Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Group Health
The most common kind of chronically irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation, is associated with a greater risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. This discovery by scientists at Group Health Research Institute and their collaborators was published online in advance of print on August 1 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
"Both atrial fibrillation and dementia increase with age," said Sascha Dublin, MD, PhD, a Group Health Research Institute assistant investigator who led the research. "Before our prospective cohort study, we knew that atrial fibrillation can cause stroke, which can lead to dementia. Now we've learned that atrial fibrillation may increase dementia risk in other, more subtle ways as well."
The results of Dr. Dublin's study suggest a relationship between atrial fibrillation and dementia beyond the connection through stroke. The people in the study had a mean age of 74 years when the study began. None had dementia or a history of stroke. At the beginning of the study, 4.3 percent had atrial fibrillation, and an additional 12.2 percent developed it during the study. In the course of the study, 18.8 percent developed some type of dementia. People with atrial fibrillation were more likely to have other cardiovascular risk factors and disease than were those without the condition. So the researchers looked to see if atrial fibrillation increased dementia risk more than just through its association with other kinds of heart disease.
Participants were followed for an average of seven years. Over this time, those with atrial fibrillation had a 40 percent to 50 percent higher risk of developing dementia of any type, including probable Alzheimer's disease, compared to those without atrial fibrillation. This was true even for people who did not also have a stroke during the follow-up period.
The research was part of Adult Changes in Thought (ACT), an ongoing joint project of the Group Health and University of Washington studying risk factors for dementia in older adults. Started in 1994 ACT is led by Dr. Dublin's co-author Group Health Vice President for Research and Group Health Research Institute Executive Director Eric B. Larson, MD, MPH. ACT focuses on finding ways to delay or prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and declines in memory and thinking. It aims to deepen understanding of how the body-especially the brain-ages. ACT participants are members of Group Health Cooperative, a nonprofit health care system in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Four factors increase brain shrinkage
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Time
The study included 1,352 adults who had an average age of 54 and did not have dementia at the start of the study. All were participants of the Framingham Offspring Cohort Study (the children of the participants of the original Framingham Heart Study).
To start, researchers administered a battery of tests, including measures for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Starting seven years later, they measured the participants' brain size using MRI scans and also gave participants cognitive tests to gauge executive function, planning and organizational skills.
The researchers found that all four risk factors were associated with faster declines in brain size: people with high blood pressure in midlife more quickly developed a condition called white matter change, in which areas of blood vessels in the brain are damaged, compared with those who had normal blood pressure.
People with diabetes had faster shrinkage in a brain region called the hippocampus, which is involved with memory. Smokers had more rapid overall brain shrinkage than nonsmokers, and also showed faster white matter changes.
On cognitive tests, these participants showed declines in executive function, or the ability to make decisions, plan, organize, and pay attention to and remember details. People who were overweight or obese in middle age, for example, were more likely to be among the top quartile of those with the fastest rates of decrease in brain volume and the most rapid declines in executive function.
"We can't cure disease or cure aging, but the idea of a healthy body, healthy mind is very real," said Dr. Charles DeCarli, director of U.C. Davis' Alzheimer's Disease Center and a lead author of the study, in a statement. "People should stop smoking, control their blood pressure, avoid diabetes and lose weight."
The findings are in line with previous research showing that damage to the cardiovascular system is associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia. Controllable lifestyle factors like smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes all increase the chances of cardiovascular-system damage. This is among the first studies, however, to link these risk factors with reductions in brain size.
Based on their findings, the authors think brain shrinkage and reduced cognitive function may be more widespread than we know: while only 5% of the study participants had diabetes, for example, nearly 50% of all Hispanics in the U.S. who are over the age of 65 have the disease.
The study was published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Read more about shrinking brain
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Time
The study included 1,352 adults who had an average age of 54 and did not have dementia at the start of the study. All were participants of the Framingham Offspring Cohort Study (the children of the participants of the original Framingham Heart Study).
To start, researchers administered a battery of tests, including measures for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Starting seven years later, they measured the participants' brain size using MRI scans and also gave participants cognitive tests to gauge executive function, planning and organizational skills.
