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5 Brain Fitness Tips to Help Slow Alzheimer’s
Conditions & Treatments

5 Brain Fitness Tips to Help Slow Alzheimer’s

by Silverado
written by Silverado

Did you know that Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia begin to change one’s brain decades before symptoms appear? 5 Brain Fitness Tips to Help Slow Alzheimer’s
This means there are things you can proactively do to help fight Alzheimer’s, and the sooner you start the more likely you’ll have better results. Here are Silverado’s Top 5 Brain Fitness tips. 5 Brain Fitness Tips to Help Slow Alzheimer’s

  1. Exercise: 20 minutes a day (10 minutes 2-3 times a day, though more is better) of aerobic activity has been shown to increase the volume of the hippocampus, where Alzheimer’s starts.
  2. Meditate/Manage Stress: Research shows that meditative practices (mindfulness meditation, yoga, etc.) practiced for even just a few minutes a day can increase blood flow throughout the brain. Meditators also showed decreases in blood pressure and stress hormones!
  3. Watch Your Diet: A heart-healthy diet is a brain healthy diet. Mediterranean cuisine featuring lots of fish, lean proteins, fresh vegetables and olive oil is a good start, and avoiding excessive amounts of saturated fats, salt, dairy, fatty meats and fried foods helps all the more!
  4. Learn New Things: Use it or lose it! Learning new skills or picking up an additional language helps create more connections within the brain, creating a “cognitive reserve” to help in the event of dementia. While activities such as crossword puzzles may be helpful, recent research shows that they may not be as effective as previously thought.
  5. Join a Group: Social activities and regular outings with friends may help keep your brain happier and healthier. Volunteering and other meaningful forms of interaction can produce even greater benefits.

For other tips related to brain health, check out our Nexus Clinical References page.

5 Brain Fitness Tips to Help Slow Alzheimer’s

5 Brain Fitness Tips to Help Slow Alzheimer’s

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Alzheimer’s High Risk for Stressed People
Health Tips

Alzheimer’s High Risk for Stressed People

by Kendall VanBlarcom
written by Kendall VanBlarcom

Everyone grows older. There’s no way around it. One of the things that people fear about getting older is Alzheimer’s disease. This life-threatening condition can lead to death after it wreaks havoc for the sufferer and loved ones. Alzheimer’s High Risk for Stressed People
While there’s no sure way to prevent Alzheimer’s, researchers continue to try to find out how to decrease the risk for it. By figuring out contributing factors to its development, it’s hoped that someday, fewer people will have to deal with such a devastating age-related disease.
A new study recently came out that identifies stress as an influencer. Participants in the study who led extremely stressful lives were more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s later in life. While researchers are not completely sure, it may be the elevated cortisol levels that are having the effect on the brain, which can then lead to Alzheimer’s development.
The great thing about learning what can increase the risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s is some of the factors can be helped such as in the instance of stress. Stress is highly manageable, as long as people take the time to do it.
This is good news for a lot of people who lead stressful lives. It means that with a few changes to their lifestyle, they may able to decrease their stress levels to help them decrease their risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s.
What are some ways you can decrease your stress? Alzheimer’s High Risk for Stressed People

Breathing Exercises

When you’re stressed, your breathing can quicken. This can cause your body to tense up, which will increase cortisol in your body. When you consciously slow your breathing, you are helping your body calm down, so you cortisol levels can decrease.

Vent the Stress

You have to get whatever is bothering you out of your mind, body, and soul. You can do this by talking about it or journaling it. By getting it somewhere other than your head, you’ll start to feel better, which will then lower your stress levels.

Exercise

When you exercise, you are giving your body something else to do than ruminate about whatever you are stressed about. It also puts your body into motion, which will release all of that pent up tension inside of you.

Eat Healthy

Eating healthy foods is important because when your body isn’t getting what it needs, you end up already stressed. When a stressful situation occurs, you end up more stressed than you could have been if you ate healthfully.

Seek Professional Help

Sometimes, no matter what you do, you can’t lower your stress levels. Many mental health professionals believe medication and talk therapy can help. Speak to your physician about medications that can help your anxiety, and then consider speaking to a professional about the stress.
Kendall Van Blarcom is a personal consultant. He is not a replacement for therapy, but he can help you decrease your stress levels. If you feel as though you just need some support and guidance with problems in your life, call on him to help. You can speak with him over the phone, so there is no driving involved. It’s strictly private in the comfort of your home or office.
For more information on how you can get help in lower your stress levels and your risk for Alzheimer’s, click here.
 
