If you or your aging loved one takes multiple medications every day, you're not alone. Nearly 40 percent of older adults take five or more medications each day. However, this doesn't come as a surprise. Between the slew of health issues that affect seniors, and advancements in healthcare, there are many great options to manage difficult symptoms. Yet juggling all of those pills every day can be harder than it [...]
The worry of brain related illnesses increases as we age. Older Americans fear Alzheimer's and dementia more than any other age-related illness. Therefore, it's no wonder so many aging adults have turned to dietary supplements to improve their odds. Claims such as "supports healthy brain function" or "improves mental alertness" are hard to pass up. However, extremely little research has shown brain health supplements to be at all effective. In [...]
Many chronic or fatal diseases can cause depression. This makes perfect sense. Especially in diseases that affect the brain, like dementia. It's common knowledge that depression can be effectively treated with antidepressant medications. Of course, this is a great option for those affected. However, in the elderly population, more caution is advised when taking medications. Whether or not there is a link between antidepressants and dementia is an open debate. [...]
Alzheimer's is a global epidemic. Fifty million people are affected worldwide. In addition, Parkinson's disease, another neuro-degenerative disease, affects nearly ten million. The research being done on these two devastating diseases revolves around finding medications. Yet new scientific research suggests that metabolic health in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's could be part of the answer. Specifically, insulin resistance. Fixing these metabolic issues may lead to better treatments and prevention. Psychology Today talks [...]
Are we over-medicating the elderly? This is the question that families, physicians, and patients frequently ask themselves. There is no clear answer. Statistics show that nearly 36 percent of seniors take at least five medications per day. Seniors have a lower tolerance to certain medications and metabolize them differently. Therefore, great caution should be used when prescribing to seniors. Healthline discusses the risks of over-medicating the elderly. The problem may [...]
We have treatments and medications for some of the world's most debilitating diseases. Yet finding Alzheimer's drugs is not easy at all. The problem is not that we aren't trying. The brain is an extremely complex organ and is not easily accessible. Finding Alzheimer's drugs is a challenge for many reasons. It may seem frustrating to those affected by the disease. We are able to come up with drugs for [...]
Knowing the symptoms of dying can offer peace of mind to both our loved one and ourselves as we go through this rite of passage. Whether we die from cancer, heart disease or a stroke, the process can be similar towards the end of life. The symptoms of dying are usually not as painful as we expect and anticipate. The New York Times reports that dying is a diagnosis in itself. There [...]
Recognizing the early signs of dementia is not always so straight forward. Most of us think of dementia as a loss in memory. However, the early signs of dementia can include changes in characteristics like behavior, mood and motivation. This article in Health.com reports on a group of experts who are trying to establish a new diagnosis called the Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI). This new way of recognizing the early signs [...]
New brain X-rays can potentially diagnose and treat the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Recently, researchers at Sweden's Lund University have identified certain changes in the brain using a synchrotron accelerator, a type of super-bright, high-quality X-ray machine, that show the very beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease. This could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment, which is good news for the predicted 15 million Americans who may start to suffer [...]
