A high resting heart rate puts you at greater risk of coronary heart disease, abnormal heart rhythm, heart failure and stroke. These same conditions are also linked to dementia. So, does it follow that a rapid pulse leads to a greater dementia risk, too? And if it does, is it caused by these heart conditions [...]
The science is clear that healthy lifestyle choices can prevent or at least delay the onset of dementia. Now researchers are assessing whether a simple lifestyle scoring system could identify areas where people can make positive changes in their daily lives that can help them stay in good mental shape. The test is called LIBRA. [...]
When researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) examined the consequences of high blood pressure, which occurs in about one out of every three people, they discovered that it might make your brain age more quickly. But that’s not all. It turns out that even normal blood pressure can be bad for your brain. Here’s [...]
Occasional forgetfulness and delay in remembering a person’s name can be part of the natural process of aging. But when memory problems begin to interfere with normal daily life, it may be a sign of cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s disease. Still, it’s hard to gauge if your mental status is worth a trip to [...]
A study that examined how well hundreds of people remember events in their lives demonstrates that individuals who view their daily routines with a sense of purpose possess a stronger memory over time. So, it looks like if you want to improve your mental recall, it’s a good idea to live purposefully. And it shouldn’t [...]
Remembering new information or learning a new skill gets harder as we get older, but thankfully, some brain functions don’t head south over time. The good news is the cognitive skills that we use every day, such as understanding and using language, are usually well preserved. And the good news about your brain doesn’t stop [...]
Drugs licensed for specific medical conditions are often found to be valuable in treating other health conditions. This is sometimes called “off label” use. There are a surprising number of drugs in this category, including a common water pill that’s prescribed to heart patients. The latest research shows that this water pill may have another [...]
Years ago, the comedian Bob Hope used the song “Thanks for the Memories” as his theme song. Now, brain researchers are humming a similar tune. Because it turns out that listening to old, familiar songs is not only soothing, but it could also improve brain function and recall. Researchers say they have good evidence that [...]
Since Alzheimer’s disease is known to cause structural changes within the brain well before the first symptoms of memory loss appear, the disease can also result in changes to one’s personality. But researchers have long wondered, can it also happen the other way around? Can your personality predict your risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s? It [...]
Scientists who study how the brain can influence the growth of cancer have become convinced that brain cells hold a cure for the disease. This belief stems from studies that reveal how the brain’s links to the body through the nervous system can stimulate the immune system and the way it attacks tumors. Here’s the [...]
