Some joke that they have a “keg” instead of a “six-pack” for a stomach. A new study shows that having a beer belly in middle age may be more risky than you would think. The study, by the Boston University School of Medicine, measured the association between body mass index (BMI), obesity and changes in brain volume. The study found that those with high BMI and waist circumference had higher rates of stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and most notably a decreased brain volume. Many believe the smaller brain size could be associated with dementia risk.
Abdominal fat is a hidden type of fat and therefore recognized as the most dangerous. It is risky because excess fat is packed around the organs which can impact the heart, blood pressure and blood sugar. Additionally, other research has already linked obesity to vascular disease which is a contributing factor of dementia. Dr. Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer’s Society said, “We have all heart a beer belly can be bad for our heart but this study suggests excess abdominal weight could also increase your risk of getting dementia.” This new research gives validity to the saying, “what’s bad for the heart is bad for the brain” and obesity is undoubtedly rough on the heart.
Some believe that the dangerous effects of abdominal obesity could be the first sign of dementia before symptoms appear.
To read more about this study, see links below:
Middle age spread linked to dementia. The Daily Telelgraph, May 24 2010
Beer belly’ linked to Alzheimer’s disease. BBC News, May 20 2010
Why pot bellies are linked to Alzheimer’s and dementia. Daily Mail, May 19 2010
Debette S, Beiser A, Hoffmann U et al. Visceral fat is associated with lower brain volume in healthy middle-aged adults. Annals of Neurology [Early View] Published Online: 20 May 2010
Posted in Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Research, Dementia, Healthy Living, Quality of Life, Scientific Research, Uncategorized.
Tagged with Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's Prevention, Alzheimer's Research, alzheimer's risks, beer belly, Boston University School of Medicine, obesity, weight and dementia.
By Silverado
– May 25, 2010
Heart surgery can be invasive and risky but new research presented at the National Heart Rhythm Society Sessions shows a new ablation treatment can eliminate the serious risks with atrial fibrillation (A-fib).
A-fib is one of the most common heart rhythm disorders and impacts over two million Americans. During A-fib the heart’s two small upper chambers do not beat effectively and tremble. This means blood isn’t pumped completely out of them which may result in pooling and clots. If a clot in the atria leaves the heart it could result in a stroke. Three to five percent of people over the age of 65 have A-fib.
In the two new studies by the Intermountain Medical Center, patients with A-fib were treated with catheter ablation. The results showed this new remote treatment significantly reduced patient’s risk of stroke, mortality, Alzheimer’s disease and the other forms of dementia. The following video shows in detail how the surgery works:
Link to Video clip from ABC News
Article also seen on Alzheimer’s Weekly
Posted in Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Research, Dementia, Scientific Research.
Tagged with ABC N, ABC News, Alzheimer's study, Alzheimer's Weekly, arterial fibrillation, Dementia, heart surgery, stroke.
By Silverado
– May 19, 2010
Adding insult to injury, a new study shows spousal caregivers have a higher risk of developing dementia themselves. While Caregiving can be a physically, emotionally and mentally exhausting task that can take serious tolls on your health, few suspected developing the disease would be a risk factor.
A team of researchers, let by Dr. Maria Norton of Utah State University, studied 1,221 married couples ages 65 and older for up to 12 years. At the beginning of the research none were diagnosed with dementia, but by the end of the study there were 125 cases of dementia and 30 cases in which both spouses eventually developed dementia. Time Magazine reported:
“The researchers found that, in addition to advanced age, having a spouse with dementia was significantly correlated with individuals’ increased risk for developing the disease themselves. What’s more, men whose wives were suffering from dementia were at an increased risk for a dementia diagnosis themselves, compared with women whose husbands had been diagnosed with the condition.”
While it is no surprise that watching a loved one deteriorate from a devastating illness like dementia is painful and creates anxiety, the risks to spouses is surprising. Researchers believe that these results emphasize the importance of further research to explore the impact of stress, specifically on caregivers.
This new discovery, which is startling, leads some to believe that gauging the long-term effects on even professional caregivers is not out of the question. The major difference between a spouse and a professional caregiver is their training and a less significant emotional attachment to the patient.
Hiring a professional nurse or caregiver should be a priority if possible. A resource like a Geriatric Care Manager, even to consult with over the phone, can help you understand what you can expect. Having an action plan could alleviate some of the stress. Additionally, if hiring someone is out of the question, delegating responsibility to different family members and friends is a good idea. No one should have to take on the burden of caregiving alone.
