According to a new study, people, who have significant exposure to passive smoke, have 44% higher risk of becoming a victim of dementia.

Though some previous studies have found some links between higher risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, the current study is the leading review till today which shows a relation between dementia risk and secondhand smoke.

“There is a link between secondhand smoke exposure and cognitive function that is often, but not always, reckoned a sign of dementia,” says Iain Lang, the lead author of the study.

According to Lang, the amount of passive smoke exposure serves as the risk factor for impaired cognitive function and those people, who have higher exposure, are at considerably higher risk of the disease.

The study has been published in the journal BJM online issue.

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In elderly women, simple exercises can offer the similar benefits to keep brain fit as they offer to keep the body fit.

In this Canadian women study, the researchers found that those women who took part in different aerobic activities had nearly 10% higher cognitive functioning scores than those who didn’t take exercise. Similarly, it was noted that active women had better vascular response in their brain and had lower blood pressure as well. The study seems to suggest that improved blood flow in the brain helps to boost the cognitive functioning.

The study has been published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging Jan. 20 issue.

Marc Poulin, the lead author of the study says: “if you are not physically active, it means you are putting yourself at a higher risk for dementia or stroke. Our study finds that people with better levels of physical fitness have an improved blood flow in their brain that leads to better cognitive functioning.”

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Anti-psychotic medicines which are commonly used to cure Alzheimer’s illness may possibly increase a patient’s chance of dying within some years according to the latest study. Such surveys augment the concerns existing about such medications.

As per Clive Ballard, the lead author of the paper, working for the Wolfson Centre for age related diseases at the King’s College of London, majority of these patients suffering from Alzheimer do not have a major risk from these specific drugs. It would put a question in everyone’s mind which is would you want to take a drug that would help you reduce aggression but increase your risk of dying sooner.

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According to Finnish researchers, risk of dementia as well as of stroke considerably decrease by eating tuna and other fatty fish.

The lead author of the study, Jyrki Virtanen of the University of Kuopio in Finland told that ‘silent’ brain lesions that often become the cause of memory loss and dementia occurred less in those people who ate baked or broiled fish high in omega-3 fatty acids.

“The results of some previous studies have shown that fish and fish oil is helpful to avoid stroke, but this is the first study of its kind that examines the effects of fish on brain lesions in older people,” Virtanen further added.

Fish like salmon, mackerel sardines, herring and other foods like walnuts are rich with omega-3 fatty acids. These foods have also shown an anti-inflammatory effect and related to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

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According to a Swedish research, marriage or having a partner may decrease the risk of developing dementia considerably. The study has been presented at a US conference.

The researchers are of the view that it is social interaction between couples that helps to avoid the disease.

The Alzheimer’s Research Trust is considering the results quite worrying as in the UK divorce rates are considerably high.
“For some people, the problem might be even greater” the Karolinska Institute’s study suggests

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A optimal improvement in dementia symptoms has been linked with the use of bright light in daytime, for the improvement of their circadian rhythms, according to a study released on June 10, 2008 in JAMA. More over, the melatonin is also helpful in improving sleep.

Dementia is a costant decline in cognitive ability with the passage of time, and usually elderly patients suffer from this condition. These symptoms can have many contributing factors, according to the authors: “In elderly patients with dementia, cognitive decline is frequently increase by disturbances of mood, behavior, sleep, and activities of daily routine life, which enhance caregiver burden and the risk of institutionalization.”

Several biological processes in many organisms recur within 24 hours that is referred as a circadian rhythm. Although this rhythm is internal but it can be affected by various factors including the presence or absense of daylight. In humans, melatonin levels considered to be the yard stick in measuring the circadian cycle, and sometimes melatonin is used to maintain a regular rhythm. Abnormalities of imbalanced rhythms are quite familiar which include jet lag and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD.)

According to the authors, the circadian rhythm can also be

linked with the symptoms of dementia in the elderly stage: “The circadian timing system is extremely sensitive to environmental light and the melatonin hormone may not function properly in the absence of their synchronizing effects. In elderly patients with dementia, synchronization may be abolished if light exposure and melatonin production is reduced from certain level.” …Click here to read more

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)’ is the most common form of dementia among older people. It is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s ability to carry out daily activities. It is a progressive and fatal brain disease slowly effecting thought, memory and language serious enough to interfere with daily life.

A recent study by researchers at ‘Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University’ finds that people with ‘Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)’ experienced more accidents and performed more poorly on road tests compared to drivers without cognitive impairment. The study is published in the January 23 edition of the journal “Neurology”, the medical journal of the ‘American Academy of Neurology’. This stems out of the fact they show problems with memory, thinking and concentration.

The study included 128 individuals. Out of these individuals, 84 persons were suffering with early AD and 44 age-matched control subjects without cognitive impairments. Drivers with early AD were enrolled in this study and followed every six months over two to three years. While the study does confirm previous reports of potentially hazardous driving in persons with early AD, it also indicates that some individuals with very mild dementia can continue to drive safety for extended periods of time. The study also built the relationship through self-reports, family reports and a standardized road test.

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