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Alzheimers Reality: Financial and Family Dynamics
Conditions & Treatments

Alzheimers Reality: Financial and Family Dynamics

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

The Reality of Alzheimer’s in America

Financial Struggles and New Family Dynamics

September is World Alzheimer’s Month, an international campaign to raise awareness and challenge stigma. Alzheimer’s disease has become so prevalent in the country, and the cases of Americans living dealing with the disease will only grow rapidly in the next years. By tomorrow or next week, it could hit any of our loved ones or ourselves, and we need to prepare for what it brings now.

The Individual with Alzheimer’s

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than five million Americans are living with the disease. The numbers are quite high, and chances are you know of at least one person dealing with it at the moment. Alzheimers Reality: Financial and Family Dynamics
The organization further illustrates the severity of the situation by sharing that a person in the United States develops the disease every 66 seconds, and that one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia. It is even ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Reality of Alzheimers: Financial and Family Dynamics
In addition to this, Alzheimer’s is an expensive disease to have in America. The costs of care could significantly dwindle down a person’s assets. On average, the price tags on care include $6,844 per month for a semi-private room in a nursing home and $7,698 per month for a private room. A person would have to shell out $3,628 per month for basic services in an assisted living facility, $3,861 a month for a home health aide, and $1,473 a month for adult day services.

Family Dynamics after the Diagnosis

However, the diagnosis does not solely affect the individual. Alzheimer’s changes the dynamics in every family, and it takes a massive toll on family members and loved ones. Parents now find themselves leaning on their children for support and assistance; spouses become dependent on their partners for so much more than they ever expected, and children revert to their now aging parents for care. Often, family members are in the situation where they need to sacrifice aspects of their lives to provide the care that their loved ones require. Some leave their chosen careers, put starting a family on hold, and give up social activities to assume the role of primary caregivers to their loved ones. Alzheimers Reality: Financial and Family Dynamics
Family caregivers give up so much more than their time to meet the demands of caregiving. In 2015, more than 15 million caregivers attributed 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care. On average, family caregivers are put behind $5,000 a year for caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. While the amount might not seem like much for some families, it could mean going hungry for many struggling to keep up with the costs. Alzheimers Reality: Financial and Family Dynamics
For many individuals, the cost of caring for a person with Alzheimer’s could translate to inevitable bankruptcy. A recent article in News Times features a woman from Connecticut caring for her 80-year-old husband dealing with the disease. While Medicare covers a portion of his medical expenses, they have decided to forgo medications and frequent doctor’s visits for alternative methods. However, she knows that the expenses are heading in a direction that their nest egg will not be able to keep up with.
Their story is just one example of how pressing an issue this disease is in the country. So many Americans are facing the same struggles brought about by Alzheimer’s and the expenses that come with it. Alzheimers Reality: Financial and Family Dynamics

Its Effect on the Nation

The projected care costs this year for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia is at $236 billion—a figure that Medicare is expected to fund about half of. If you take into consideration the number of baby boomers turning 65, the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s is expected to grow in the coming years. Plenty of these individuals will have to depend on government programs to assist them in paying for the care that they need. But with the growing demand, Medicare may find itself on the verge of bankruptcy. Additionally, costs will likely increase even more.

How to Avoid the Difficulties

The importance of planning cannot be stressed enough. While it may sound overused to the point that it no longer holds much weight, individuals and families will benefit immensely from early planning.
Not many people realize how necessary having a comprehensive plan truly is until after the disease becomes their new reality. We read the accounts, and we see it happening every day, each person is just one diagnosis away from a completely different life.
Speak with a professional about it, and weigh each of the options presented to you. There is an abundance of long term care information online that you have access to, so learn as much as you can, as well. What matters is that you begin planning as early as you can and as best as you can.

Alzheimers Reality: Financial and Family Dynamics

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Dolls Help with Dementia
Caregiving

Dolls Help with Dementia

by Kendall VanBlarcom
written by Kendall VanBlarcom

A video has gone viral on social media. It’s of a grandmother holding a doll reacting to it as though it is a real life baby. The video is so touching that people from around the world have shared it on their personal Facebook page. I thought it was important to discuss it in my blog because it’s a great idea for people. Dolls Help with Dementia
Maxine, the granddaughter of Lilly, says:
“Her dementia was progressively getting worse to the point that she had forgotten most family members and her mannerisms became more child like so I thought maybe a doll would help to keep her mind occupied.”
It worked! Dolls Help with Dementia
Maxine recorded a video of her grandmother reacting to the doll, and it’s been viewed two million times. Lilly immediately took to the doll, and treated it like a baby. Even though Maxine told her it was a doll, Lilly doesn’t want to hear it. She cradles it, burps it, and wraps her up in a crochet blanket for warmth.
Her family finds Lilly is much better now than she was before. She feels as though she has a purpose in life. She talks, kisses, and even sings to “the baby.”
This doll has brought joy to Lilly’s life. It’s something that everyone should know about because there are so many people out there who are struggling just like Lilly. They are losing touch with reality. They don’t know what to do about it either because their condition continues to progress. However, with something that can hold onto like Lilly’s doll, there is a lifeline – something to hold onto.
This is so important! Family members need to try it. The heartache of dementia can be heart-wrenching, but this is hope. This gives them something to try that hasn’t be recommended by people often, if at all.
Many universities and facilities around the world are asking to use the video in their classes and workshops. They want everyone to know about the effect Baby Annabell Doll has on someone with dementia.

