We all know that “fat” is not good for us, even “good fats” in excess can cause health issues, but did you know that it may also reduce brain volume? Yikes! In a study of healthy, middle-aged adults, greater visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat predicted brain atrophy especially in women. Hmmm, that just doesn’t seem fair especially for post-menopausal women, …
For all of us who comment on the amount of time our children/grandchildren spend on their tablets and/or iPads, listen up! According to a recent study, spending 1-2 hours a day online reduces the risk of dementia and may actually be good for brain health! Sure, I personally believe our young people need to decrease the amount of time that …
Every one of us remembers where we were when the World Trade Center was struck by not one, but two commercial airline planes on 9-11. As a popular country singer put it, “the world stopped turning,” everyone was in a state of shock and disbelief. Everyone but the first responders that is. These brave men and women never hesitated, they …
You are going to love this blog, I promise! I found a study that says, “greater physical activity was NOT associated with memory reserve for men or women.” I knew if I looked long enough, I would find someone to join my crusade of couch potato-ism! But hold on, not so fast, as always, there is a caveat! What the …
Have you ever tried to open a jar without success? You know what I’m talking about, that huge jar of pickles, you grab it, twist it, bang it on the counter, and still, the lid doesn’t budget. Of course, enter superman who takes the jar and twists the lid off with no effort at all (I always say I loosened …
As providers, you know the challenges of caring for residents living with memory loss, whether it is a blanket diagnosis of “dementia” or a specific diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, it is devastating for both the resident and the family. Watching loved ones decline to the point of not recognizing their own children can cause frustration and such a huge sense …
Everyone is still reeling from the impact loss of companionship has had on our seniors, up to and including death. I read an interesting article in JAMA Neurology where the researchers evaluated the impact on COVID-19 on residents living with dementia, focused primarily on nursing home settings. The question was “is the COVID-19 pandemic associated with changes in mortality among …
Okay already, we have all been bombarded with research on how loneliness impacts overall health. We have all lived through “lockdowns” in our centers where we watched our residents on a slippery slope of decline, obviously related to being separated from their families. Isn’t what we have learned and lived been enough? Nope, another research study published in Neurology is …
You know the old adage, an active body stays active? Well, what about an active mind? Will doing crossword puzzles, playing solitaire, being socially engaged, reading the newspaper, and engaging in activities that require you to “think” keep your mind healthy? According to some researchers, yes! They found that a cognitively active lifestyle in older age may delay the onset …
An estimated 47 million people worldwide were living with dementia in 2015, while in the United States, around 5.7 million people have Alzheimer’s dementia. Modifiable risk factors, including hypertension, hearing loss, depression, diabetes, and smoking, account for around 35% of dementia cases. Anticholinergic drugs are another potentially modifiable risk factor. This broad group of drugs acts by blocking the neurotransmitter …
