Recent Blog Articles
Dupuytren's contracture of the hand
Why play? Early games build bonds and brain
Moving from couch to 5K
How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals
Tick season is expanding: Protect yourself against Lyme disease
What? Another medical form to fill out?
How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?
A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline
Concussion in children: What to know and do
Mind & Mood Archive
Articles
Too little — or too much — sleep linked to dementia risk
Participants in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) have provided a trove of information. They completed monthly questionnaires and underwent cognitive tests. Those who showed significant decline were also tested for dementia.
Recently, researchers analyzed data from 7,444 participants over 65. They had followed the women an average of seven years. Their report was published online June 15, 2015, by Alzheimer's & Dementia.
Can brain stimulation aid memory and brain health?
Image: Thinkstock |
The jury is still out, but magnetic fields or mild electric currents may aid learning and help several conditions that affect women in particular.
Stimulating your brain doesn't just mean spending an evening at the theater or reading a good book. These days it can involve sitting with your head against a magnet or wearing electrodes that transmit a low-voltage current through your scalp to activate—or suppress—certain neurons in your brain. The prospect of regulating brain signals responsible for mood, pain, and learning is so compelling that scores of studies are under way to see if, and how, the approach can be used to sharpen mental skills and treat symptoms of several mind-body disorders. "Brain stimulation, if used carefully and safely, looks promising, especially if combined with other therapies," says Dr. Daniel Press, a neurologist with the Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Press has used noninvasive brain stimulation for almost a decade.
Could a vitamin or mineral deficiency be behind your fatigue?
The world moves at a hectic pace these days. If you feel like you're constantly running on empty, you're not alone. Many people say that they just don't have the energy they need to accomplish all they need to. Sometimes the cause of fatigue is obvious — for example, getting over the flu or falling short on sleep. Sometimes a vitamin deficiency is part of the problem. It might be worth asking your doctor to check a few vitamin levels, such as the three we've listed below.
- Iron. Anemia occurs when there aren't enough red blood cells to meet the body's need for oxygen, or when these cells don't carry enough of an important protein called hemoglobin. Fatigue is usually the first sign of anemia. A blood test to measure the number of red blood cells and amount of hemoglobin can tell if you have anemia. The first step in shoring up your body's iron supply is with iron-rich foods (such as red meat, eggs, rice, and beans) or, with your doctor's okay, over-the-counter supplements.
- Vitamin B12. Your body needs sufficient vitamin B12 in order to produce healthy red blood cells. So a deficiency in this vitamin can also cause anemia. The main sources of B12 are meat and dairy products, so many people get enough through diet alone. However, it becomes harder for the body to absorb B12 as you get older, and some illnesses (for example, inflammatory bowel disease) can also impair absorption. Many vegetarians and vegans become deficient in B12 because they don't eat meat or dairy. When B12 deficiency is diet-related, oral supplements and dietary changes to increase B12 intake usually do the trick. Other causes of B12 deficiency are usually treated with regular injections of vitamin B12.
- Vitamin D. A deficit of this vitamin can sap bone and muscle strength. This vitamin is unique in that your body can produce it when your skin is exposed to sunlight, but there also aren't many natural food sources of it. You can find it in some types of fish (such as tuna and salmon) and in fortified products such as milk, orange juice, and breakfast cereals. Supplements are another way to ensure you're getting enough vitamin D (note that the D3 form is easier to absorb than other forms of vitamin D).
For more ways to combat fatigue, buy Boosting Your Energy, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.
Mediterranean diet: Good for your mind and your heart
Plant-based compounds known as polyphenols are plentiful in the Mediterranean diet, which may explain its health benefits. |
Extra-virgin olive oil and nuts seem to contribute to the benefits.
Stroke risk when you have atrial fibrillation
Now we have a better tool to calculate your chance of a brain attack if you've been diagnosed with afib.
Atrial fibrillation (afib) is among the most common heart rhythm irregularities. During a bout of afib, the usually rhythmic contractions of the heart muscle's upper chambers (the atria) are replaced by an ineffectual quiver that does not completely move blood out of the heart chamber. As a result, blood can stagnate and form clots. These clots can then travel to the brain and cause an ischemic stroke.
Can you eat your way to brain health?
A heart-healthy lifestyle is strongly associated with better memory and lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.
The health press is full of claims that "superfoods"—like fresh berries and leafy greens—can keep your memory sharp and hold the threat of Alzheimer's disease at bay. But for now, the evidence is preliminary at best. Your safest bet is to lead an overall heart-healthy lifestyle—including eating a plant-based diet and getting regular exercise—rather than drawing up a shopping list of alleged brain-boosting superfoods.
7 ways to reduce stress and keep blood pressure down
When it comes to preventing and treating high blood pressure, one often-overlooked strategy is managing stress. If you often find yourself tense and on-edge, try these seven ways to reduce stress.
- Get enough sleep. Inadequate or poor-quality sleep can negatively affect your mood, mental alertness, energy level, and physical health.
- Learn relaxation techniques. Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, deep breathing exercises, and yoga are powerful relaxation techniques and stress-busters.
- Strengthen your social network. Connect with others by taking a class, joining an organization, or participating in a support group.
- Hone your time-management skills. The more efficiently you can juggle work and family demands, the lower your stress level.
- Try to resolve stressful situations if you can. Don't let stressful situations fester. Hold family problem-solving sessions and use negotiation skills at home and at work.
- Nurture yourself. Treat yourself to a massage. Truly savor an experience: for example, eat slowly and really focus on the taste and sensations of each bite. Take a walk or a nap, or listen to your favorite music.
- Ask for help. Don't be afraid to ask for help from your spouse, friends, and neighbors. If stress and anxiety persist, talk to your doctor.
Along with these ways to reduce stress, add in a healthy lifestyle — maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, regular exercise, and a diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthful fats — and high blood pressure could be a thing of the past.
There is something you can do about Alzheimer's disease-join a study
Thousands of volunteers are needed for current Alzheimer's studies. |
Women are at greater risk for dementia. Joining clinical trials can help to speed the development of promising drugs.
Treating sleep apnea may stave off cognitive decline
Heavy snoring and sleep apnea may be linked to early declines in memory and thinking, according to a new study published online April 15, 2015, by the journal Neurology. The research also suggests that treating sleep apnea with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine may delay the declines.
For the study, researchers reviewed the medical histories for 2,470 people ages 55 to 90 and categorized them as free of memory and thinking problems, in early stages of mild cognitive impairment, or with Alzheimer's disease. For each category, the researchers compared people without sleep apnea, people with untreated sleep apnea, and people with sleep apnea who had used CPAP machines to aid breathing as they slept.
What's involved in memory screening and testing?
Checking for underlying conditions is the first step when investigating a change in thinking skills. Image: Thinkstock |
A mini mental status exam or a thorough cognitive assessment can give you answers and may improve your qualify of life.
Recent Blog Articles
Dupuytren's contracture of the hand
Why play? Early games build bonds and brain
Moving from couch to 5K
How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals
Tick season is expanding: Protect yourself against Lyme disease
What? Another medical form to fill out?
How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?
A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline
Concussion in children: What to know and do
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