Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning, like thinking, remembering, and reasoning, at levels that interfere with a person’s daily life and activities. Dementia affects the health and well-being of millions of older adults; with baby boomers reaching their senior years, that number is expected to grow substantially. [Read more…]
You Can Help Delay Dementia With Your Diet
December 20, 2024 By
The Best Way to Stall Dementia: Quit Smoking
November 23, 2024 By
While the number of smokers is at a historical low, data demonstrates that smoking still affects public health. Smoking increases the risk of heart and lung disease, affects bone health, and increases the risk of birth defects. A growing body of research demonstrates that smoking also affects neurological health, specifically cognitive decline. [Read more…]
Could the Keto Diet Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?
April 27, 2024 By
If you pay attention to diet trends, you’ve likely heard of—or maybe even tried—the keto diet.
The ketogenic diet involves eating a high percentage of fat and few carbohydrates. This forces the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, which involves burning fat for energy instead of glucose. The diet also leads to lower blood sugar and insulin levels. [Read more…]
As You Age, Exercise Prevents Cognitive Decline
October 10, 2023 By
If you aren’t already convinced that exercise is the best way to improve health outcomes as you age, there is now even more evidence to bolster that case. [Read more…]
Yoga Combats Frailty in Older Adults
April 10, 2023 By
More than half of adults in the U.S. over age 80 experience frailty, an increased health vulnerability that hampers their ability to cope with everyday life.
Frailty is a complex condition that involves a variety of physical and mental factors including walking, balance, cognitive impairment, and other chronic health problems. Frailty can reduce endurance levels, make it more difficult to live independently, reduce quality of life, and increase the risk of dying sooner. [Read more…]
Can Hearing Aids Prevent Dementia?
February 1, 2023 By
Dementia is a serious health concern among older adults. Approximately 22% of Americans ages 85 to 89 have dementia, and that number increases to 33% for people older than 90. As baby boomers reach their senior years, that number is expected to grow substantially.
Health researchers are looking for ways to prevent or slow the development of dementia among older adults. One potential solution has been around for decades: hearing aids. [Read more…]
Does Hydration Impact Aging?
January 29, 2023 By
The human body is roughly 60 percent water. This vital nutrient is a building block of every cell in the body. It helps to regulate our body temperature, transport nutrients and energy through the bloodstream, flush out waste products, act as a shock absorber for our brain and spinal cord, and lubricate our joints. [Read more…]
Connecting With Older Adults Is Good For You and Them
January 23, 2023 By
In modern society, most of us live in silos surrounded by people similar to us; this applies across many factors including race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and age. In fact, young people and even middle-aged adults today have less contact with older adults than ever before in human history. [Read more…]
Do Brain Games Help Prevent Dementia?
December 13, 2022 By Leave a Comment
More than six million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and that number continues to grow significantly as the U.S. population ages.
Researchers across the globe are trying to find ways to protect aging brains from dementia. Over the past decade, they have zeroed in on “brain training” — puzzles and games designed to improve cognitive skills — as one possible solution. [Read more…]
What We Know About Financial Decisions and the Aging Brain
August 5, 2022 By Leave a Comment
As people age, some of their cognitive abilities naturally decline. In fact, some skills, such as working memory, peak at age 30 and then begin a gradual waning that is considered a normal part aging. In addition, about 10 percent of people 65 and older develop specific medical conditions that lead to cognitive impairment. [Read more…]
How You Think About Aging Can Affect How Long You Live
July 5, 2022 By Leave a Comment
When you imagine an older person, what sort of picture pops into your head? Do you see someone walking stooped over a cane? Do you imagine them in a long-term care facility sitting in a wheelchair? Or do you imagine someone competing in a track meet, like the athletes who participated in last month’s National Senior Games track and field competition? [Read more…]
How Long-Term Partners Influence Each Other’s Health
March 28, 2022 By Leave a Comment
Many people seek a silver bullet that will help them age gracefully and maintain wellness in their later years. A growing body of research suggests there is an overlooked element that helps determine health status later in life: the health and wellness of one’s long-term partner. Researchers are finding that as long-term couples age together, they develop biological similarities that affect their health in the long run. [Read more…]
