Alzheimer's Disease Archive

What can you do about this mysterious ailment?

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Leaky gut has not received the attention it deserves, in large part because it remains a medical mystery.

"Part of the reason is that the gut is such a complex system, and science continues to find new ways that the gut can influence everything from heart health to keeping our brains young," says Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. "There is much we know about leaky gut in terms of how it affects people's health, but there is still so much that is unknown."

Memory lapses are common as you age, but there are ways to help your brain store new information and recall it later.

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Does this sound familiar? You go into the kitchen, but can't remember why. Or you can't recall a name you just heard during a conversation, or miss a routine appointment because it slipped your mind.

"Everyday memory lapses like this can be upsetting, but they are more common than we often assume," says Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist specializing in behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

In the journals

Are you excessively sleepy during the day? If so, you may have a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a recent study published online Sept. 5, 2018, by the journal Sleep.

Scientists asked 124 healthy older adults, average age 60, about how often they felt drowsy or fell asleep during the day when they would rather be awake, as well as their napping habits. The group then had regular PET scans over the next 15 years to look for beta-amyloid in the brain, high amounts of which are a hallmark for Alzheimer's.

Ask the doctors

Q. I was recently diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa. What could have caused this condition, and can it be cured? What are the usual treatments?

A. Hidradenitis suppurativa is an uncommon skin condition that starts out as pimple-like lesions on the skin. If left untreated, it can grow deeper into the tissue and over time can lead to painful fluid-filled lumps or thick scars. The condition is most common on parts of the body where skin presses up against skin, such as the groin, the underarms, the thighs, or the buttocks. Hidradenitis suppurativa most often affects younger people, particularly women, and most often happens after puberty. It's less common in people over age 55. Other risk factors include smoking and being overweight or obese, and it seems to run in families. Experts aren't really sure what causes hidradenitis suppurativa, but hormones and the immune system may play a role. Some experts believe that an ordinary blockage in the skin triggers an overzealous immune system reaction, which leads to symptoms. The good news is that you can't spread the condition to other people, and it is treatable. Catching the problem early can minimize problems. There are numerous treatment options for hidradenitis suppurativa, including antibiotics, hormonal medications and skin treatments, such as acne washes or special bleach baths. In more severe cases, your doctor might also recommend biologic therapy to dampen the immune response or surgery to remove or drain the affected skin. Even after treatment, the condition may require ongoing monitoring to treat or prevent recurrences.

Ask the doctor

Q. With the holidays coming, I may be tempted to drink more than usual — maybe enough to have a hangover the next morning. I'm wondering if a hangover could actually damage my brain.

A. There have been a few scientific studies of that question. Recently, a team of scientists examined those existing studies, involving over 1,100 people, and came to some tentative conclusions, published online August 25 by the journal Addiction.

Ask the doctor

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Q. Is there something stronger than aspirin I can take for peripheral artery disease in my legs?

A. People with peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the legs have blockages (plaques of atherosclerosis) in the arteries that impair the flow of blood. Based on large scientific studies involving over 5,000 people with PAD, authorities recommend taking a daily aspirin tablet. For people with PAD, smoking cessation, regular exercise, and often other medicines such as statins, can help prevent further plaque buildup and decrease symptoms.

The number of people with dementia is expected to climb to 50 million in the coming decades, but understanding the connection between vascular health and cognitive health allows people the opportunity to adopt heart-healthy habits that can also reduce their risk of dementia.

Sometimes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is behind issues with memory and task completion.

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You may be concerned about your memory if you notice that you're struggling to keep track of items you use each day, getting sidetracked when doing chores and other tasks, and tuning out during conversations. But it could be that you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a brain wiring difference once recognized only in children. In adults, ADHD often produces problems with memory and attention rather than hyperactivity.

"Two to three percent of people in their 60s or older have traits of ADHD that are impairing," says Dr. Craig Surman, a neuropsychiatrist and ADHD researcher at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital and co-author of the Harvard Health Publishing book FASTMINDS: How to Thrive If You Have ADHD (or think you might).

On call

Q. For the past few months, I get dizzy when I turn my head quickly or bend over. What could cause this?

A. You most likely have a bothersome, but not serious, condition called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. The symptoms are brought on by head movement. They can be quite mild, with just a few seconds of a spinning or off-balance sensation when the head moves a certain way, but some people experience severe dizziness, along with nausea and possible falling.