Memory slips are aggravating, frustrating, and sometimes worrisome. When they happen more than they should, they can trigger fears of looming dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. But there are some treatable causes of forgetfulness.
A study has found no link between stroke and dementia rates and the amount of antioxidants people get from their diets. That’s a different conclusion from some other studies. Researchers suggest that the new results show the source of antioxidants is important. The study included about 5,400 people, age 55 or older. They didn’t have dementia when the study began. Only about 100 had ever had a stroke. People filled out questionnaires about what they usually ate and drank. In the next 14 years, 599 developed dementia and 601 had a stroke. There was no difference in stroke or dementia rates between people who consumed more or fewer antioxidants. Coffee and tea drinking was the main difference in diet for people who consumed the most antioxidants. These drinks contain antioxidants known as flavonoids.
I have been taking two Advil tablets two or three times per day to ease pain and inflammation in my knees. Could it be harmful to do this for an extended period of time, say a year?
Diet helps control healthy blood pressure. One option is the DASH diet. It has stringent requirements, including salt restriction to as low as 1500 milligrams per day. Mediterranean-style eating also lowers blood pressure and is heart healthy.
Many people try chelation therapy for a variety of reasons, but it is unproven and potentially risky as a therapy for heart disease. Instead, use proven measures like daily aspirin, exercise, blood pressure control, and lowering “bad” cholesterol.
One way to get more nutrients into the diet is to eat more “superfoods,” such as broccoli, salmon, eggs, beans, walnuts, oatmeal, olive oil, tea, quinoa, and dark chocolate.
People with heart disease will soon be able to transmit information about their heart rhythm to their doctor’s office using an iPhone app.
Anyone at risk for complications from the heart-lung machine during open-heart surgery should have the procedure performed without it, or “off-pump.” For everyone else, whether or not to use the pump should be left up to the surgeon.
Pertussis rates are rising in all age groups. An Australian study found that older adults with pertussis are more likely to need hospitalization, which underscores the need for older adults to get vaccinated.