It’s Called Doll Therapy Dolls Help with Dementia

Doll therapy has been used before, but it hasn’t had a lot of attention until now. A nursing home reported that when they used doll therapy, they saw a significant reduction in medication reliance.
One of the reasons doll therapy may not have caught on as quickly as it has now is because many people have criticized it. They believe it is an insult to the person suffering from dementia. Since they often exhibit child-like behaviors, giving them a doll may seem as though they are being made of fun of, but that’s not the case at all.
Dolls are an effective way for dementia sufferers to deal with the stress of their condition. They may not be able to remember things or process information the same, but they still feel emotions. Those emotions are what keep their connection to themselves alive.

Dolls Help with Dementia

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Conditions & Treatments

Easing Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

Alzheimer-detecionEasing Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease
Whether a patient faces a simple health problem, such as a head cold, or one as complex as Alzheimer’s disease, easing the symptoms is often as important as resolving the issue itself. Yet for the more than 5 million Americans affected by Alzheimer’s, treating the symptoms is even more vital. Easing symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease
Some of the early signs of Alzheimer’s include memory loss that disrupts daily life, mood and personality changes, and difficulty solving otherwise simple daily tasks.
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Of the top 10 causes of death, it is the only one for which there is no cure or preventive measure. However, research suggests that addressing one early facet of the disease – decreased blood sugar in brain cells, also known as diminished cerebral glucose metabolism (DCGM) – may help relieve symptoms for certain people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.
In a healthy brain, glucose is the primary energy source. A brain affected by Alzheimer’s doesn’t process glucose into energy as efficiently as a healthy brain.
“Unlike other cells in the body that can metabolize fats as fuel, brain cells rely on glucose (sugar) for their primary energy source,” says Dr. Richard S. Isaacson, associate professor of clinical neurology and vice chair of education at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. “One aspect of Alzheimer’s is that it hinders the brain’s ability to use glucose, and this significantly affects brain function.”
“DCGM is an early feature of Alzheimer’s disease, represented by region-specific declines in brain glucose – or energy – metabolism,” Isaacson says. “DCGM correlates with both the cognitive decline and the pathology associated with Alzheimer’s. Research suggests that addressing DCGM may help mitigate symptoms for some patients.”
Providing brain cells with an alternative energy source may help ease the effects of DCGM, while enhancing memory and cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients. One prescription-only medical food aims at helping Alzheimer’s patients by addressing DCGM – Axona by Accera, Inc.
The easy-to-mix, once-daily drink is currently the only prescription therapy for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s that addresses the link between the brain’s inability to process and use glucose with the degenerative symptoms of Alzheimer’s by providing the brain with an alternative energy source. The liver digests and metabolizes Axona to produce the naturally occurring compounds – ketones- that the brain can use as an alternative energy source. Patients or caregivers mix the powder with other liquids or foods and take it once a day in conjunction with commonly prescribed Alzheimer’s medications.
“More research is necessary to determine the exact reasons why DCGM can have profound effects on cognition over the long term,” Isaacson says. “When blood glucose drops rapidly, significant decline in cognitive function occurs and may be accompanied by confusion, coma and even brain death.”
While Axona is not a cure for Alzheimer’s, it can help some patients mitigate the symptoms of the disease. Doctors and caregivers of patients using Axona have reported patients appear more alert and engaged in daily activities and conversations. “If you or a family member experience symptoms such as poor short-term memory, changes in behavior and difficulty with language, see your doctor for a full evaluation,” says Isaacson.

