In the News

Dementia Symptoms Often First Noticed Around the Holidays

The Modesto Bee recently highlighted a holiday phenomenon of concern to all of us. According to doctors who care for dementia patients, holiday family gatherings are a prime time to notice the early stages of dementia. Everyone experiences holiday stress, but in seniors, it can often bring about telltale signs of confusion and forgetfulness—forgetting family members' names, neglecting errands. And a holiday reunion may be the first time family members are around to notice symptoms.

The signs of dementia may not be so evident as our older family members fall into their daily and weekly routines throughout the year. But holiday breaks in routine can make the symptoms more obvious. Early signs of dementia are problems with memory, thinking, and concentration—all of which come into play in the holiday season. Difficulty recognizing people, forgetting to buy gifts, disorganized or dirty homes or neglected bills—all of these can be signs of trouble. But experts caution not to overanalyze—people naturally lose some mental ability as they age. The time to be concerned, they say, is when you notice significant changes that seem to interfere with daily living. Read More

Study: Good Physical Functioning Seems to Reduce Stroke Risk

Keeping active and agile may reduce your risk of having a stroke later in life, according to a new report published in the journal Neurology. In a long-term study of 13,615 adults between the ages of 40 and 79 at the outset, British researchers found that those who reported good physical functioning at the beginning of the study were much less likely to have a stroke over the next several years. In fact, for each 10-point increase in the physical functionality score, the risk of having a stroke fell by about one-quarter, on average.

The findings suggest that measuring physical functioning might help identify otherwise healthy people who could be at increased risk for stroke. Dr Phyo K. Myint, the lead researcher on the study, speculated on possible reasons for the connection, suggesting that physical functioning may be indicative of general health and that lower physical functionality may reflect "subtle or sub-clinical" health problems that might increase stroke risk for some people. "It is also possible that better functioning may reflect a healthier lifestyle, which may be protective for stroke," said the doctor. Read More

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