Resources:
Silverado Senior Living now has 24/7 Live Chat and hotline available for you. Helping the memory impaired for over 13 years we have accumulated a great deal of knowledge and are experts in our field. A chat or hotline member can put you in touch with a Geriatric Care Manager or help you consider your options of care.
To chat with someone online today visit www.silveradosenior.com and click the button in the top right hand corner and a chat associate will be happy to help you.
Or call our hotline at 866-522-8125
Posted in Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Research, Caregiving, Dementia, Quality of Life.
Tagged with Aging, Alzheimer's, alzheimer's re, Alzheimer's Research, brain, Dementia, demetia care, Geriatric Care Manager, married, memory, memory care, Mental health, mind, Silverado Senior Living, spouses.
By Silverado
– May 15, 2010
Helpful information at Alzheimer’s Weekly breaks down the top 10 types of dementia:
What Is Dementia?
Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. People with dementia have significantly impaired intellectual functioning that interferes with normal activities and relationships. They also lose their ability to solve problems and maintain emotional control, and they may experience personality changes and behavioral problems such as agitation, delusions, and hallucinations. While memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, memory loss by itself does not mean that a person has dementia. Doctors diagnose dementia only if two or more brain functions – such as memory, language skills, perception, or cognitive skills including reasoning and judgment – are significantly impaired without loss of consciousness.
Link to top 10 types of Dementia
For your memory care resource visit Silverado Senior Living
Posted in Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Research, Dementia, Scientific Research.
Tagged with Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Weekly, Dementia, dementia facts, dementia information, Memory impairment, Types of dementia.
By Silverado
– May 11, 2010
Recently an independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) determined that “the value of the strategies for delaying the onset and/or reducing the severity of decline or disease [with Alzheimer’s] hasn’t been demonstrated in rigorous studies.” Dr. Martha L Daviglus, conference panel chair and professor of preventative medicine at Northwestern University, Chicago said, “Alzheimer’s disease is a feared and heart-breaking disease. We wish we could tell people that taking a pill or doing a puzzle every day would prevent this terrible disease, but current evidence doesn’t support this.”
These findings whipped up passions in the past week with many coming to the defense of these studies. While the panel seemed to have concluded that there is currently “no evidence of even moderate scientific quality supporting the association of any modifiable factor with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline” it is peculiar that the report is also full of good analytical advice which identifies things that lower a person’s risk. Another questionable fact was that the NIH offered a free booklet recommending ways to prevent Alzheimer’s. Confused yet?
As it turns out the panel merely concluded that “the primary limitation with most of the [prevention] studies is the distinction between association and causality.” Translation: current and past studies only provide strong associations rather than hard solid facts. However, when the NIH panel was in front of the press they threw the “proverbial baby out with the bath water,” which is why so many headlines read something along the lines of “Nothing Prevents Alzheimer’s” For many this was devastating and disappointing news.
The truth of the matter is that extensive research over the past 20 years has provided more important insights on the nature of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline and the magnitude of the problem than ever before. There have been many studies with positive out comes, even if only by a small margin. If someone can ease the symptoms of this disease, even a little, by changing their diet, exercising or doing a puzzle, isn’t that worth promoting?
If the NIH panel agrees or not, Silverado knows, from their 13 years of experience aiding the memory impaired, that symptoms CAN be improved through innovative methods.
We have seen and accomplished what some said was impossible by assisting over 3000 people regain the ability to walk and over 2000 people the ability to feed themselves again. Whether its our use of pets for therapy, our horticulture or art programs, our open door policies or just the way we care for our residents, Silverado has seen what a difference things like diet, exercise and social interaction can have on people with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Science is there to help guide, warn and teach us about the many factors and dangers in life. Their research brings validity to what many caregivers and associates at Silverado have already experienced and know to be true. So before you decide to quit the diet, stop trying crossword puzzles or decide talking a walk isn’t going help you avoid disease, remember that hope is a powerful medicine.
Click here to view the complete study
To Read Alzheimer’s Weekly Opinion
Posted in Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Research, Dementia, Healthy Living, Scientific Research.
Tagged with Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's and dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's Research, National Institute of Health, research, research study, Silvera.
By Silverado
– May 7, 2010
More now than ever Caregiver struggles are being brought to light. The Wall Street Journal Reports that 61% of employees spent at least one vacation day caring for someone else and 9% took a week or more. Help is out there, many resources are available on Silverado’s website or on Silverado’s Life and Clinical blogs.