The researchers found that all four risk factors were associated with faster declines in brain size: people with high blood pressure in midlife more quickly developed a condition called white matter change, in which areas of blood vessels in the brain are damaged, compared with those who had normal blood pressure.
People with diabetes had faster shrinkage in a brain region called the hippocampus, which is involved with memory. Smokers had more rapid overall brain shrinkage than nonsmokers, and also showed faster white matter changes.
On cognitive tests, these participants showed declines in executive function, or the ability to make decisions, plan, organize, and pay attention to and remember details. People who were overweight or obese in middle age, for example, were more likely to be among the top quartile of those with the fastest rates of decrease in brain volume and the most rapid declines in executive function.
"We can't cure disease or cure aging, but the idea of a healthy body, healthy mind is very real," said Dr. Charles DeCarli, director of U.C. Davis' Alzheimer's Disease Center and a lead author of the study, in a statement. "People should stop smoking, control their blood pressure, avoid diabetes and lose weight."
The findings are in line with previous research showing that damage to the cardiovascular system is associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia. Controllable lifestyle factors like smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes all increase the chances of cardiovascular-system damage. This is among the first studies, however, to link these risk factors with reductions in brain size.
Based on their findings, the authors think brain shrinkage and reduced cognitive function may be more widespread than we know: while only 5% of the study participants had diabetes, for example, nearly 50% of all Hispanics in the U.S. who are over the age of 65 have the disease.
The study was published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Read more about shrinking brain
Friday, August 26, 2011
Proven to help memory
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Quincy Bioscience
Key research findings:
•The double blind, placebo-controlled study of 218 adults demonstrated apoaequorin was able to significantly improve executive function, word recall, and short-term memory compared to placebo over 90 days.
•The apoaequorin arm was able to reduce the total number of errors in a measure of cognitive function by 19 percent compared to baseline and significantly fewer errors than placebo.
• In a task requiring participants to learn a grocery shopping list, the apoaequorin group was able to recall significantly more items at Day 90 compared to baseline.
Quincy Bioscience is advancing Alzheimer’s research by utilizing a calcium-binding protein called apoaequorin which neutralizes excessive levels of calcium in the neurons that would otherwise destroy the cell.
“The Alzheimer’s research community has known for some time that unregulated calcium is a culprit.” explains Underwood. “There just haven’t been any solutions to address this cause. Our research is one very promising step which demonstrates that we can help people with memory concerns. Our next step is a larger scale study specifically targeting the Alzheimer’s population. We are very hopeful based on these results.”
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Quincy Bioscience
Key research findings:
•The double blind, placebo-controlled study of 218 adults demonstrated apoaequorin was able to significantly improve executive function, word recall, and short-term memory compared to placebo over 90 days.
•The apoaequorin arm was able to reduce the total number of errors in a measure of cognitive function by 19 percent compared to baseline and significantly fewer errors than placebo.
• In a task requiring participants to learn a grocery shopping list, the apoaequorin group was able to recall significantly more items at Day 90 compared to baseline.
Quincy Bioscience is advancing Alzheimer’s research by utilizing a calcium-binding protein called apoaequorin which neutralizes excessive levels of calcium in the neurons that would otherwise destroy the cell.
“The Alzheimer’s research community has known for some time that unregulated calcium is a culprit.” explains Underwood. “There just haven’t been any solutions to address this cause. Our research is one very promising step which demonstrates that we can help people with memory concerns. Our next step is a larger scale study specifically targeting the Alzheimer’s population. We are very hopeful based on these results.”
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
More dementia preventing foods
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
By: Celeste Perron
Some "superfood" fruits and vegetables get all the fanfare. You know the ones: Those richly-colored berries and beets, the Brussels sprouts and broccoli you avoided for the first twenty years of your life, only to shovel them in now.
But then there are the humble wallflowers of the salad bar, the varieties of produce that don't usually get much attention—iceberg lettuce, celery, cucumbers and the like. We tend to think of this stuff as not terribly impressive . . good low-calorie stomach fillers with a little fiber, but certainly not as disease-preventing powerhouses.
Well at least one of these veggies has recently seen its stock rise: Celery. Celery contains a compound called Luteolin that may prevent inflammation in the brain, and related conditions such as dementia and other types of memory impairment.
