Nearly half of Alzheimer’s cases are mild, supporting a focus on early intervention
The great prevalence of mild disease underscores the need for interventions that may slow decline or prevent progression in dementia, researchers contend.
Dementia
New evidence pinpoints health clusters that raise dementia risk
Older adults with diagnoses of neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular multimorbidity had the highest likelihood of developing dementia over 12 years, investigators report.
Financial ‘symptoms’ of dementia seen up to 6 years before diagnosis
Missed bill payments and lowered credit scores may be evident years before a dementia diagnosis, a new study shows. Earlier diagnosis could help protect patients’ financial well-being, investigators say.
New behavior management guidelines support person-centered dementia care
Properly addressing the distress that underlies dementia-related behaviors is key to improving quality of life and preventing rapid decline in these patients, according to new guidance from leading dementia care providers.
Biologics linked to lower dementia rate in rheumatoid arthritis: study
Investigators found a 17% lower incidence of dementia in patients who take biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs when compared with patients who take conventional, synthetic DMARDs alone. The results may be due to reduced inflammation, they say.
Leisure activities may ebb 10 years prior to dementia diagnosis
Changes in the amount of leisure activity participation may be an early sign of cognitive decline, possibly due to symptoms such as apathy or emerging cognitive difficulties, investigators say.
First Alzheimer’s commercial blood test to detect amyloid beta hits the market
A new blood test that detects the presence of Alzheimer’s brain plaques on Thursday became the first to hit the commercial market on a wide scale.
Words Matter: Changing the way we talk about people living with dementia
Language is important. Whether we realize it or not, the way we speak about people reflects our beliefs about them and ultimately affects how we treat them. Whether we are aiming for a community-wide culture change or simply looking for a way to better support a person living with dementia, language matters. So let us…
Cognitively healthy residents over-diagnosed with dementia at intake: study
Positive delirium screenings in new SNF residents often lead to inappropriate dementia diagnoses — even in those who are cognitively healthy, investigators contend.
Multi-focus program cuts lifestyle risk for dementia
Seniors educated on the benefits of a health lifestyle, Mediterranean diet, physical activity and cognitive engagement made enough changes to improve cognition after earlier testing for mild impairment, Australian researchers reported this week.
