September 3rd, 2008 by Nina Thompson, ARNP
Regular exercise was associated with improved memory in older adults with mild mental decline, in this recent study from Australia. The exercise program consisted of fifty-minute, moderate-intensity exercise, three times weekly for six months. Walking was the most frequent activity, although some chose light strength training or other aerobic exercise. In this randomized controlled trial, 311 volunteers were aged 50 to 89 years old, and participants reported memory problems but did not meet the criteria for dementia.
This study joins the growing body of literature regarding the health benefits of exercise. Regular exercise not only greatly extends the length of your life, but to a large extent enhances the quality of your life. Exercise is good for every organ in your body, and there are studies that show the following benefits of exercise:
- Promotes weight loss and burns fat
- Strengthens muscles
- Improves balance and prevent falls in the elderly
- Increases endurance
- Increases energy
- Decreases pain from arthritis
- Improves quality of sleep
- Improves blood cholesterol & triglyceride levels
- Strengthens the heart
- Improves hypertension
- Improves sex life (erectile dysfunction, and/or sex drive, and/or energy)
- Lowers blood sugar
- Improves immune function
- Lowers the risk of breast cancer
- Wards off viruses & other common illnesses
- Helps relieve symptoms of depression; stabilize mood swings
- Promotes a sense of well-being
- Improves self image and self-esteem.
- Diminishes facial wrinkles
Read more about the Basics of Exercise and how to get started from Bay Area Medical Information
via MedPage Today, Sept. 2, 2008
Lautenschlager NT, et al “Effect of Physical Activity on Cognitive Function in Older Adults at Risk for Alzheimer Disease: A Randomized Trial” JAMA 2008; 300: 1027-1037.
August 28th, 2008 by Nina Thompson, ARNP
Nursing home visits by a dog, brings out positive behavior from dementia patients, in a recent Australian study. Researchers from the University of Adelaide, conducted therapy sessions, lasting for one week, consisting of a one-hour group session twice a week with a group of dementia patients. The therapy group consisted of an activities therapist, two visiting dog handlers, and one dog. Residents could pat and interact with the dog as the handler walked it around the group.
They found that the group of dementia patients who participated in the group session tended to laugh, smile, and respond more, and these positive effects lasted for the next six weeks.
Although this was a small study, the researchers felt that the dogs did indeed make a difference. In an article by MedPage Today, the researcher said, ”One of the hardest things for residents is leaving their pet behind.”
via MedPage Today, August 27, 2008
via Wordley AM, et al “Animal-Assisted Therapy for People with Dementia Living in Residential Aged Care Facilities” DCC 2008; PS-19.
August 8th, 2008 by Nina Thompson, ARNP
Heart disease and lower cognitive test scores were significantly associated in a recent European study of about 10,300 adults ages 35 to 55. This was most pronounced in areas of reasoning and vocabulary. Researchers also said the longer a person had heart disease, especially among men, the greater the cognitive impairment.
via European Heart Journal, July 23rd online, 2008.
July 31st, 2008 by Nina Thompson, ARNP
Studies have found an association between moderate alcohol consumption and a reduced risk of developing heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, and ischemic strokes. However, many people are not aware than even moderate alcohol consumption has a huge downside such as increasing the risk of cancer of the breast, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and liver; not to mention harmful effects on the brain and liver. As few as three drinks at one time may have toxic effects on the liver when combined with certain over–the–counter medications, such as those containing acetaminophen.
Moderate alcohol consumption is defined for men (no more than 2 drinks per day), for women (no more than 1 drink per day), and for people over 65 (no more than 1 drink per day).
News reports on the benefits of alcohol abound, yet the whole story is often missing. Yes, alcohol may be helpful in preventing heart disease, but it’s certainly not a healthy drink if it causes mental decline or cancer.
More on alcohol from Bay Area Medical Information
July 28th, 2008 by Nina Thompson, ARNP
Blood pressure drugs, called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), appear to be helpful in the incidence and progression of dementia, according to researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine. In a recent study, patients taking ARBs were 35 percent to 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia than people who didn’t take the drugs.
Also, for those who already have dementia, use of ARBs might delay further deterioration of brain function and help keep patients out of nursing homes. In the study, people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia who took ARBs were up to 45 percent less likely to develop delirium, to be admitted to nursing homes, or to die.
The researchers speculated that ARBs may be beneficial because they may actually help prevent nerve cell injury from blood vessel damage or help promote nerve recovery after blood vessel damage.
