Dementia
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 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…
Prostate Cancer Therapy and Dementia: The Link G…
Prostate cancer is hard enough by itself. That’s because treatment often comes with unpleasant complications. Now, add the possibility of Alzheimer’s disease and/or dementia linked to testosterone…
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 …
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…
Can Clonazepam Increase the Risk for Dementia?
Millions of people take benzodiazepines every day. Such drugs are variously described as anti-anxiety agents, sedatives, hypnotics (to aid sleep) or benzos for short. At last count about five million …
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…
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. …
Synthetic Cannabinoid (Nabilone) vs. Antipsychot…
People with Alzheimer’s disease frequently become distressed and agitated. Nursing homes may try to control this behavior with antipsychotic drugs such as aripiprazole (Abilify), haloperidol (Haldol…
New Research Confirms Link | Herpes Virus Infect…
Could Alzheimer disease be caused in part by a viral infection? Such an association seems bizarre and yet the evidence is accumulating that certain strains of herpes virus infections and Alzheimer dis…
Exercise Plus Sauna Bathing Better Than Either A…
People in Finland love to spend time sauna bathing. They do not view a sweat bath as an indulgence. They think of the sauna as a special place with healing properties. The majority of people in Finlan…
Will a Sauna Bath a Day Keep Strokes and Heart A…
When most people think about sauna (pronounced SOW-nah) baths they imagine relaxing in a hot wooden room and sweating. But this Finnish tradition may pay unexpected dividends. There is growing evidenc…
How Good is Low-Dose Lithium for Chronic Fatigue…
Lithium is a mineral that is ubiquitous in the earth’s crust. Chances are pretty good that you get some lithium in your food and water just as you get some iron and calcium. Legumes, vegetables, fis…
Commonly Prescribed Anticholinergic Drugs Linked…
Alzheimer’s disease is scary. It robs people of their memories and their ability to function. Many people think it’s brought on by bad genes or bad luck. But there is mounting evidence that our en…
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…
Incredible Beet Health Benefits for Brain and Bl…
Red beets are known officially as Beta vulgaris rubra. Researchers generally refer to this vegetable as beetroot. Although this root vegetable is popular in Europe, it doesn't have a lot of fans in th…
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…
How Dangerous Are Antipsychotic Medications for …
Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are among the cruelest afflictions known to man. These conditions rob people of their memories, their personalities and their independence. Friends and famili…
Will Drinking Alcohol and Coffee Extend Your Lif…
Many people have considered a cup or two of coffee a necessary part of their morning ritual, even if a bit sinful. Ditto for a glass of wine or a cocktail at the end of the day. A new study suggests t…
Is Too Much Alcohol Bad for the Brain?
The headlines have recently proclaimed that a little alcohol can improve longevity. The emphasis is on a little. Too much alcohol can increase the risk for cognitive decline. That's because there are …
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…
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 …
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 …
Is Your Confusion Due to a Vitamin Deficiency?
As we grow older, our mental lapses bother us more and more. Could losing the car keys be the first sign of Alzheimer's disease? Is forgetting the PIN for the ATM an early warning flag for dementia? O…
Nordic Diet vs. Dementia
The Mediterranean diet gets all the headlines. It is supposed to be good for your heart, your brain and just about everything else that ails you. Ask almost any health professional about the healthies…