Treatment
A microsurgical procedure commonly used to treat lymphedema (a buildup of lymphatic fluid) may one day help Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, according to a March 2026 review. Lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA), a surgical technique that connects lymphatic vessels and veins to redirect excess lymphatic fluid out of affected
Causes
Many can be modified to reduce risk.
By Paula Span Kelly Haggett figures that a mandatory surcharge added to Washington state’s payroll tax cost her about $500 last year. But she doesn’t really mind. “On a scale of 1 to 10 of my annoyance with taxes in general, this one is about a 2,” she
Causes
By Dr. Lynn Webster, PNN Columnist In 2017, JAMA Internal Medicine published a study that found older people with chronic pain experience faster declines in memory and are more likely to develop dementia. While prior research had shown a link between chronic pain and brain damage, this was one of
Prevention
Maintaining a healthy body weight may help reduce the risk of vascular dementia, according to a new study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Researchers found that a higher body mass index (BMI) appears to play a direct role in causing vascular dementia, with high blood pressure accounting
Prevention
People with higher blood levels of vitamin D during midlife were less likely to develop one of the brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease years later, according to a new study published in Neurology Open Access. Researchers found that adults who had higher vitamin D levels around age
Prevention
Having a stroke is a strong risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. Having cardiovascular disease before suffering a stroke increases cognitive decline and likelihood of dementia after, according to a new study. Researchers found that stroke survivors with the highest pre-stroke cardiovascular risk had more than twice the
Reporting on dementia, Alzheimer's, and related conditions.
By Pat Anson As cannabis use grows among older adults, researchers are beginning to focus on the effects – good and bad — on aging brains. A recent study found that 18.5% of Americans adults aged 50 to 64, and 5.9% of adults over the age of 65 reported using
Causing faster cognitive decline in older adults.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and fish oil supplements was thought to protect against Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. A new clinical trial suggests that high dose supplements of omega 3 do not. Even though the DHA successfully penetrated the
A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine adds to growing evidence that shingles vaccination may reduce the risk of dementia in older adults.Researchers found that people who received a single dose of the shingles vaccine were less likely to develop dementia than those who were not
Obstacles to Dementia Screening Although a cognitive assessment is covered under Medicare’s annual physical, fewer than one-third of Medicare beneficiaries receive one. Another study from 2020 found that primary care physicians do only a brief screening for possible dementia in about half of patients aged sixty-five and
What one remarkable case can tell us
Researchers believe glucosamine builds sugar residue on protein cells in the brain.
People who develop infections severe enough to require hospitalization face a higher risk of developing dementia later in life, according to a new Finnish study. The research, published in PLOS Medicine, analyzed health records from more than 375,000 older adults. Certain severe infections remained associated with dementia even after
New Research Suggests It Might
Statins lower the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Vascular Dementia.
Caffeinated coffee and tea help prevent dementia
Could precision manipulation of genes be the future?