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Caregiving

Alzheimer's Caregivers Can Fight the Disease

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

shutterstock_179579798Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease is challenging under the best of circumstances. Across the United States, more than five million people ages 65 and older are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). And over 15 million more Americans – family members, friends, neighbors and volunteers – provide unpaid care for a loved one with AD.
What makes this disease particularly heartbreaking is feeling helpless against it – there’s no way to prevent Alzheimer’s, keep it from progressing, or cure it. But there are ways for caregivers, and the patients and loved ones they care for, to help in the fight against Alzheimer’s. One of the most important is through the act of volunteering in Alzheimer’s research studies.
“I am a wife as well as a full-time caregiver to my husband who was diagnosed at the age of 65. It was only eight years into our marriage,” said Elisabeth Paine. “One of the most important roles I have taken on during this journey is as an Alzheimer’s study partner.” Paine has been volunteering with her husband, who recently participated in a clinical trial at Yale University.
“Caregivers are a crucial part of the solution to finding better treatments faster. We can help enroll our AD patients, and give them and ourselves access to the best medical specialists in the field,” said Paine.
One study which is helping spur new discoveries is being slowed by a lack of AD patient volunteers. The Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) is the largest and most comprehensive research effort on AD to date, and is offering the data it gathers to scientists around the globe to inform and speed new treatments. There are a number of ongoing clinical trials, and many more about to start, aimed at slowing disease progression with drug treatment. All of these trials are using the diagnostic methods developed through ADNI. If the availability of ADNI data is slowed down, it slows down the entire field.
The study is active at 55 research centers in U.S. and is currently seeking to recruit clinical trial volunteers between the ages of 55 and 90 with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
“Effective medical research is our best hope in Alzheimer’s. And participating in studies is one important way caregivers can help,” said Dr. Michael Weiner, primary investigator of ADNI, as well as a caregiver to his 96-year old mother with AD. “It takes everybody’s involvement – researchers, doctors, patients, friends, family members, trial participants and caregivers – to fight this disease.”
To volunteer or learn more about the ADNI study, contact the National Institute on Aging’s Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center at (800) 438-4380, or visit www.adni-info.org.

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Conditions & Treatments

New Study Lets Doctors See Signs Of Alzheimer's

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

New Study Lets Doctors See Signs Of Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer-detecionOne of the things that makes Alzheimer’s disease such a major senior health concern is that it’s very difficult to detect early. In fact, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, diagnosis depends on a variety of tests, many of which are observation based – meaning that the person in question is likely already experiencing significant symptoms. New Study Lets Doctors See Signs Of Alzheimer’s In Healthy Brains
Developing a standardized means by which doctors could identify Alzheimer’s earlier and more accurately could go a long way in the fight to treat or even cure the disease. One team of researchers is working to make strides in that regard.
Can you detect Alzheimer’s in healthy brains?
It’s widely believed that Alzheimer’s symptoms occur as a result of a certain type of protein building up in the brain. In high enough quantities, these proteins can clump together and form what are known as beta-amyloid plaques. These plaques are the primary culprits in the breakdown of brain cells due to Alzheimer’s, and the disease’s characteristic cognitive symptoms. However, doctors have historically struggled with early diagnosis since beta-amyloid plaques already need to be present in significant quantity to show up on many detection methods.
Researchers from Harvard University, however, have had success in identifying certain proteins in the brains of healthy individuals. The study, known as the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s, is using a new brain scan method that can reportedly detect tau protein tangles – another type of harmful protein associated with the disease – in healthy individuals.
According to Reuters, beta-amyloid and tau interact in a synergistic way to produce the harmful effects of Alzheimer’s. This scan is the newest step in the A4 study, which is working on a drug designed to eliminate beta-amyloid protein in the brain. While results of the drug are inconclusive, the source did note that if patients were treated early enough, with only mild symptoms, cognitive impairment could be reduced by up to 34 percent.
A step forward for Alzheimer’s treatment
With no cure and the only treatments available merely addressing symptoms rather than the cause of the disease itself, much of Alzheimer’s care relies on prevention and early detection. The Alzheimer’s Association noted, however, that there is currently no single test to determine the presence of Alzheimer’s. Much of the current process involves observation and symptom tracking, which means that by the time doctors are able to make a reliable diagnosis, the symptoms have already progressed to the point of interfering significantly with the senior’s quality of life.
Mild cognitive impairment can be a normal part of the aging process, but knowing when it may be indicative of the development of Alzheimer’s is a crucial step to managing the disease. The new scan from the A4 study means that doctors may have a way to screen patients displaying early warning signs more reliably. A treatment method that can slow or reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s still has yet to be developed, but detecting the disease earlier can give doctors, patients and their families a leg up in symptom management.
Early warning signs
Not all cognitive decline in seniors is normal. Similarly, not all instances of dementia are attributed to Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s Association outlined 10 of the most significant warning signs.
One key symptom, for example, is confusion regarding time or place. As the source pointed out, being unsure of what day of the week it is, or even what month it is, can be normal. However, when this confusion isn’t momentary, but rather persists, that could be an early warning sign. Similarly, a substantial drop in problem-solving ability that is persistent can indicate that there may be a medical reason behind the cognitive decline.
 
By Megan Ray | March 30, 2015

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