Americans have tremendous fear of aging — and a great deal of prejudice against the elderly. But, as the joke has it, being old is better than the alternative. And, despite our fears, new research suggests that being old is …
Alzheimer’s Disease
New Alzheimer’s Guidelines: Will They Help Doctors Spot the Disease Earlier?
For the first time in nearly three decades, experts have created a set of guidelines to better diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in the clinic. The advice also helps doctors identify the earliest signs of the degenerative condition, …
New Alzheimer’s Genes: Why They Matter, Even If They Don’t Change Patient Care
Genes are a gateway to understanding disease, and Alzheimer’s is certainly no exception. In recent years, researchers have grown the list of known genes associated with the most common form of the condition, which affects …
Outlawing ‘Legal Highs:’ Can Emergency Bans Hinder Drug Development?
As states race to outlaw synthetic drugs sold as “bath salts” or “fake marijuana,” there would seem to be little downside to banning these untested and possibly dangerous chemicals. But prohibiting “legal” intoxicants — many of …
CommittedMen & Women
As Suspected, Women’s Memories Last Longer than Men’s
It’s one of the oldest marital spats in the books: you remember an event one way and your spouse remembers it completely differently. That, then, spirals into an argument about who has the best memory. It’s such a chestnut, …
Alzheimer’s: new methods for diagnosis, preserving memory?
In the ongoing effort to better understand, diagnose, treat and hopefully one day even prevent the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers are taking a broad range of approaches — and some are even finding clues in unlikely places. As the New York Times reports, a new technique that combines a dye and brain scan
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Sense of fulfillment linked to lower Alzheimer’s risk
Understanding what distinguishes people who battle with dementia and Alzheimer’s as they age from those whose mental acuity remains strong well into their 80s, 90s and even older, is a major focus of current psychiatric research. Previous studies have pointed to the potentially protective value of exercise, social support and even
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Mind and Diet Update: Processed Foods linked to Depression, High Protein to Alzheimer’s
The news on eating a whole food, primarily plant-based diet just keeps getting better. Three new studies add more support to the idea that these kinds of foods are good for the brain. The first found that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables—compared to one made up mostly of processed, sweetened foods—lowers the risk of …
Researchers find a new Alzheimer’s gene
Scientists from University of California, Irvine, have found a new genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. In a study of 381 people, those with Alzheimer’s were nearly twice as likely as people without the disease to have a certain form of a gene,TOMM40 (which stands for “translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 40”). Although …
One More Reason to Cut Cholesterol …
Researchers from Kaiser Permanente find that elevated cholesterol levels — even levels just a little bit elevated, in fact — are predictive of dementia in old age.
A four-decade study of 9,844 men and women in northern California found a strong association between cholesterol when people were in their 40s and Alzheimer’s disease …