(Link to original article at the bottom of this page)
Many people drag office work along on vacations. Now, research shows a lot of people are using their paid vacation time for a different kind of non-recreational duty–to take care of family members’ medical needs.
A recent survey shows many folks are using their paid vacations for caregiving–to manage illnesses, elder care, checkups, etc. About 61% of employees had taken at least a day of paid vacation time during the preceding year to care for another person, according to a survey of 862 employees age 45 and older by The Hartford Financial Services Group and ComPsych Corp.; more than 9% had taken a week or more. Clearly, workers “are using their paid time off as an extension of their hectic lives, rather than a vacation,” Barbara Campbell, a regional vice president for Hartford, said in a news release on the subject.
Hospital stays are shorter, requiring families to pitch in with home care afterward, as author Paula Span reports in a recent book, “When the Time Comes.”
To be sure there are benefits for caregivers, who may take satisfaction in the warmth and intimacy that comes with shouldering family duties. Still, some of us may feel squeezed between our professional selves and our caregiver selves, left with little time to take a break from the grind.
For years, a friend of mine, a state employee, regularly used her vacation time to visit her aged parents in a distant state, do repairs around their house and check in with their physicians and neighbors, to make sure they were OK. Another friend, a middle manager at a big high-tech company, used her vacation to travel to a different state to see a specialist with her son, who has a chronic medical condition. They got testing done and spent enough time with specialists to come up with a long-term care plan.
Readers, have you ever used paid vacation time just to catch up on family caregiving or doctor appointments? Looking back, are you glad you did it? Did you pay a price later, in additional stress or burnout?
Article from The Wall Street Journal
Author Shannon Ingram also wrote a novel chronicling her own experiences of caring for her elderly parents in her book, The Heart Way: The Journey from Corporate to Care
Posted in Caregiving, Quality of Life.
Tagged with Caregiver, elder care, Silverado, Silverado Senior Living.
By Silverado
– May 5, 2010
 |
| Top experts on the NIH Alzheimer’s Prevention Panel authored this report. |
Information from Alzheimer’s Weekly and National Institute of Health
The NIH report, “Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Decline,” reviews the numerous studies on lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s. It helps clarify which studies show “consistent associations” between people’s characteristics and their level of risk for Alzheimer’s.
For an explanation of “consistent associations”, see below the chart.
Alzheimer’s Prevention: What We Know
Consistent Association
for Reducing Risk –>
|
Good
|
Modest
|
None
|
|
Nutrition & Diet
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
Flavonoids and Multivitamins
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
Antihypertensive medication
|
|
|
•
|
Cholinesterase inhibitors
|
|
|
•
|
Anti-inflammatories:
NSAID’s, aspirin
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cognitive activities (”brain exercise, brain training”)
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
Consistent Association for Increased Risk –>
|
High
|
Modest
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
Psychological & emotional health
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
What are “consistent associations?”
Let’s take fish as an example. People who ate a lot of fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids were “consistently associated” with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s. That means that if there were 10 studies, the results of all 10 studies were pretty consistent, and people who ate such fish kept showing a low risk. There was good consistency between the studies, associating the people who ate fish rich in Omega-3 with a lower risk for Alzheimer’s. Therefore, in the chart, the “GOOD” box next to fish is checked.
On the other hand, take the case of B Vitamins. Some studies reported on this site have shown they were great at lowering risk while others have shown that they did nothing, or perhaps even increased risk. Based on these studies, it is unclear whether taking B Vitamins is a benefit or a detriment. Therefore the phrase, “consistent association” is used. Based on studies to date, there is “no consistency” between the B Vitamin studies. Therefore, there is no consistent association between taking B Vitamins and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s. Though we did not prove B Vitamins don’t help, we certainly have been unable to make any meaningful connection one way or the other. That is why the “NONE” box is checked by B Vitamins.
To view original article click link here.
This process of looking for “consistent associations” does not prove any absolute cause-and-effect relationships. Notwithstanding, when there is a consistent association, consider it probable evidence worthy of serious attention.
Posted in Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Research, ApoE4, Dementia, Healthy Living, Quality of Life.
Tagged with Alz, Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's and dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's Prevention, Alzheimer's Research, Alzheimer's risk, Alzheimer's risk factors, ApoE4, fish oils, NIH, Omega-3 fatty acids, Prevention, Vitamin B.
