Barb's Daily Dose

Fish is Brain Food

New research has found that elderly people with higher levels of several vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids in their blood had better performance on mental acuity tests and less of the brain shrinkage typical of Alzheimer’s disease.

Diets with a greater amount of junk food, meanwhile, produced the opposite results, according to the study.

Afraid of Alzheimers

What are most Americans most afraid of when it comes to their health?   As you might have guessed, it's Alzheimers.  As more and more people know someone with Alzheimers or families affected by it, more baby boomers are getting worried.  And yet, very few are making plans to deal with their own possible memory loss.

Hablo Alzheimers?

Guess what, if you speak another language you're less likely to develop Alzheimers and loss of brain function.  Really!  And, what's more, if you speak another language and you do develop memory loss, it's likely to be a lot less severe.  isn't the brain amazing?  Haven't you always wanted to learn Italian anyway? It's a beautiful language and everything sounds better, when spoken in the language of Michelangelo and Leonardo.  Da Vinci, not Di Caprio, though that's a thought.  Yes, and just being able to say "cappuccino" is helpful on so many levels.

How to Avoid Strained Sibling Relationships When a Parent Has Alzheimer's

Today's Featured Guest is:  Paula Spencer, Senior Editor at caring.com

Dealing with Family Dynamics When a Parent has Alzheimer's

Siblings have a "strength in numbers" advantage over only children when a parent develops Alzheimer's -- but for every additional family member in the mix of caregivers, there's also an increased chance of communication snafus and discord in decision-making. Here's how to keep everyone in the loop and on speaking terms.

Good Cholesterol Also Good for the Brain

A recent study found that people with higher levels of HDL, what's known as the beneficial or good cholesterol, also had a lower risk of having Alzheimers disease. HDL, high density lipoprotein,  is the type of cholesterol that helps clear away the LDL cholesterol, known to cause narrowing of the arteries and clots. HDL can be increased by increasing exercise and from some medications such as Niacin.  

Diagnosing Alzheimers

For anyone who has a family member or friend who seems to be losing their memory and ability to function, there are now guidelines for diagnosing Alzheimers.

Here are some of the criteria from the Alzheimer's Disease Dementia Workgroup

1.  Impaired Ability to Acquire and Remember New Information

Symptoms

• Repetitive questions or conversations
• Misplacing personal belongs
• Forgetting events or appointments, and
• Getting lost on a familiar route.

Survey Reveals Alzheimer's Caregivers' Top Concerns

Today's Article was Featured on Caring.com

Submitted by:  Staywell Custom Communications

FRIDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Family caregivers' greatest concerns about the progression of a loved one's Alzheimer's disease are memory loss (41 percent), personal safety (33 percent) and confusion (27 percent), finds a new survey.

The poll of 524 caregivers also found that 67 percent named at least one cognitive (or thinking skills') change in their loved one as a main concern; 55 percent said caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's has taken a toll on their own health; and 60 percent said they felt overwhelmed.

Can’t Help Gnawing on Unhappy Thoughts?

Our Featured Guest Writer Today Is: 

Paula Spencer, Senior Editor at Caring.com

While I was reviewing a list of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms the other day, one in particular struck a bell – with an uncomfortable clang!   Perseverating is where someone with dementia clings to a thought and uncontrollably returns to it over and over and can’t let it go.

No, I don’t have dementia. But in healthy-minded but way-too-stressed people, often women (check, check, check! ), this same obsessive thought pattern is known as rumination. And it’s a habit that can quickly become a caregiver stress swamp.

(The difference between perseverating and ruminating? People who don’t have dementia can control the hamster-on-a-wheel thoughts. This is important, and I’ll get back to it.)

I’m a champion ruminator! I’ve been known to gnaw a thought as frantically and thoroughly as a squirrel turning a corncob to cornstarch.

Dementia & Confusion

Talking about dementia in the abstract or caring for a patient you've only recently met is a far cry from watching a parent fade quickly before your eyes.  One day they can tell a story about the time they made eggplant parmesan to bribe a mechanic to fix their car and the next day, they can't remember how to brush their teeth.  "What is wrong with me?"  I heard my mom ask me a few days ago.  "Something's not right. What am I supposed to do with this?" as she held up her toothbrush.

Exercise, Vitamin D Seem to Cut Alzheimer's Risk: Researchers

Both Appear to Reduce Cognitive Decline, Two Long-Term Studies Contend

Article Featured on Caring.com

SUNDAY, July 11 (HealthDay News) -- Physical activity and adequate levels of vitamin D appear to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, according to two large, long-term studies scheduled to be presented Sunday at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Hawaii.