Alzheimer's Disease Archive

Ask the doctor

Q. Will we have a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 and, if so, when?

A. I'm optimistic because never in human history has so much scientific time and effort been spent trying to make a vaccine. But it won't it be easy. As fast as possible, the vaccine scientists need to prove, first, that a vaccine is safe (minimal side effects) and, second, that it works to reduce a person's risk of getting the disease. Then they need to produce enough of it to immunize most of the 7.6 billion people on earth. Doing all of this within two to three years of a new virus being discovered would be an unprecedented achievement.

Research we're watching

If you suffer from the common skin condition eczema, you may have a higher risk of breaking a bone compared with someone who doesn't have the condition, according to a study published in the February 2020 issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The study authors found that the 500,000 people in the study who had eczema, which causes itchy dry patches on the skin, were 7% to 18% more likely to break a bone in the wrist, hip, pelvis, or spine when compared with more than 2.5 million participants who didn't have the condition. Researchers said it's not clear if this elevated fracture risk was related to the eczema itself or whether other factors caused the association. For example, the increase in risk could have been related to medications people took to treat eczema. Even so, if you have eczema, the study authors say it may be worth asking your doctor whether you might be at increased risk for osteoporosis.

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Normally associated with veterans, PTSD can also affect people of all ages who have experienced any kind of trauma.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe and potentially debilitating mental health disorder that affects people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. PTSD often occurs in combat veterans, but it can also strike older adults, and especially men.

About 70% of older men have been exposed to trauma at some point in life, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Many of these traumatic events are accidents (or near misses), injuries, or serious health issues.

News briefs

Plants are loaded with naturally occurring chemicals that appear to help health. And high, long-term intakes of certain kinds of plant chemicals called flavonoids are associated with a reduced risk for developing dementia, according to a study published online April 22, 2020, by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers evaluated the health information of 2,800 dementia-free people (average age 59) who periodically underwent physical exams, had lab tests, and answered diet questionnaires. After 20 years, people who had reported the highest flavonoid intake were about 40% less likely to develop dementia, compared with people who'd reported the lowest intake. There are many different types of flavonoids; those with the greatest link to lower dementia risk came from tea, apples, pears, blueberries, and strawberries. A high intake was about the same as having 7.5 cups of berries, eight apples or pears, and 19 cups of tea per month. A low intake was about the same as having no berries or tea and less than two apples per month. The study was observational and doesn't prove that high flavonoid intake protected people from developing dementia. But researchers say other evidence suggests flavonoids may ward off brain inflammation and protect brain cells.

Image: © Slava Olshevskaya/Getty Images

News briefs

The United States is reporting increasing numbers of "deaths from despair" (suicide, drug overdose, or alcohol poisoning). Antidepressants and psychotherapy are often used to help people who are having a hard time coping with extremely difficult times and who are at risk for dying because of it. A recent Harvard study found that another strategy may also play a part in countering despair: attending religious services. The study, published online May 6, 2020, by JAMA Psychiatry, evaluated self-reported religious service attendance among 110,000 white, middle-aged men and women who were followed for about 30 years. Compared with never attending religious services, going at least once per week was associated with a much lower risk of death from despair: 68% lower for women and 37% lower for men. Researchers say that religious participation — regardless of affiliation — may serve as an antidote to despair and provide a sustained sense of hope, meaning, peace, and positive outlook. Also, faith-based organizations promote social engagement and connectedness and preach against self-injury and substance use. The study was observational and does not prove that regularly going to a religious service prevents death from despair. However, we know from other Harvard research that using religion to cope is associated with improved outcomes for people with severe psychiatric illness. Due to the pandemic, it may be difficult to attend your usual place of worship. Consider attending services via teleconference. If you attend in-person services, wear a mask and try to stay six feet away from others.

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In the journals

Regular hugs and touches can help strengthen your relationship, suggests a study in the June 2020 Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Researchers explored the effects of nonsexual intimate touch, such as hugging, holding hands, and cuddling, among 184 couples. The participants completed separate self-reports that recorded the amount of touching in their relationship, their satisfaction with touch, and their overall relationship status.

In the journals

Scientists continue to explore the health benefits versus risks of aspirin therapy. One new analysis suggests that taking aspirin may protect against several types of digestive tract cancers. The results were published online April 1, 2020, by Annals of Oncology.

Researchers examined 113 observational studies of cancer in the general population. They found that individuals who took aspirin regularly — at least one or two tablets a week — had significantly lower rates of cancers of the bowel, stomach, gallbladder, esophagus, pancreas, and liver, compared with people who did not take aspirin.

In the journals

Slower gait speed and cognitive decline may be related, according to a study published online April 12, 2020, by the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Scientists recorded the gait speed and cognitive health of 370 people in the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging (SALSA). Cognitive health was measured with a test that assessed orientation to time and place, attention, recall, language, and other aspects. Gait speed was measured with a timed 10-foot walk.

How maintaining a healthy weight and other lifestyle habits can help prevent this common heart rhythm disorder.

During a bout of atrial fibrillation, your heart may beat so rapidly, it may feel as though it's going to explode out of your chest. Commonly known as afib, this heart rhythm problem can leave you breathless and lightheaded—or cause no symptoms at all. About 9% of people ages 65 and older have afib, which raises the risk of stroke and other heart-related problems. But there are ways to lower your odds of developing afib—or to reduce its impact if you already have the condition.

Lessen your load

By far, the most important step you can take is to attain and stay at a healthy weight. "We have good evidence from multiple studies showing that people who are overweight have a higher risk of afib than people who are at a healthy weight," says Harvard professor of medicine Dr. Christine Albert, former director of the Center for Arrhythmia Prevention at Brigham and Women's Hospital. And the more you weigh, the higher your risk: people who are overweight have a 20% to 25% higher risk, whereas those who are obese (a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher) have a 60% higher risk.

Tennis elbow is the common term for lateral epicondylitis, an inflammatory condition of the tendon that connects the extensor muscles of the lower arm to a bony prominence on the outside of the elbow called the lateral epicondyle. The condition causes pain at the point where the tendon attaches to the epicondyle. The pain may radiate to the forearm and wrist, and in severe cases, grip strength may lessen. It can become difficult to perform simple actions like lifting a cup, turning a key, or shaking hands.

As many as half of all people who play racket sports have the condition, but most people who have tennis elbow didn't acquire it by playing tennis, squash, or racquetball. It can result from any activity that involves twisting or gripping motions in which the forearm muscles are repeatedly contracted against resistance, such as pruning bushes or pulling weeds, using a screwdriver, or playing a violin. Tennis elbow is an occupational hazard for professional gardeners, dentists, and carpenters.