Mind & Mood Archive

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

 Image: © fotosipsak/Getty Images

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 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.

These conditions are associated with a higher risk.

 Image: © IvelinRadkov/Getty Images

Most men are familiar with the common strategies to reduce their heart disease risk: keep cholesterol in check, manage high blood pressure, follow a heart-healthy diet, and perform regular exercise. But there may be other preventive steps you can take.

"Some age-related conditions can further increase your risk without you knowing it, which is why it's important to be mindful about all aspects of your health," says Dr. Michael Gavin, a cardiologist with Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "Fortunately, once they are recognized, these other risk factors can be addressed and managed."

Common mental health disorders are linked to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Learn to spot the warning signs.

 Image: © imtmphoto/Getty Images

Heart disease and mental health issues are both common. So it's not surprising that these problems often occur together. But are people with depression or anxiety more prone to developing cardiovascular disease?

Teasing out the answer to that question has proved tricky. Some factors known to contribute to a higher risk of heart disease (for example, an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and smoking) are also common in people with mental health issues. Now, new research that adjusts for those potentially confounding factors suggests the answer is yes.

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.