Mind & Mood Archive

Small effort can lead to big changes.

Being overweight is a risk factor for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and even certain kinds of cancer. Now a study from France that followed more than 9,000 older adults for 10 years confirms that obesity is also associated with depression. "Yes, obesity and depression are linked. And the causation probably goes in both directions," says Dr. Michael Craig Miller, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Miller explains that depression and obesity feed each other. "Obesity affects the parts of the brain that regulate your mood. When you're depressed, low energy and motivation can translate into less activity and exercise. The result may be weight gain," he says. "If both problems have a hold on you, it's hard to break their grip." Excess weight has adverse effects on the health of your heart, knees, and hips.

Adopting healthier lifestyle habits doesn't happen at once, but is a process that happens in stages. Setbacks along the way are normal, but they provide opportunities for growth and learning.

How to know when it signals a bigger health issue.

You may take it for granted that a loss of smell is just part of aging. And to some degree, you're right. "After age 65, many people lose some sense of smell, and we don't know exactly why," says Dr. Eric Holbrook, assistant professor of otology and laryngology of Harvard Medical School. But if loss of smell lasts longer than a few weeks, it may indicate an underlying problem.

Q. I have frequent migraine headaches. Does this increase my risk of memory loss or dementia?

A. This is a logical question, given that some studies have linked migraine headaches to an increased risk of symptomatic stroke as well as "silent" stroke. As we wrote in June, multiple "silent" or unnoticed strokes may lead to progressive memory loss, cognitive decline, and dementia. Your question is particularly important for women, since we are more likely to have migraine headaches than men, and we also have a higher prevalence of dementia.

Reliable evidence that supplements actually work is lacking, but exercise and a Mediterranean-style diet support healthy brain aging.

Can taking a pill improve your memory or boost your brain function? Never has one question launched so many health newsletter articles—not to mention so many purchases online and at the drugstore. "My patients and their families ask a lot about supplements, and I try to point them to whatever evidence we have," says Dr. Gad Marshall, an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. He also helps to run clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Dr. Marshall's list of supplements that people ask about include B vitamins (folic acid, B6, and B12), antioxidants (vitamins C and E, coenzyme Q10), herbal supplements (huperzine A, ginkgo biloba), and nutraceuticals (fish oil, curcumin, coconut oil). For now, you can cross most of these products off your shopping list for lack of evidence. "There are a lot of things out there for which we have no data on whether they are safe or do anything to help," Dr. Marshall says.

To keep your mental skills and memory in tip-top shape, take on new challenges, get out of your comfort zone, and be social.

Use it or lose it: How many times have you heard that timeworn principle of healthy brain aging? Scientists say that living a mentally active life is as important as regular physical exercise. Just as your muscles grow stronger with use, mental exercise keeps your mental skills and memory in tone.

A study published online in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity finds that meditation could be an effective method for combating loneliness. A meditation program can significantly decrease loneliness and reduce markers of inflammation, which might benefit the immune system.

Get help with discharge instructions and try to stay active.

Being readmitted to the hospital soon after being discharged is a common problem for all older Americans. But men are at a significantly higher risk of returning for emergency room care or a hospital stay within a month after discharge than are women, according to a recent study published in BMJ Open. "Men in certain populations may not have social support, which leads them to being at higher risk for readmission," says Dr. Jeffrey Schnipper, director of clinical research for the Brigham and Women's hospitalist services.

People with Parkinson's disease and their relatives may be more likely to develop prostate cancer and melanoma. Researchers believe neurodegenerative diseases may share common mechanisms with the cancers.

When the first medication you take for depression doesn't work, should your doctor raise the dose or try a different one? A study in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology found that switching relatively early does not worsen symptoms, and may lead to slightly better results over the long term.

The study involved 840 people being treated for depression. They started on escitalopram (Lexapro), a common antidepressant. In 70% of people, the escitalopram did not start to work after a month.