by Cheri Cheng for Counsel & Heal:

It is no surprise that with old age comes some degree of memory loss. For a select group of seniors, their brains are still as sharp while for others, memory loss is a fast and scary process. According to a new study, researchers have tied irregular heartbeats in the elderly to the rate of memory loss.

The study suggests that older people who have atrial fibrillation are at a higher risk of experiencing mental declines earlier than other seniors.Seniors with atrial fibrillation had an average decline of 10 points on the memory test while seniors with normal hearts averaged a decline of six points.

by Michael Smith for MedPage Today:

Standard risk prediction tools for heart disease and stroke are better at predicting declining mental powers than a specific dementia risk score, researchers reported.

In a long-running cohort study, higher risks on the widely used Framingham cardiovascular disease and stroke scores were strongly associated with declines on four out of five cognitive tests, according to Sara Kaffashian, PhD, of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris, and colleagues.

On the other hand, higher risk on the recently proposed Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) score was less strongly associated with declines and only on three of the five tests, Kaffashian and colleagues reported in the April 2 issue ofNeurology.

All of the risk scores predict cognitive decline starting in late middle age, Kaffashian said in a statement, but the Framingham tests may have an edge in prevention.

Dementia Has Many Of Same Causes As Heart Disease
by David S. Martin for CNN

Late-life dementia has a lot in common with heart disease — and many of the same causes, according to an article published Tuesday in Nature Reviews Neurology.

Like heart disease, the cognitive impairment that accompanies aging is usually the result of a combination of lifestyle and other factors, the article says. Diabetes, obesity, untreated hypertension, sedentary lifestyle and stress are all linked to both heart disease and dementia.

Other factors linked to dementia: untreated obstructive sleep apnea, clinical depression, bipolar disorder, vitamin B12 deficiency, post traumatic stress disorder, head trauma, brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen, and the ApoE, or Alzheimer’s, gene.

Lead author Dr. Majd Fotuhi says the latest research shows dementia can be delayed, stopped and sometimes even reversed with lifestyle changes.

Cholesterol lowering medications have become the most popular and widely distributed drugs in the world.
by News Day 

by Juliana Bunim Senior Journal

The ability to anticipate future events allows us to plan and exert control over our lives, but it may also contribute to stress-related increased risk for the diseases of aging, according to a study by UCSF researchers.

In a study of 50 women, about half of them caring for relatives with dementia, the psychologists found that those most threatened by the anticipation of stressful tasks in the laboratory and through public speaking and solving math problems, looked older at the cellular level.

The researchers assessed cellular age by measuring telomeres, which are the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes. Short telomeres index older cellular age and are associated with increased risk for a host of chronic diseases of aging, including cancer, heart disease and stroke.

by Genevra Pittman for The Globe and Mail

Every second Swede is at risk of developing dementia, according to a new study from Umeå University, which concentrated on the 85+ population in northern Sweden.
by The Local

“Over five or seven years, the number of dementia cases grew by 40 percent,” said Yngve Gustafson, Professor of Geriatrics at Umeå University, to Sveriges Television (SVT). In the project, called ‘The Gerda Study’, scientists carried out a re-testing and re-evaluation of ten year old preliminary tests, carried out by the university, and led by project leader Martin Gustafson.

The findings led researchers to conclude that the risk of developing dementia has soared in Sweden in recent years, and that the numbers are still rising.

by Dr. Raul Vazquez for WKBW News

Heart disease is the number killer of women.

Heart attack symptoms for women -
Neck, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort
Shortness of breath
Nausea or vomiting
Sweating
Lightheadedness or dizziness
Unusual fatigue

Foods found in diet that help maintain a healthy heart keep our brains strong, too
by Robyn Flipse for Health Goes Strong

If it seems to you the foods that can help prevent heart disease grab all the headlines, your eyesight is fine! Heart disease is the number one cause of death for men and women alike in the U.S., so controlling it makes news.  Keeping the brain sharp is also on people’s minds, but it takes more than cross-word puzzles to do it. What you eat can also help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The good news is that the diet that’s good for your heart is good for your brain, too!

The dietary guidelines that support a healthy heart and strong brain include eating:

by The Alzheimer’s Association

According to the most current research, a brain-healthy diet is one that reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes, encourages good blood flow to the brain, and is low in fat and cholesterol. Like the heart, the brain needs the right balance of nutrients, including protein and sugar, to function well. A brain-healthy diet is most effective when combined with physical and mental activity and social interaction.

Manage your body weight for overall good health of brain and body. A long-term study of 1,500 adults found that those who were obese in middle age were twice as likely to develop dementia in later life. Those who also had high cholesterol and high blood pressure had six times the risk of dementia. Adopt an overall food lifestyle, rather than a short-term diet, and eat in moderation.

Reduce your intake of foods high in fat and cholesterol. Studies have shown that high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol clogs the arteries and is associated with higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease. However, HDL (or “good”) cholesterol may help protect brain cells. Use mono- and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil, for example. Try baking or grilling food instead of frying.