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Risk Factors

Primary care providers should screen seniors for decline in memory and thinking skills

The Alzheimer’s Association’s latest Facts and Figures report found most seniors are not evaluated for memory and thinking problems by their primary care providers. Learn more about the role these doctors can play in the early identification of cognitive decline and the importance of talking with your doctor if you have concerns.

So Far, Just One Thing Has 'Experimental Support' In Staving Off Alzheimer's

“I tell people to go to the gym three to four times a week if they want to prevent Alzheimer’s.” And that along with a healthy diet may well be all we have for now in the wake of so many failed attempts at treating or curing the disease. Still, scientists like Dr. R. Scott Turner, who directs the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, are far from giving up the fight.

Stay Physically Active

Physical activity is a valuable part of any overall body wellness plan and is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline. If it’s safe for you, engage in cardiovascular exercise to elevate your heart rate. This will increase the blood flow to your brain and body, providing additional nourishment while reducing potential dementia risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.

Physical activity and motor ability associated with better cognition in older adults, even with dementia

Encouraging evidence indicates that being more physically active is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a slower rate of cognitive decline in older adults. But it remains unclear exactly how physical activity lowers this risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Keeping your blood pressure low could reduce your risk of memory issues

Scientific evidence suggests keeping your top blood pressure number at 130 or below can reduce your risk for memory and thinking problems. Learn more about this study and how you can maintain healthy blood pressure.

ALZHEIMER’S RISK TIED TO UNCLES, AUNTS, AND GREAT-GRANDPARENTS WITH THE DISEASE

Having cousins and great-grandparents with Alzheimer’s has been linked to a higher risk of developing the disease, according to a study. Scientists looked at the data on over 278,818 people included in the Utah Population Database, stretching back to the 1880s, for their work published in the journal Neurology. The participants were connected to the state's pioneers by at least three generations.

Alzheimer’s disease continues to be a growing problem

Statistics by themselves can sometimes be confusing or open to misinterpretation, so LifeTimes talked to an expert on Alzheimer’s disease about the latest numbers from the Alzheimer’s Association. We asked Dr. Amanda Smith, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences and director of clinical research at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute in Tampa, to put the 2019 statistics into perspective. We also asked her what more positive news there might be in the near future.

Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) are conditions arising from stroke and other vascular brain injuries that cause significant changes to memory, thinking, and behavior. Cognition and brain function can be significantly affected by the size, location, and number of brain injuries. 

Sleep Loss Encourages Spread of Toxic Alzheimer’s Protein

In addition to memory loss and confusion, many people with Alzheimer’s disease have trouble sleeping. Now an NIH-funded team of researchers has evidence that the reverse is also true: a chronic lack of sleep may worsen the disease and its associated memory loss.

Women’s Brains Appear Younger Than Men’s. So Why Are They More At Risk for Alzheimer’s?

We know there are differences in men and women’s brains that can translate to varied reactions to environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors. But a new study has found that women’s brains appear to be several years younger than the brains of men who were the same age.