ARBs are available only by prescription and include Atacand, Avapro, Benicar, Cozaar, Diovan, Micardis, and Teveten. ARBs are also included in combination drugs with a diuretic, such as Atacand HCT, Avalide, Benicar HCT, Diovan HCT, Hyzaar, Micardis HCT, and Teveten HCT.
via Boston University School of Medicine, news release, July 27, 2008
July 9th, 2008 by Nina Thompson, ARNP
A recent study from Imperial College London has found that treating high blood pressure in people over 80 may help reduce the risk of developing dementia. This is one of several trials that found a link between poor blood pressure control and dementia, but this study also underlines the well-known fact that controlling high blood pressure is essential for good health.
High blood pressure can silently damage any organ in your body for years before symptoms develop. Over time, high blood pressure eventually leads to life-threatening or disabling conditions such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, cognitive decline, aneurysm development, erectile dysfunction, nerve damage and vision problems.
One in three adult Americans has high blood pressure, and nearly one-third of them don’t know they have it. The only way to know if you have hypertension is to have your blood pressure checked. People whose blood pressure is above 120/80 should consult their doctor about methods for lowering it.
via Hypertension, from Bay Area Medical Information (www.bami.us)
via Lancet Neurology, July 2008
via American Heart Association
June 30th, 2008 by Nina Thompson, ARNP
Older adults with type 2 diabetes appear to have a steeper mental decline as they age, according to Harvard researchers. One of the reasons for this is that diabetes damages blood vessels, and it can certainly damage the blood vessels that supply the brain.
These findings confirm previous studies and adds to the current body of knowledge about the ravages of this disease. Diabetes was known in ancient times and remains today a world-wide and increasing health problem. One of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States, it is associated with long-term complications that affect almost every part of the body.
In adults, type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. It is associated with older age, obesity, physical inactivity, and a family history of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents, although still rare, is being diagnosed more frequently.
There is a very significant correlation with the rise of obesity in this country and the increased incidence of type 2 diabetes. Since the mid-seventies, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased sharply for both adults and children in this country and this raises very serious concern about Americans’ future health.
via Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, June 2008
via Diabetes, Bay Area Medical Information
May 30th, 2008 by Nina Thompson, ARNP
Frequent interaction with family and friends, volunteering, and other social activities may delay age-related memory loss, a new study reveals. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health recently studied adults 50 and older and found that memory declined twice as fast among those who were the most socially reclusive as it did among those with the most social interaction.
These results are certainly interesting and add to the work of previous researchers who found links between social stimulation and the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, but the study was unable to determine whether increasing social contact may actually help reverse or prevent memory loss. Another important point, the researchers pointed out in MedPage Today, is that it’s possible that people who are suffering from memory decline tend to withdraw socially.
Whatever the case, enjoyable social stimulation is well known to have positive health benefits while stress takes a huge toll on our well-being. The act of laughing has been shown to lower blood pressure, improve arterial circulation, reduce the release of stress hormones (adrenalin, cortisol, and dopac), and help release the body’s own pain killers (endorphins).
In a study from the University of Maryland Medical Center, participants who watched funny movies experienced improved arterial circulation. In contrast, however, participants responded with constriction of arterial blood flow during “the heart-wrenching opening D-Day sequence in the 1998 drama Saving Private Ryan”, according to an article in MedPage Today.
Unfortunately, even mild laughter can trigger an asthma attack in someone who has inadequately controlled asthma. Those who have exercise-induced asthma tend to be particularly susceptible, say researchers from New York University at an American Thoracic Society meeting in 2005.
In one way or another, keeping the gift of laughter, family and friendship in our lives will certainly help us ward off the effects of aging.
via MedPage Today, May 29, 2008
via American Journal of Public Health
via meeting of the American Physiological Society , 2008
via MedPage Today, January 2006
April 11th, 2008 by Nina Thompson, ARNP
A mid-day nap can boost memory
In a recent study, researchers found that a 45-minute midday nap appeared to improve memory, but only when the information was already well consolidated. This study adds to the growing body of research that links improved memory with midday naps.
Source: Sleep, Feb 1, 2008
Memory testing scores improved significantly in a patient receiving deep brain stimulation.
Deep-brain stimulation sends an electrical current into a localized area of the brain and has been most commonly used in the motor cortex to improve motor function of patients with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. Stimulation of the hypothalamus has also been used to treat cluster headaches and even aggressiveness. Researchers have had success in animals, using deep brain stimulation to influence feeding behavior. It was for this reason the researchers offered hypothalamic deep-brain stimulation to an obese 50-year-old man who had either failed or refused all other interventions.
