Thoughts - news and research on dementia care

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
Doctor's Tip: What's good for the heart is good for the brain

As people age, one of the things they fear the most is getting dementia, and rightly so because the older we get the more apt we are to develop it. Although dementia is common in older people in America and other Western countries, it is not a normal part of aging, and dementia is very rare in some parts of the world.

http://www.postindependent.com/news/20394434-113/doctors-tip-whats-good-for-the-heart-is
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
GP pressures: Care potentially unsafe - doctors' leader

Pressures on GPs in England and Wales are so great they feel they are failing patients and potentially providing unsafe care, doctors leaders say.

British Medical Association GP leader Dr Chaand Nagpaul said doctors were having to rush patients to keep up.

And he said this could be potentially dangerous in terms of identifying cancer and getting medicines right.

But ministers in England responded by promising they would invest in services to address the concerns.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35479749
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
Could the elixir of youth be on the horizon thanks to newly identified hormone?

Experiments on mouse models of human ageing found boosting levels of ghrelin, which controls appetite, prolonged lifespan by boosting blood circulation and memory.

By invigorating the elderly lab rodents it offers hope of a pill being developed that prevents ageing related conditions, such as heart disease and Alzheimer's.

In the study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, levels of naturally produced ghrelin - known as the 'hunger hormone' - rose by feeding the mice a traditional Japanese remedy called rikkun****o.

could be really good news...mo43

http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/...y-identified/story-28655474-detail/story.html
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
Eating fish could stave off Alzheimer’s, study says

— Eating at least one serving of seafood a week could help stave off Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study.

A strong case has been building for the role that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish could play in protecting against Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. But questions remained about whether these benefits could be canceled out by the mercury in fish, which at high enough levels can be toxic to the brain. The new study suggests that is not the case.

Hopefully with an increased effect with chips and fresh peas + squeeze of lemon..mo43

http://wwlp.com/2016/02/03/eating-fish-could-stave-off-alzheimers-study-says/
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
Can Hormone Replacement Therapy help women hold off dementia?

HRT may protect women against dementia, a new study claims.

Women who take oestrogen supplements before the start of menopause and for at least three years had better preserved brain structure.

Their hippocampus was found to be 'significantly' larger than for untreated females, the Norwegian study found.

In Alzheimer's disease, it is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage, with memory loss and disorientation among the earliest symptoms.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...omen-oestrogen-menopause-better-brain-structu
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
Better lifestyles cut risk of developing dementia by 22%

THE prevalence of devastating brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s has fallen by more than 22% in 20 years, possibly because of healthier lifestyles and better education, researchers have found.

Dementing diseases destroy people’s ability to think clearly or remember their past, and are widely assumed to be rising fast but the latest data suggests that there is cause for hope.

The Cambridge University study looked at the prevalence of dementia two decades ago, finding that it affected 8.3% of over-65s. However, when the researchers looked at people in that age bracket now, they found it had fallen to 6.5% — a 22% decline.

Thanks sue J for info ...mo43

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto...e1665634.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2016_02_06
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
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North Devon
Being unfit at 40 'accelerates brain ageing'

Lack of exercise in mid-life ages the brain as well as the body, research suggests.
Being unfit at the age of 40 is linked with a smaller brain volume at 60, according to a US study.
Fitness in middle age may be particularly important for people with early signs of heart disease, say researchers at Boston University.
The study adds to growing evidence that heart health can affect brain health in later life.
The study, published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, followed 1,583 people with an average age of 40.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35541673
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
Alzheimer's preventative drug hope

Scientists have detected a number of drugs which could help protect against Alzheimer's disease, acting like statins for the brain.
In experiments on worms, University of Cambridge researchers identified drugs which prevented the very first step towards brain cell death.
They now want to match up drugs with specific stages of the disease.
Experts said it was important to find out if these drugs could work safely in humans.
Statins are taken by people to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and the Cambridge research team says its work may have unearthed a potential "neurostatin" to ward off Alzheimer's disease.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35558438
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
‘Lack of hearing aids fuels dementia epidemic’

Even mild hearing loss is said to double the risk of dementia, and severe deafness increases it five-fold.

Hearing impairment has been found to raise the rate of cognitive decline with age by about 36%. Experts believe deafness undermines working memory by making it harder to think.

