paltry number of students. Instead, we played soccer.…
Show 1182: How You Can Use Exercise as Medicine
Does medicine mean “drugs and surgery” to you? That is certainly how a lot of people see it. However, physical activity–exercise–has powerful abilities to help us heal. How can we use exercise…
Show 1180: How to Eat to Nourish Your Brain
You know your body needs food to fuel it. You’ve probably thought about whether you should be eating more fat or less, how much protein you might need and if you are getting enough vegetables and fr…
Don’t Count on Stimulants for Better Memor…
Have you ever wished you could take medicine like stimulants for better memory and sharper concentration? Sometimes people who feel they need their best mental performance in college or at work will t…
Show 1174: What to Do About Skeeter Syndrome
Have your summer evenings outside been spoiled by the whine of a mosquito coming in for a bite? How do you deal with the resulting itch? Mosquito bites usually itch for a while and then go away, but s…
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Can Cause Cognitive Probl…
As people grow older, they may begin to have difficulty with memory or complex cognitive tasks. The family might chalk the problem up to encroaching dementia due to aging. In some cases, though, cogni…
Will a Mediterranean Diet Benefit Your Brain?
The Mediterranean diet has earned a reputation for promoting heart health, as we discuss below. Now a Harvard study suggests it can also be good for the brain, especially for people with type 2 diabet…
Falling for Scams Is a Sign of Cognitive Impairm…
If you are like most Americans, you've honed your ability to smell out a scam over the past few years. But not all older people have perfected these techniques. Falling for scams may be an early sign …
Will Gum Disease Boost Your Risk for Dementia?
If you are trying to reduce your chance of developing Alzheimer disease, you might want to schedule an appointment with your dentist. New research suggests that gum disease should join the list of fac…
FDA Cracking Down on Dietary Supplements for Dem…
The Food and Drug Administration has just taken action against many companies that advertise their dietary supplements for dementia. The commercials often imply that these products could be used to tr…
Could Aggressive Blood Pressure Control Save You…
A new study suggests that aggressive blood pressure control may have modest benefits for cognitive function (The SPRINT MIND investigators, JAMA, Jan. 28, 2019). That is the conclusion from a fol…
New Blood Test for Alzheimer Disease
Detecting Alzheimer disease is complicated. There are no simple tests. Doctors can perform cognitive function evaluations and order brain imaging, but to date definitive diagnosis relies on autopsy ex…
Are Leaky Blood Vessels A Culprit Behind Alzheim…
What causes Alzheimer’s disease? That is the billion-dollar question which remains unanswered to this day. A lot of money has been spent trying to find answers to the mystery of dementia. Most exper…
Men Who Love Veggies Have Better Memory
Men who want to maintain better memory do well to load their plates with colorful vegetables and berries. Harvard researchers have been following more than 25,000 male health professionals for at leas…
Will New MRI Help Doctors Detect Alzheimer Disea…
Cognitive tests can help diagnose approximately 70 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Although scientists don’t yet have good drugs to prevent this devastating dementia, they are studying…
Are Your Eyes the Window to Your Brain?
It is difficult to diagnose Alzheimer disease early in its course. In fact, a definitive diagnosis has only been available upon autopsy. But what if you had a window to your brain? Would that make ear…
Do People Who Eat Fish Grow Old More Healthfully…
Does eating fish or taking fish oil make any difference for your health? For decades, researchers have touted the anti-inflammatory benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. They have sug…
How Much Exercise Do You Need to Boost Your Brai…
If you want to boost your brain function, you might want to head to the gym for a bit. A study of three dozen healthy adults showed that even ten minutes of moderate physical activity can have measura…
Helping Your Heart Means Boosting Your Brain
We have long suspected that taking care of your heart health with exercise, a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, stress management and social interaction could also benefit your brain. …
No Study Support for Fish Oil Soothing Dry Eyes
Fish oil is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds have anti-inflammatory activity, and doctors have hoped that fish oil supplements would prove useful against a wide range of…
Will Decaf Coffee Help You Keep Your Edge?
What is your biggest fear about aging? Many people worry about loss of independence, whether they imagine that due to lack of mobility or due to cognitive decline. As a result, many baby boomers and o…
Why Do Nursing Homes Dispense Risky Antipsychoti…
The Food and Drug Administration has long warned that administering antipsychotic drugs to people with dementia is dangerous. That practice can increase the risk of premature death. Previous studies s…
Will Curcumin Improve Cognitive Ability in Senio…
A component of curry seems to have cognitive benefits in older adults. Curcumin is a principal ingredient in turmeric, and turmeric gives curry its distinctive yellow color. A new study of 40 people b…
Which Berries Are Best for Your Brain?
Would you like to stay sharp as you grow older? Almost everyone would. Memory lapses can be extremely frustrating as well as embarrassing, particularly when they start to become more frequent. Experts…
No Good Evidence on Preventing Dementia
The prospect of dementia is just as frightening to many people as the possibility of a cancer diagnosis. With the population aging, increasing numbers of Americans will suffer from Alzheimer disease. …
Help Yourself to Leafy Greens for Better Brain P…
New analyses appear to show that nothing works to prevent dementia. Nonetheless, one promising study found that a daily serving of leafy greens might help (Morris et al, Neurology, online Dec. 20, 20…
Memory Is Better with Synchronized Brain Waves
Adequate sleep is essential for the health of the immune system, cardiovascular system and metabolic response. Sleep is also important for older people’s brains. The key seems to lie in synchronized…
What Will Doctors Do When Baby Boomers Retire?
Will you ever be able to afford to retire? According to the Pew Research Center, 10,000 baby boomers turned 65 today. Roughly the same number will turn 65 tomorrow and the day after that. In fact, it …
Seeking a Super Smoothie for Everyday Health
People love smoothies. They are a fast way to get off to a healthy start in the morning. But not all smoothies are created equal. Some have way too much sugar or carbohydrate. How can you creat…
What Is Your Ideal Smoothie to Help with Pain?
There are precious few good medications for people who suffer chronic pain. NSAIDs like diclofenac, ibuprofen or naproxen can cause bleeding ulcers as well as cardiovascular complications. Anticonvuls…
Should Your Doctor Know You Are Not Sleeping?
Are you sleeping enough, or are you missing out? Sleep scientist Matthew Walker says that skimping on sleep can shorten your life. The Effects of Sleeping Less Than Six Hours Nightly: Dr. Matthew base…
Get Magnesium Just Right to Prevent Dementia
Most people would like to find a way to prevent dementia, but the picture is complex. Lifestyle factors such as exercise, diet and sleep have all been suggested as possible paths to keeping our brains…
Can You Dream Away Dementia?
Any link between a dream and dementia sounds far-fetched, to be sure. Nonetheless, one possible interpretation of findings from a recent study is that people who dream more are less prone to dementia.…
Is Highly Variable Blood Pressure a Red Flag?
Blood pressure does not remain constant. It changes throughout the day depending upon stress, physical activity and many other factors. But could highly variable blood pressure signal a problem? What …