Staying mentally engaged throughout life may lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in old age, according to a new analysis. The study found that people who pursue lifelong learning activities like reading and writing or learning a new language had a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. They also showed slower declines in memory and thinking skills as they aged.
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A new study led by researchers at Vanderbilt Health has identified medical conditions that often precede an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. The findings, published in the journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, could open opportunities to develop interventions that reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk.
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that develops over decades. Some health conditions in midlife, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and stroke, have been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life, but the list of medical conditions that predict Alzheimer’s disease development is limited.
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A new study published in PLOS Medicine found that increased pollution exposure may be a key driver for risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In a study that examined nearly 27.8 million US Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older over an 18 year time period, it was found that pollution exposure (measured by PM2.5) was associated with a significantly increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The research also found that pollution exposure is associated with an increased risk for the development of hypertension, depression and stroke, all of which are independent risk factors themselves for Alzheimer’s and dementia.
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“The brain damage from Alzheimer’s makes people prone to agitation regardless of how loving caregivers are,” said Stefanacci, who also specializes in older populations and Alzheimer’s.
According to information the Alliance of Aging Research sent to HuffPost, “agitation” in this sense can present itself in a variety of ways: pacing, trying to leave, angry outbursts, profanity, hitting, mood swings, throwing items and more. Caregivers may blame themselves, AAR continued, thinking it’s a result of their burnout, introducing a new routine or not being patient enough.
WashU Medicine researchers developed a model to estimate when Alzheimer’s disease symptoms will begin based on the accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain. These proteins build up predictably over time, like tree rings, providing scientists with a clock for Alzheimer’s symptoms.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a method to predict when someone is likely to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease using a single blood test.
In a new study published Feb. 19 in Nature Medicine, the researchers demonstrated that their models predicted the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms within a margin of three to four years. This could have implications both for clinical trials developing preventive Alzheimer’s treatments and for eventually identifying individuals likely to benefit from these treatments.