Studies also indicate that hearing loss actually changes brain structure, causing shrinkage in some regions most affected by Alzheimer’s.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/lack-of-hearing-aids-fuels-dementia-epidemic-381929.html
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
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Dundee
Even mild hearing loss is said to double the risk of dementia, and severe deafness increases it five-fold.

Hearing impairment has been found to raise the rate of cognitive decline with age by about 36%. Experts believe deafness undermines working memory by making it harder to think.

Studies also indicate that hearing loss actually changes brain structure, causing shrinkage in some regions most affected by Alzheimer’s.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/lack-of-hearing-aids-fuels-dementia-epidemic-381929.html

I've just been reading that in the Times. Perhaps I should dig out my hearing aid which I've consigned to the back of a drawer!
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
Hi Izzy

I've just been reading that in the Times. Perhaps I should dig out my hearing aid which I've consigned to the back of a drawer!

Yes ideal a stereo hearing aid and then dance around to say Andre Rieu ? Roses from the South enjoy the music and views

mo43
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
74,001
0
72
Dundee
Hi Izzy

I've just been reading that in the Times. Perhaps I should dig out my hearing aid which I've consigned to the back of a drawer!

Yes ideal a stereo hearing aid and then dance around to say Andre Rieu ? Roses from the South enjoy the music and views

mo43

OMG not Andre Rieu!:eek::eek:
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
Study finds link between proton pump inhibitors and dementia

Older people treated with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which are typically used for gastroesophageal reflux disease and peptic ulcers, may be at increased risk of developing dementia, according to the results of a German study published in the Journal of American Medical Association Neurology[1] on 15 February 2016.

The study involved tracking the neuropsychological health and medical history of 73,679 patients between 2004 and 2011, who were aged 75 or over. All patients were all free from dementia at the start of the study.

Researchers discovered that the patients who used PPIs regularly — at least one prescription per quarter in an 18-month period – had a 44% higher risk of developing dementia (hazard ratio
, 1.44 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36–1.52]; P<0.001), than patients not prescribed PPIs.

http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.c...tween-proton-pump-inhibitors-and-dementia/202
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
Eating chocolate may improve brain function: study

In some good news for people with a sweet tooth, scientists have found that regular consumption of chocolate may be associated with better cognitive function.

Chocolate and cocoa flavanols have been associated with improvements in a range of health complaints dating from ancient times, and has established cardiovascular benefits, but little was known about the effects of chocolate on neurocognition and behaviour, researchers said.

http://www.business-standard.com/ar...rove-brain-function-study-116022200316_1.html
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
New dementia test predicts your chance of developing the condition using GP records

GettyDoctor putting human puzzle togetherCalculations: Medical data can reveal our dementia risk
As we enjoy longer lives there’s a test we’re all going to have to get used to: it’ll tell you how likely you are to get dementia , without a blood sample or gene mapping.

It’s a simple formula calculated from your age, weight, blood pressure, history of heart disease and the medicines you’re taking, all data your GP has.

Using this information, experts at University College London have *developed a formula to calculate the risk of someone in their 60s or 70s developing dementia in the next five years.

The risk is expressed as a ‘dementia risk score’.
http://www.irishmirror.ie/lifestyle/health/new-dementia-test-predicts-your-7420992
 
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mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
Subclinical Atherosclerosis, Dementia Entwined in People in Their 80s and Beyond

People who reach age 80 without signs of cardiovascular problems or mental deterioration are more likely to develop dementia than suffer from heart disease as they get older, a new study shows. Moreover, subclinical atherosclerosis indicated by coronary artery calcification (CAC) is associated with a higher risk of mortality overall and of dementia and coronary heart disease in certain subsets.

http://www.tctmd.com/show.aspx?id=134031
 

mojo1943

Registered User
Dec 19, 2013
722
0
North Devon
What alcohol does to the aging brain

She had begun showing up for appointments two hours early. Or two hours late. She was paying less attention to how she looked. She'd had two wrecks in quick succession on her way to work as a judge's administrative assistant.

The lawyer, who works in a small town on the outskirts of Baltimore, knew her mother drank a fair amount at night, but she also knew her mother was still getting promotions.

She suspected depression. A therapist agreed. When medication didn't clear up the cognitive problems, though, the lawyer took her mother for a full neuropsychological evaluation.

The surprising diagnosis: alcohol-related dementia.


http://www.philly.com/philly/health/20160306_What_alcohol_does_to_the_aging_brain.html
 

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