Alzheimer's Disease Archive

In the journals

Anticholinergic medications used to treat bladder conditions, Parkinson's disease, and depression are associated with an increased risk of dementia, according to a large study published online April 25, 2018, by The BMJ. Anticholinergic drugs help to contract and relax muscles. They work by blocking acetylcholine, a substance that also transmits messages in the nervous system. In the study, researchers compared the medical records of 40,770 people older than 65 who were diagnosed with dementia and 283,933 seniors without.

They found that people diagnosed with dementia were up to 30% more likely to have been prescribed anticholinergic medications for Parkinson's, bladder problems, or depression. Frequently prescribed anticholinergic drugs include procyclidine (Kemadrin) for Parkinson's; tolterodine, oxybutynin, and solifenacin (Vesicare) for urological conditions like overactive bladder or incontinence; and amitriptyline, dosulepin, and paroxetine for depression. However, there was no association between dementia and anticholinergic drugs used to treat other common conditions like hay fever, travel sickness, and stomach cramps.

In the journals

Aerobic exercise has been linked with reducing symptoms of depression, but resistance training, such as weight lifting and bodyweight exercises like push-ups, can have the same effect.

A meta-analysis published in the June 2018 JAMA Psychiatry examined the effects of resistance training on depression symptoms in 33 clinical trials involving 1,877 people. The researchers found that people who did this type of exercise reported a significant reduction in such symptoms as low mood, loss of interest in activities, and feelings of worthlessness, compared with those who did not exercise.

Understanding superbugs can help you avoid them.

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It used to be that if you got an infection, you could pop an antibiotic pill and rest assured that it could help you fend off your bacterial attacker. But those old tried-and-true pills may not be as effective as they once were, thanks to a rising number of new types of bacteria often referred to as superbugs.

"'Superbug' is essentially a slang term developed by the press that refers to highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can cause human infections," says Dr. David Hooper, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Research we're watching

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You may want to take precautions if you're planning on swimming or using a hot tub at your hotel on your next vacation. Data released May 18 in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report shows that these attractions are hot spots for waterborne diseases. In fact, one-third of waterborne disease outbreaks between 2000 and 2014 were traced to hotel pools or hot tubs.

The three main culprits causing infections in swimmers and hot tub users are Cryptosporidium, Pseudomonas, and Legionella. More than half of the outbreaks were caused by Cryptosporidium parasites, which are typically spread when someone ingests water contaminated by a sick swimmer with diarrhea. Legionella and Pseudomonas bacteria, which caused 16% and 13% of outbreaks respectively, cause pneumonia, flu-like illness, swimmer's ear, or a rash. Any one of these conditions can quickly drain the fun from any trip.

Research we're watching

If you're able to quickly shrug off stressful events, that may be good for your health. A study in the March 19 issue of Psychological Science found that people who held on to stress—those who reported still having negative feelings about a stressful event the day after it happened — had more chronic health problems a decade later.

Researchers analyzed data from a nationwide survey that asked more than 1,100 adults about the number and type of stressful experiences they had each day for eight days. These included everything from arguments with others to problems at work, home, or school. Participants rated their emotional reactions to these stressors at the time and afterward.

Ask the doctor

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Q. My daughter has just been diagnosed with lupus. What is it, and what can be done to help?

A. A healthy, young patient of mine once asked me what the chances were that she might one day develop a "terrible disease." When I asked her what she meant by "terrible disease," she surprised me: she didn't say a disease that could be fatal, but rather a disease that could attack every part of her body. By that definition, systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus for short) is, indeed, a terrible disease.

News briefs

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin; low levels are associated with poor bone and muscle health and other chronic conditions, such as heart disease and cancer. Now, a study published online April 19, 2018, by PLOS One has tied higher vitamin D levels to a lower diabetes risk. Researchers followed 900 older adults (average age 74) for 12 years, checking their vitamin D and blood sugar levels during clinic visits. Compared with people whose blood levels of vitamin D were below 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml), people with vitamin D levels of 30 ng/ml or more had one-third the risk for developing diabetes, and people whose D levels were 50 ng/ml or more had one-fifth the risk. This study does not prove that taking vitamin D supplements to raise blood levels of vitamin D would reduce the risk of diabetes, although that is possible. The Institute of Medicine maintains that a blood level of 20 ng/ml or higher is sufficient for 97% of the population. Other authorities think that levels higher than 20 ng/ml are better for health. Large studies are under way to help resolve these differences of opinion.

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Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment, such as how the air smells and feels as you walk your dog, or how a bite of bread tastes with dinner. The ultimate goal is to help shift your thoughts away from your usual preoccupations toward an appreciation of the moment and a larger perspective on life.

Scientific examination of mindfulness shows that it can improve both physical and psychological symptoms and create positive changes in health attitudes and behaviors.

Strengths are built-in capacities for certain thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Everyone has these capacities to one degree or another. Your particular pattern of strengths is part of what makes you unique.

When you play from your strengths, you are likely to feel more energetic and perform better than when you are trying to use a capacity that comes less naturally. For example, one person trying to influence a local school board to ban soft drink sales might have the strength to speak up forcefully and clearly at a general meeting (despite the almost-universal fear of public speaking). Another person strong in team-building might feel uncomfortable speaking out in a meeting but could successfully build consensus among parents, nutritionists, and others to weigh the issue and come to a decision.

Mind-body medicine is providing new models for wellness and therapy by combining conventional and complementary approaches to treatment. At this seminar, a panel of Harvard Medical School faculty will discuss this quickly developing approach that may help shape the future of medicine.

Each spring, Harvard Medical School's Office of Communications and External Relations organizes a series of four free "mini-med school" classes for the general public in the heart of Boston's Longwood Medical Area. At the end of the seminar series, participants who attend three out of the four sessions receive a certificate of completion. Topics are selected for their appeal to a lay audience and have included the human genome, nutrition, sleep dynamics and health care access. Faculty from Harvard Medical School and its affiliate hospitals volunteer their time to present these lectures to the community.