Lifestyle

If ever there was a time to up your fitness game, the arrival of the new year and the new decade is it. But after the allure of the new gym membership wears off, our sedentary habits, more often than not, consume our promise of daily workouts. It doesn't have to be this way, says health psychologist and author, Kelly McGonigal.

Frequent social contact—regularly seeing friends and family—during midlife was associated with a lower likelihood of dementia diagnosis in later life, according to a recent study in PLOS Medicine. Being socially engaged may require greater activity in areas of the brain that contribute to language and memory, which in turn may account for better cognitive health, the authors noted.

The exact causes behind dementia are varied and at times unclear. We know that genetic factors — like carrying the APOE4 gene — can have an impact on a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s, as can lifestyle or environmental factors like diet, exercise and exposure to air pollution. And a new study adds to the growing evidence that weight and obesity may also contribute to a person’s dementia risk.

Blood pressure may be an even more important biomarker in understanding why some people develop Alzheimer’s. In a new study, researchers report that people who experienced long-term and substantial changes in blood pressure were at greater risk of developing dementia.

Holidays can be meaningful, enriching times for both the person with Alzheimer’s disease and his or her family. Maintaining or adapting family rituals and traditions helps all family members feel a sense of belonging and family identity. For a person with Alzheimer’s, this link with a familiar past is reassuring.