As a result of the procedure, the man experienced only moderate benefits in appetite suppression with no long-term weight loss, yet unexpectedly, there was significant improvment in the patient’s memory on verbal and spatial associative tests. Although only a single-patient case study, this outcome suggests a potential new application for deep-brain stimulation in patients with disorders such as early Alzheimer’s disease. Annals of Neurology, January 2008
The aging brain can suffer deficits in attention, remembering, and planning even in the absence of Alzheimers
Eating fish, fruits, vegetables, and fats rich in omega-3 fatty acids (such as walnut oil) may help prevent dementia
French scientists have identified three dietary staples of seniors who avoid dementia: Eating fish at least once a week, fruits and vegetables (raw or cooked) daily, and using fats such as walnut oil, soy oil, or colza oil (related to canola oil). These diets were associated with less mental decline in seniors.
Sources: from MedPage Today/Neurology, November 2007
Delirium in elderly is common yet often preventable
Delirium is a new onset of a state of confusion in which symptoms develop fairly suddenly and can vary widely from fluctuating inattention and drowsiness to agitation and hallucinations. Many people do not realize that in the elderly, delerium is often the first symptom in the onset of an acute illness, such as a urinary tract infection, pneumonia, or possibly an adverse reaction to a medication. Elderly who are frail, malnourished, dehydrated or have a severe visual or hearing impairment tend to be at higher risk for delerium. Those who already have an underlying chronic dementia, such as Alzheimers, are especially prone to developing symptoms of delerium at the onset of any new or worsening medical condition.
Delerium and dementia are distinctly very different. Usually dementia has an insidious onset of long duration. The person has a lucid awareness level with normal attention, although it is less in severe cases. There is usually an absence of hallucinations in chronic dementia. On the other hand, delirium starts suddenly and hallucinations are frequent. The person has a reduced ability to focus, sustain, or shift attention. The symptoms fluctuate during 24 hours and are frequently worse in the evening. Delirium is often reversible if the underlying cause is removed or treated.
The onset of delerium can be frightening to the family and frequently challenging to health care professionals. A recent clinical review in the Brittish Medical Journal highlighted the fact that delerium can be misdiagnosed and mistreated. Several studies have found that more than half of all cases of delirium in older patients go unrecognized, often due to the perplexing overlap of frank dementia and temporary confusion. This oversight of course can be disasterous for both the patient and the family.
Risk factors for delirium include age over 65 years, frailty, dementia, hospitalization for infection or dehydration, visual impairment, deafness, renal impairment, or malnutrition, according to the medical researchers. They also point out that “delirium can be triggered by seemingly innocuous medications” A number of medications can cause confusion in the elderly such as antihistamines, sleep medications, beta-blockers (for hypertension or heart disease), and H2 blockers (for stomach ulcer prevention).
Source: MedPage Today, April 2007
Curry appears promising for Alzheimer’s patients
Curcumin, a component of curry and turmeric, seems to help the immune system get rid of amyloid beta — the protein that builds up to form damaging plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Previous research has also linked curry consumption to reduced Alzheimer’s risk, including one study that found that only 1 percent of elderly Indians developed the disease — a quarter of the rate seen in the United States. Curcumin is already known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Furthermore, a recent six-month study, carried out by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, found that daily doses of curcumin were associated with a nearly 60 percent lower risk for colon polyps, a known precursor to colon cancer.
Sources: US Dept of Health & Human Services/Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease October 2006
A Fatty Acid Found in Fish Linked to Lower Dementia Risk
In a recent study of 899 men and women, those with higher plasma levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), had a 47% reduction in the risk of all-cause dementia and a 39% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s.
Plasma DHA must be obtained either by synthesis from dietary alpha-linolenic acid in the liver, or directly by consuming food rich in DHA, such as fatty fish or fish oil, or DHA supplements.
DHA is a fatty acid found in abundance in the brain, but has been shown to be decreased in the brain and plasma of patients with dementia.
Source: Archives of Neurology November 2006
A Mediterranean-style diet may help to fend off Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers have once again found evidence that people who followed a Mediterranean-style diet, light on red meat and rich in fruits, vegetables, and olive oil, had a decreased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Previous studies have found that this diet is also associated with lower risks for cardiovascular disease, several forms of cancer, and overall mortality. Furthermore, in another recent study, there was evidence that dietary supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the rate of cognitive decline in people with the mildest form of Alzheimer’s disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are a main component of the Mediterranean diet.
Sources: MedPage Today/Archives of Neurology October 2006
Long-term lead exposure causes mental impairment in adults
A recent study has found that lifetime exposure to lead can cause problems with learning, memory, and visual-motor tasks in older adults. The severe adverse health effects of exposure in children have long been known. This study suggests that cumulative exposure to lead among adults is also associated with declines in cognitive function. Most lead has been removed from common environmental sources, but exposure is still possible from sources such as paint in older houses. Shih RA et al. “Environmental lead exposure and cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults.” Neurology, September 2006
Cognitive decline linked to diets high in bad fats and dietary copper
In a recently published study of 3,718 participants, ages 65 and older, a diet high in saturated fats and trans fats along with a high intake of dietary copper was associated with an accelerated decline in thinking, learning, and memory. Study participants who consumed the most fats in conjunction with the most copper experienced the most cognitive decline which was equivalent to an age gain of 19 years. Copper intake by itself was not associated with mental decline however.