By Silverado
– May 3, 2010
While they are often thought of as smelly sewer dwellers, dirty disease spreaders, and generally creepy critters, rats serve a much greater purpose than just closing down restaurants and in fact may deserve some respect and appreciation. For decades, scientists have developed and used mice for studying a variety of diseases like Alzheimer’s. However, eventually better test subjects are needed to verify results before human testing can occur. In the April issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Professor Claudio Cuello, at McGill University, and his team have genetically altered rats to emulate Alzheimer’s disease in humans.
Although mice have been used in the past, rats are more intelligent than other rodents and their behavior is very predictable. This means for the first time researchers will be able to detect and study the evolution of memory and learning deterioration. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive decline of memory and brain function which has yet to be accurately mapped. Currently researchers only have a limited understanding of the “latent phase” of Alzheimer’s disease. This research will now give scientist a new tool to map the disease and more accurately test treatments. Today, the rough looking little rodents deserve our thanks for the many contributions they will make to the medical advancements of a devastating disease.
To view the article on Medical News Today visit:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/184204.php
Posted in Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Research, ApoE4, Dementia.
Tagged with Alzheimer's and dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's Research, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, McGill University, Medical News Today, Medical Studies, Memory impairment, mice studies, rat studies.
By Silverado
– April 7, 2010
From Assisted Living Federation of America and CNN:
A CNN.com video report examines recent research which shows that the longer individuals have smoked, the less likely they are to develop Parkinson’s disease.
Published in the latest issue of Neurology, the research results conclude that smoking for many years may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s, but smoking more cigarettes per day does not make a difference.
The study included nearly 305,500 AARP members age 50-71. Participants completed a survey on diet and lifestyle at the start of the study and then again 10 years later. In that timeframe, 1,662 participants developed Parkinson’s disease (about 0.5%). Here are some of the study results, as reported by CNN.com and ScientificBlogging.com:
- Current smokers were 44% less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than people who had never smoked.
- People who smoked in the past and quit were 22% less likely to develop Parkinson’s than people who never smoked.
- People who smoked for 40 or more years were 46% less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those who never smoked.
- Those who smoked for 30-39 years were 35% less likely to have the disease than nonsmokers.
- Individuals who smoked for 1-9 years were only 8% less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers note the well-documented and copious adverse consequences of smoking. “No one would suggest smoking in order to prevent Parkinson’s disease,” said study author Honglei Chen, M.D., Ph.D., in a ScientificBlogging.com
report.
To see CNN’s video report visit:
cohen.smoking.and.parkinsons.cnn
Posted in Scientific Research.
Tagged with AARP, ALFA, Assisted Living Federation of America, CNN, Neurology, Parkinson's disease, Scientific Research, Scientificblogging.com, smoking, smoking health effects.
By Silverado
– March 24, 2010
Article directly from Alzheimer’s Weekly:
 |
| Surprisingly, UCI biologists found Hydra genes linked with Huntington’s disease and with the beta-amyloid plaque formation seen in Alzheimer’s. |
UC Irvine researchers have played a leading role in the genome sequencing of Hydra, a freshwater polyp that has been a staple of biological research for 300 years.
In the March 14 online version of Nature, UCI biologists Robert Steele and Hans Bode, along with nine other UCI scientists and an international team of researchers, describe the genome sequence of an organism that continues to advance research on regeneration, stem cells and patterning.
The team discovered Hydra to have about the same number of genes as humans, sharing many of the same ones. Surprisingly, they also found genes linked with Huntington’s disease and with the beta-amyloid plaque formation seen in Alzheimer’s disease — two areas in which UCI has traditionally strong research programs — suggesting the possible use of Hydra as a research model for these two diseases.
“Having the Hydra genome sequenced also enhances our ability to use it to learn more about the basic biology of stem cells, which are showing great promise for new treatments for a host of injuries and diseases,” said Steele, associate professor and interim chair in biological chemistry.
Started in 2004, the Hydra project is the first genome sequencing effort in which UCI scientists have played a major role. The sequencing was carried out at the J. Craig Venter Institute and was funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute.
To view article at Alzheimer’s Weekly, visit:
http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/Research/hydra-genes-linked-to-huntingtons-%26-alzheimers-a706.html
Posted in Scientific Research.
Tagged with Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's Weekly, Genes, genetics, Huntinton's disease, National Human Genome Research Institute, research study, UC Irvine, UCI.
By Silverado
– March 22, 2010