Research published last fall in the Journal of Nutrition found that aged mice fed a luteolin-heavy diet improved on tests of learning and memory, and had less of a certain type of inflammation in their brains. They also did experiments at the cellular level which showed that luteolin can prevent inflammatory processes in the brain from damaging neurons.
Although similar studies of luteolin have yet to be done on humans, the researchers concluded that eating luteolin-containing foods can have a beneficial effect on the aging brain, and possibly prevent aging-related mental decline.
Aside from celery, luteolin can be found in carrots, peppers, olive oil, peppermint, rosemary and chamomile. Isn't it nice to hear that such simple, inexpensive foods might prevent a disease as serious as dementia? Too often when I write about disease-fighting compounds they're found in exotic ingredients or can only be easily accessed in expensive supplements (see 4 Supplements to Stop Heart Disease, 2 Anti-Aging "Miracle" Pills)
So I'm going to start looking at celery, and those other luteolin-packed foods, as something more than salad filler.
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
By: Celeste Perron
Some "superfood" fruits and vegetables get all the fanfare. You know the ones: Those richly-colored berries and beets, the Brussels sprouts and broccoli you avoided for the first twenty years of your life, only to shovel them in now.
But then there are the humble wallflowers of the salad bar, the varieties of produce that don't usually get much attention—iceberg lettuce, celery, cucumbers and the like. We tend to think of this stuff as not terribly impressive . . good low-calorie stomach fillers with a little fiber, but certainly not as disease-preventing powerhouses.
Well at least one of these veggies has recently seen its stock rise: Celery. Celery contains a compound called Luteolin that may prevent inflammation in the brain, and related conditions such as dementia and other types of memory impairment.
Research published last fall in the Journal of Nutrition found that aged mice fed a luteolin-heavy diet improved on tests of learning and memory, and had less of a certain type of inflammation in their brains. They also did experiments at the cellular level which showed that luteolin can prevent inflammatory processes in the brain from damaging neurons.
Although similar studies of luteolin have yet to be done on humans, the researchers concluded that eating luteolin-containing foods can have a beneficial effect on the aging brain, and possibly prevent aging-related mental decline.
Aside from celery, luteolin can be found in carrots, peppers, olive oil, peppermint, rosemary and chamomile. Isn't it nice to hear that such simple, inexpensive foods might prevent a disease as serious as dementia? Too often when I write about disease-fighting compounds they're found in exotic ingredients or can only be easily accessed in expensive supplements (see 4 Supplements to Stop Heart Disease, 2 Anti-Aging "Miracle" Pills)
So I'm going to start looking at celery, and those other luteolin-packed foods, as something more than salad filler.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Two supplements that may raise dementia risk
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
health.lifegoesstrong.com
The brains of people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and similar neurodegenerative diseases are often found to contain high levels of iron and copper, and new research suggests a possible explanation.
According to scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, copper and iron cause cells to generate reactive oxygen molecules, which damage brain DNA, and also inhibit the brain's natural DNA repair mechanisms. Of course, our bodies need some amount of iron and copper to function, but it appears that having too much of these minerals circulating in the blood can be a problem.
These aren't the first researchers to raise alarms about copper and iron. Last year an article in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology suggested that people over 50 take steps to limit their exposure to copper and iron. The author of the article, Dr. George J. Brewer, a University of Michigan Medical School researcher, said at the time:
Both copper and iron toxicity are likely contributing to Alzheimer's disease. There is a major epidemic of Alzheimer's disease in the industrialized world (but) . . . it is still rare in India and Africa. There is something about industrialization that has brought this disease on in the developed world in epidemic proportions . . I think it may be due, in part, to increased meat ingestion because of the increased bioavailability of copper and iron from meat, but may also be due in part to the increased use of copper pipes for plumbing in developed countries, and the increased ingestion of copper supplements."
5 Ways to Protect Yourself
Dr. Brewer laid out some simple steps that mid-lifers can take to lower the risks of excess iron and copper (though he emphasized that these are not medical recommendations, and that you should consult your doctor):
1.Throw away supplements containing iron and copper
2.Lower your meat intake
3.Avoid drinking water with elevated levels of copper
4.Take zinc supplements to lower copper levels
5.Donate blood periodically to lower iron levels
The Supplement We Should Take
Another thing that might protect your brain from the possibly damaging effects of copper and iron: Curcumin, the main ingredient in the bright yellow spice tumeric. The University of Texas researchers found that when they exposed copper and iron to curcumin in the lab the spice binded with the metals in a way that stopped them from interfering with DNA repair.