In this study, cognitive scores declined on average by 4.2 standardized units per year in all participants as they grew older. Archives of Neurology, August 2006
Trans-fats, partially hydrogenated fats, are found in deep-fried foods, bakery products, packaged snack food, margarines, and crackers. It has been well established that consumption of these foods significantly raises levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, reduces HDL (good) cholesterol, and increases triglyceride levels which increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).(1)
Saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit your saturated fat intake to 7–10 percent of total calories (or less) each day. Saturated fat is found mostly in foods from animals, such as beef, beef fat, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry fat, butter, cream, milk, cheeses and other dairy products made from whole milk. Saturated fats can also be found in some plants, such as in coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil (often called tropical oils), and cocoa butter.
Foods with the highest copper levels include organ meats, such as liver, and shellfish. Drinking water delivered through copper pipes may also add trace amounts of the metal. The recommended dietary allowance of copper for adults is 0.9 mg/d. The finding of accelerated cognitive decline among persons whose diets were high in copper and saturated and trans fats must be viewed with caution, the researchers warned however. In fact, previous supporting evidence on this topic is limited and further investigation is warranted.
A Tool to Calculate Dementia Risk
Swedish investigators have recently found a simple way, to calculate a middle-age person’s eventual dementia risk, on a scale of one to 15.
For people younger than 47, add 0 points to the risk score; for those 47 to 53, add three points; for those older than 53, add four points.
For people with more than 10 years of education add 0 points; for those with seven to nine years of education add 2 points; for 0 to six years of education, add three points.
For men add a point; for women add 0 points.
For a systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mm Hg, add two points to the score; for blood pressure less than 140 mm Hg, add 0 points.
For a body mass index of 30 mg/m2 or greater add two points to the score; for a body mass index less than 30 mg/m2, add 0 points. click here to calculate your BMI.
For a total serum cholesterol score 251 mg/dL or higher, add two points; for those having ever had less than 251 mg/dl, add 0 points.
For those who exercise for 30 minutes or longer at least twice a week, add 0 points; for those who are inactive add one point.
Results–People with scores of:
- 6-7 have a 1.9% risk of dementia in the next two decades.
- 8-9 have a 4.2% risk of dementia.
- 10-11 have a 7.4% risk of dementia.
- 12-15 have a 16.4% risk of dementia in the next 20 years.
This dementia risk tool is still under study and is being further refined by the researchers from the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders 10th meeting Abstract P1-218: “THE DEMENTIA RISK SCORE — A PRACTICAL TOOL TO PREDICT DEMENTIA RISK IN 20 YEARS AMONG MIDDLE AGED PERSONS” July 17, 2006
Ditropan XL linked with significant memory deterioration
Ditropan XL has been widely used in the treatment for symptoms of overactive bladder for many years. Urinary dysfunction such as urge urinary incontinence, urgency and frequency can be diminished by Ditropan. Recent data from a clinical study looking at the effects of two prescription medications used to treat overactive bladder showed that treatment with Enablex did not result in impaired memory function in healthy adults age 60 and older. In contrast, treatment with Ditropan XL®(i) (oxybutynin extended-release or ER) caused significant memory deterioration. Furthermore, the individuals receiving Ditropan XL failed to notice the change in their memory function. 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association.
May 2006
Can Diet Protect Memory?
In a study of 70 beagles, fed a diet rich in antioxidants over several years, the dogs were found to be able to perform tasks — and learn new tricks — far better than fellow canines fed a normal diet. Moreover, MRI scans later revealed structural changes in the brains of the dogs on the antioxidant diet, most notably a decrease in the buildup of amyloid plaque. The researchers concluded that these findings indicate the brain has a capacity to recover some age-related loss of cognitive function.
Source: National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health.
Your brain needs exercise too
According to a recent study, people who had more mentally stimulating jobs during their 30’s and 40’s were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s later in life. This study from Case Western Reserve and University Hospital of Cleveland, revealed findings consistent with earlier studies which found that people who were free of Alzheimer’s disease in later life were more likely to have engaged in mentally stimulating leisure activities when they were younger. These activities included playing chess, reading books, playing a musical instrument, or learning a foreign language. Other lifestyle factors influencing the risk of development of Alzheimer’s include diet and physical activity. It is important to note that there is a genetic influence in the development of the disease as well.
Source: Neurology/Case Western Reserve/Univ Hosp of Cleveland, August 2005
