Alzheimer's Expert Craig Stoltz shares Alzheimer's management news and commentary at OurAlzheimers.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815 http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815 http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/29384/social-alzheimer Fri, 30 May 2008 09:11:05 -0400 Craig Stoltz A new study confirms what previous research and intuition tell us: Connecting to other  people is good for your brain. In this case the research, published in the American Journal of Public Health, showed that memory declined at half the rate among socially engaged adults compared to their more isolated peers.   Three things you need to know   1. Elements of social interaction considered were marital status, volunteer... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/29384/social-alzheimer http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/25894/exercise-health Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:33:16 -0400 Craig Stoltz Yet another study--this time a big analysis of other high-quality studies--demonstrates the link between fitness and brain health.   Three things you need to know   1. This study was a powerful analysis of previous high quality research on the issue, published by the highly regarded international Cochrane Library. It demonstrates a clear link between aerobic fitness and brain function, including memory, attention and cognitive... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/25894/exercise-health http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/24515/linked Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:48:00 -0400 Craig Stoltz Depression may--may!--lead to Alzheimer's. Or maybe depression and Alzheimer's are both triggered by the same unidentified underlying problem. Both of these possibilities arise from a new report on the links between depression and Alzheimer's in the journal Neurology. Three things you need to know:  1. The study shows that people with early-life (prior to 60) depression have a nearly four-fold risk of developing... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/24515/linked http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/24066/big-belly-risk Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:16:00 -0400 Craig Stoltz The latest link to Alzheimer's risk is a big one: Your belly. Researchers reporting in the journal Neurology found that people who carry weight in their gut (a condition as "abdominal adiposity") have double to triple the risk of dementia later in life compared to people of normal weight and belly girth.  Three things you need to know:  1. We've previously reported that a healthy diet is linked to lower... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/24066/big-belly-risk http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/14985/blood-test-far Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:37:00 -0400 Craig Stoltz It's always exciting when there is promising news about an incurable, deadly disease. But it's essential not to let hopes get in front of the facts. Let's look very carefully at the recent report appearing the journal Nature Medicine that suggests it may be possible to detect Alzheimer's disease via a blood test. Bottom line first An intriguing preliminary study suggests a collection of proteins in the blood may be a... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/14985/blood-test-far http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/14148/big-money-home Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:58:00 -0400 Craig Stoltz The New York Times has published an ambitious piece of original reporting that links nursing home ownership to care quality. Essentially, it finds that operations backed by big private investment firms deliver low quality care. Main FindingsPrivate investment firms (often known for acquiring companies like Dunkin' Donuts, the article points out) that buy groups of nursing homes often cut costs to raise profits. Often the biggest cuts... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/14148/big-money-home http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/14107/puzzling-aging Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:31:00 -0400 Craig Stoltz As some people age, they develop what are often considered personality changes or behavioral quirks. Some begin to "say what they really think," with embarrasing consequences. Others develop gambling problems or depression. A new report sheds some light on possible explanations about these sensitive, often bewildering issues. Let's look. Bottom line first A report in the October issue of Current Directions in... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/14107/puzzling-aging http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/13862/divorce-engaged Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:14:00 -0400 Craig Stoltz Do adult children of divorce provide less caregiving to their aging parents than children of an unbroken marriage? A widely reported study suggests this may be so. (My emphasis on the "may.") Since this has considerable potential implications, let's look closely.  Bottom line first A report in by Temple University researcher Adam Davey suggests that marital transitions such as divorce, particularly when the... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/13862/divorce-engaged http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/13626/diet-fights Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:57:00 -0400 Craig Stoltz A new report in the journal Neurology extends previous research into the benefits of a so-called Mediterranean Diet to Alzheimer's disease. Let's look in the fridge. Bottom line first A published study suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet--high in fruits, vegetable, grains, beans, nuts, and fish; some cheese and yogurt; few meats and poultry; olive oil as the main source of fats; and wine with... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/13626/diet-fights http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/13317/care-patient Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:20:00 -0400 Craig Stoltz A new report demonstrates something caregivers understand intuitively: They need care too. Let's look at the details. Bottom line first A report in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry shows that caregivers of spouses with Alzheimer's appear to be healthier when given counseling and group and telephone support.  This study in 50 words or less Researchers randomly assigned 406 spouse Alzheimer's... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/1815/13317/care-patient