Unless you eat curries every night, it might be a good idea to take a curcumin supplement. When I interviewed Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum on the subject late last year, he said that it's hard for our bodies to absorb curry powder, and recommended the supplements Curamed and Curamin. And the mysterious "miracle" pill Protandim contains it as well.
I don't take a curcumin supplement, but am always planning to start—because the spice has also been linked to reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and chronic pain. What's been holding me back is the price, since these supplements ain't cheap. But now that Alzheimer's and Parkinson's have been added to the list of things that curcumin might prevent, that price tag might start to look like a bargain!
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
health.lifegoesstrong.com
The brains of people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and similar neurodegenerative diseases are often found to contain high levels of iron and copper, and new research suggests a possible explanation.
According to scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, copper and iron cause cells to generate reactive oxygen molecules, which damage brain DNA, and also inhibit the brain's natural DNA repair mechanisms. Of course, our bodies need some amount of iron and copper to function, but it appears that having too much of these minerals circulating in the blood can be a problem.
These aren't the first researchers to raise alarms about copper and iron. Last year an article in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology suggested that people over 50 take steps to limit their exposure to copper and iron. The author of the article, Dr. George J. Brewer, a University of Michigan Medical School researcher, said at the time:
Both copper and iron toxicity are likely contributing to Alzheimer's disease. There is a major epidemic of Alzheimer's disease in the industrialized world (but) . . . it is still rare in India and Africa. There is something about industrialization that has brought this disease on in the developed world in epidemic proportions . . I think it may be due, in part, to increased meat ingestion because of the increased bioavailability of copper and iron from meat, but may also be due in part to the increased use of copper pipes for plumbing in developed countries, and the increased ingestion of copper supplements."
5 Ways to Protect Yourself
Dr. Brewer laid out some simple steps that mid-lifers can take to lower the risks of excess iron and copper (though he emphasized that these are not medical recommendations, and that you should consult your doctor):
1.Throw away supplements containing iron and copper
2.Lower your meat intake
3.Avoid drinking water with elevated levels of copper
4.Take zinc supplements to lower copper levels
5.Donate blood periodically to lower iron levels
The Supplement We Should Take
Another thing that might protect your brain from the possibly damaging effects of copper and iron: Curcumin, the main ingredient in the bright yellow spice tumeric. The University of Texas researchers found that when they exposed copper and iron to curcumin in the lab the spice binded with the metals in a way that stopped them from interfering with DNA repair.
Unless you eat curries every night, it might be a good idea to take a curcumin supplement. When I interviewed Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum on the subject late last year, he said that it's hard for our bodies to absorb curry powder, and recommended the supplements Curamed and Curamin. And the mysterious "miracle" pill Protandim contains it as well.
I don't take a curcumin supplement, but am always planning to start—because the spice has also been linked to reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and chronic pain. What's been holding me back is the price, since these supplements ain't cheap. But now that Alzheimer's and Parkinson's have been added to the list of things that curcumin might prevent, that price tag might start to look like a bargain!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Study: Lifelong stress increases risk of Alzheimer's disease
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Nutrition.diet News
LOGAN, UTAH, July 29, 2011 /NewsRelease/ - Chronic psychological stress throughout a lifespan might increase an individual’s risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia later in life, according to research from the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University.
■Chronic Stress Produces Chemicals That Over Time Can Increase Rate of Neuronal Cell Death
■Stress Management Interventions Could Reduce Risk for Alzheimer’s
■Study Used Objective Data From a Recently Completed 15-Year Alzheimer’s Study
The research, led by Maria Norton, Ph.D., built off the recently completed 15-year Cache County Memory Study (CCMS) and used that data to focus on the role psychological stress has on dementia. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that chronic stress can expose an individual to long-term levels of stress-related hormones, which results in chronically high levels of glucocorticoids, a natural chemical, shown in both animal and human studies to increase the rate of neuronal cell death with long-term exposure.
“Using this objective data, such as death records, medical information, and the cognitive evaluations from the CCMS, we were able to see that people who experienced particularly stressful life events, such as a parent’s death during one’s childhood, death of a child or spouse, or living with a spouse who is afflicted with dementia is associated with significantly higher rates of dementia later in life,” Norton said.
Norton also found that there were some factors that were associated with lower rates of depression and stress, such as individuals who had high levels of religious involvement, thus indicating that the ability to cope with psychological adversity might reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.
“There are certainly some individuals who seem to weather stress and trials better than others, and as such they don’t tend to develop depression or face the long-term chronic exposure to the stress-related hormones that are linked to dementia,” added Norton. “This indicates that there may be preventative measures that can be taken to prevent or delay dementia. This study has helped us determine how to identify the more vulnerable subgroups of people who might benefit from stress management or other preventive interventions.”
Norton is an associate professor at Utah State University’s Department of Family, Consumer and Human Development. The Emma Eccles Jones College of Education is currently ranked fifth in the nation in terms of external funding for research.
The “Lifespan Stressors and Alzheimer’s Disease” study was funded by the National Institute on Aging. Findings from this study have been published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the Journals of Gerontology, and Age and Aging.
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
Nutrition.diet News
LOGAN, UTAH, July 29, 2011 /NewsRelease/ - Chronic psychological stress throughout a lifespan might increase an individual’s risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia later in life, according to research from the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University.
■Chronic Stress Produces Chemicals That Over Time Can Increase Rate of Neuronal Cell Death
■Stress Management Interventions Could Reduce Risk for Alzheimer’s
■Study Used Objective Data From a Recently Completed 15-Year Alzheimer’s Study
The research, led by Maria Norton, Ph.D., built off the recently completed 15-year Cache County Memory Study (CCMS) and used that data to focus on the role psychological stress has on dementia. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that chronic stress can expose an individual to long-term levels of stress-related hormones, which results in chronically high levels of glucocorticoids, a natural chemical, shown in both animal and human studies to increase the rate of neuronal cell death with long-term exposure.
“Using this objective data, such as death records, medical information, and the cognitive evaluations from the CCMS, we were able to see that people who experienced particularly stressful life events, such as a parent’s death during one’s childhood, death of a child or spouse, or living with a spouse who is afflicted with dementia is associated with significantly higher rates of dementia later in life,” Norton said.
Norton also found that there were some factors that were associated with lower rates of depression and stress, such as individuals who had high levels of religious involvement, thus indicating that the ability to cope with psychological adversity might reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.
“There are certainly some individuals who seem to weather stress and trials better than others, and as such they don’t tend to develop depression or face the long-term chronic exposure to the stress-related hormones that are linked to dementia,” added Norton. “This indicates that there may be preventative measures that can be taken to prevent or delay dementia. This study has helped us determine how to identify the more vulnerable subgroups of people who might benefit from stress management or other preventive interventions.”
Norton is an associate professor at Utah State University’s Department of Family, Consumer and Human Development. The Emma Eccles Jones College of Education is currently ranked fifth in the nation in terms of external funding for research.
The “Lifespan Stressors and Alzheimer’s Disease” study was funded by the National Institute on Aging. Findings from this study have been published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the Journals of Gerontology, and Age and Aging.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Study: Hospice helps those with dementia
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
OzarksFirst.com
(Providence, RI) -- A newly-released survey indicates hospice care is significantly improving life for patients with dementia and their families.
Brown University gerontologist Dr. Joan Teno says people responding to the survey noted enhanced care and a perception that the quality of dying was also improved.
The report notes family members were 51-percent less likely to report unmet needs and concerns with the care received.
They also note the peacefulness and quality of dying was more positive than families whose loved ones did not receive hospice care.
The study appears in the "Journal of the American Geriatrics Society."
Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
OzarksFirst.com
(Providence, RI) -- A newly-released survey indicates hospice care is significantly improving life for patients with dementia and their families.
Brown University gerontologist Dr. Joan Teno says people responding to the survey noted enhanced care and a perception that the quality of dying was also improved.
The report notes family members were 51-percent less likely to report unmet needs and concerns with the care received.
They also note the peacefulness and quality of dying was more positive than families whose loved ones did not receive hospice care.
The study appears in the "Journal of the American Geriatrics Society."
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